Building a Program

The following are some notes from former Auburn assistant coach Dave Lebo: While speaking at the Alabama All Star Coaches Week.

1. Starts with YOU- Have a passion for success.
2. It is more than x's and o's.
3. You have to persevere and not give up.
4. Teach Fundamentals and demand them.
5. Selecting your team. "Work your horses, shin you stars, cut the dead wood.
Get your JV coaches to develop 2 guards every year.
6. Teach your kids how to handle losing. After a loss get right back in there and get after it.
7. Be organized and pay attention to detail.
8. Be a communicator
9. Belief in a program concept. Be in control of the entire program. ALL grades!
10. Never stop learning.
11. Be Yourself. Be above average
Most valuable thing a coach can give a player is time.
3 things players want from a coach
A. Sincerity
B. Honesty
C. Discipline

12. Establish basketball mania. Make things exciting.
13. Evaluate your program. What do we have to do to get better.
14. Have fun. Basketball court is the greatest classroom in the world.

Favorite Quotes this week!

"To finish first; you've got to run like you're in second."

"The best teams in the nation at all levels, Do the difficult things together."

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

"Setting goals is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving them, and then staying with that plan." Tom Landry

"Today I gave all I had; what I've kept I've lost forever."

"It's rarely crowded on the extra mile."

"Everyone wants to be successful. But very few are willing to make the effort and the sacrifices to become successful."

"If opportunity doesn't knock: build a door."

"It doesn't cost a thing to do things right or be nice." Bear Bryant

"Spend more time listening than you do talking; it will add greatly to the effectiveness of what you say."

To become GREAT you must be Driven!

During the end of the 1996-1997 regular season, Tim McCormick of the NBPA had an opportunity to go watch a Chicago Bulls practice. The Bulls were pursuing their 2nd straight (5th overall) championship and had set an NBA record with 72 wins the previous season. As excited as he was to be there, he was a little disappointed because he assumed he wouldnt get to see Michael Jordan practice. After all, the Bulls had just played 4 games in 5 nights and he assumed MJ would take a well deserved day off. Especially since they won all 4 games and his Airness had scored something like 38, 42, 46, and 34 points (and played over 40 minutes) Much to his surprise, MJ showed up 45 minutes before practice. He began with some form shooting and then quickly moved to a variety of up-tempo shooting drills. He got up 200 shots. He was focused and intense and was in a full lather of sweat by the time the rest of the team arrived. Sensing his team needed a light day: Phil Jackson told the team that practice was only going to consist of a scrimmage to 20 baskets. MJ proceeded to score 12 of his team baskets and assisted on 3 others. He dove for loose balls and took a charge!!! On a day when he deserved to take a day off he still outworked everyone. His commitment to excellence and competitive fire never stopped. Michael Jordan wasn't great by accident.

Becoming a GREAT Shooter

After watching our players shoot the basketball the past couple of days I have decided we will spend tons of time working on improving that skill this season. Our players must be committed to correcting their mistakes and breaking bad habits. They must find time to shoot the ball on their own thats where shooters are made. Going through some notes I ran across this information GREAT STUFF!
There is no excuse for not being a good shooter. Shooting is a matter of practice. There has never been a great shooter who didn't shoot every day. But you can't just be a casual shooter. You need to pay close attention to correct mechanics, proper footwork, and progressing to the point where you are taking game shots, from game spots, at game speed. Take a look at how some "extra" shooting adds up:
100 extra shots x 5 days a week x 50 weeks a year=25,000 extra shots a year
200 extra shots x 5 days a week x 50 weeks a year = 50,000 extra shots a year
400 extra shots x 5 days a week x 50 weeks a year = 100,000 extra shots a year
How could you not be a great shooter if you took an extra 100,000 shots a year?!
WHY ARENT YOU DOING IT???

Thoughts from Butler Head Coach Brad Stevens

1. Understand and believe in greater good.

2. Thad Matta told him to think like a head coach everyday, even when he was the director of operations.

3. Learn, Watch, Listen.

4. Take lots of time planning practice.

5. Doesn't talk about goals, instead talks about the process.

6. As a head coach, just be yourself.

7. Be Authentic

8. "Soar with your strengths."

9. Believes in short precise workouts. "Deep practice philosophy."

10. Teach them specific things that are applicable for success on the floor.

11. Come up with new challenges daily, get them to try to achieve something.

12. Every player, every practice has to get up 100 shots in practice, this doesn't include pre or post practice.

Kevin Durant

Sam Presti- Executive VP & GM of the OKC Thunder. Why Kevin Durant is a superstar?
A. Notable Teammate- He has relationships with everyone in the organization. From the guy who sweeps the floor to the team owner.

B. Impressive Practice Player- As hard as he plays in games, he practices even harder. He knows that improvement comes from practice.

C. Focused on the process and the long term. He isn't in search of a magic bullet. He embraces slow, incremental gains. He knows greatness takes time.

D. Takes care of his body- Lifts weights year around, ice after games, eats well, isn't a party animal. His commitment shows in his daily workouts.

E. Teams unofficial off-season leader-He organizes group workouts and pick up games. Wherever he is, he is always setting up places to play and inviting (and encouraging) his teammates to join him.

F. Loves to play basketball- Passion is pure. Respects the game.

Izzo

Do you know what Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo had his team do at their first practice of the 1999-2000 season? No shooting drills. No ball handling drills. No defense, no rebounding, no passing, and no sprints. At the first practice he had his players practice cutting down the nets. That's right, they practiced cutting down the nets!! It must have worked because less than 6 months later Coach Izzo and the Spartans did cut down the nets at the RCA Dome after they beat Florida for the National Title. Success can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.