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Archive for the ‘Motivation’ Category
Friday, February 24th, 2012
Some of us have been playing (or coaching) for so long that we tend to take it for granted and don’t fully appreciate how lucky we are to be involved in the greatest game on earth. After reading the following article written by Charles Curtis for The Daily, you might feel a little differently.
Maggie Meier would cradle the beach ball in her hands and, with perfect form, shoot it through her the arms of her sister, who had formed a makeshift hoop.
Swish.
The only thing out of the ordinary? Maggie Meier was in a coma.
“I have never seen anything like it,” said Dr. William Graf, Meier’s neurologist. “The act of shooting a basketball must have been ingrained as one of Maggie’s basic instincts — her basketball shooting motion came back to her even before she was able to stand up or walk again.”
Sometimes the family would transfer her into a chair where she would shoot a ball into a mini hoop. After a few minutes of shooting, she would go back to her comatose state.
In the fall of 2008, Meier, now a senior at Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kan., complained to her parents about feeling ill. When her condition worsened they rushed her to the hospital, where she had a seizure.
Doctors eventually discovered Meier was suffering from mycoplasma meningoencephalitis, a type of meningitis that caused swelling in her brain. They tried to keep her seizures under control and, a few times, had to resuscitate her.
She would end up in the hospital for 100 days. For two-and-a-half months, she was in a coma. Her doctors and family had to do everything for her, from turning her every two hours to moving her arms and legs for her so they wouldn’t stiffen.
The moments when she was awake are just tales to Meier, not memories.
“Coming back to normal, I hear stories like that, like shooting the beach ball,” she said. “I played basketball my whole life, since third grade. I had the knowledge of playing and knowing what was going on in a game.”
What Meier called “normal” was a complete restart of her life.
She had to relearn everything — how to walk, speak and read. Social cues that once came easily had disappeared. But Meier still wanted to play the game she loved. “When we brought her home, she would get in her wheelchair and try to shoot hoops,” said Margaret Meier, her mother. “When you have a brain injury to that degree, no one can predict how far along you’ll be able to go.” Her freshman year was completely lost after so much promise on the court — Meier was once a sharpshooter who won an AAU national title on a team coached by her father, Steve.
Eventually, when the Meiers’ insurance ran out, they sent Maggie back to school where she was still early in her recovery, still trying to walk and talk correctly.
Basketball proved therapeutic. Huskies coach David Glenn, who literally kept a chair on the bench with a “reserved for Maggie Meier” sign while she was in the hospital, worked with her. It paid off — Meier played made the JV team her sophomore year and joined the Huskies’ varsity squad the next season. This year she was a part-time starter and on Monday was in the starting lineup as she celebrated Senior Night, the culmination of more than three years of recovery. “When I’m out there, I don’t think about it that much,” said Meier. “I just think I’ve been here for years. But when I do think about it, it’s pretty awesome.”
To read the above article in its entirety follow this link.
As the rest of the season winds down, make sure you take advantage of every second. When you miss a shot; when the ref blows a call; when a teammate drops a pass; when you squander the chance to work on your shooting – instead of feeling sorry for yourself, think of Maggie Meier and her love of the game. Now think about what it would be like to trade places with her! I don’t know about you but I’m going to appreciate my time in the gym a lot more from now on!
Posted in 2012, In the Press, Motivation, Stricklin | Permalink | No Comments »
Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
 Here are some great words of wisdom from Pat Riley that are found in the book: The Lives of Riley written by Mark Hessler.
You must tell people what their hard work is one day going to get them.
You just can’t institute a work ethic, essentially tell people they’re going to work harder than they’ve ever had in the past, tell them that there is going to be change and they are going to have to adapt to it whether they want to or not, and not tell them there will be a reward.
This is not the Age of the Pharaohs, where people are going to push rocks day after day in the noon time sun just because the king tells them to. People are not going to give you blind obedience.
They are not going to do what you want them to do just because you say they’re going to. They are not going to blindly follow you simply because you’re their leader.
Posted in 2012, Coaching, Leadership, Motivation, NBA, Stricklin | Permalink | No Comments »
Monday, February 20th, 2012
 If you are completely oblivious to the recent “Linsanity” craze that has nearly everyone in the world of basketball talking, then there can only be three possible explanations. 1) You are not a NBA or basketball fan. 2) You NEVER watch ESPN SportsCenter, or 3) You live under a rock somewhere. (Seriously, if you’ve never heard of Jeremy Lin, then look him up on the Internet right away!)
But what makes Jeremy Lin so special? Here are several steps you can take if you want to be just like him:
Be Prepared. The skills he has demonstrated over the past few weeks didn’t come to him overnight and so he has obviously continued working on his game even though it looked like he may never get into a game. It’s easy to get frustrated, throw in the towel and ask yourself “Why should I bother if I am never going to play much anyway?” but that’s not the approach he took.
One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Winston Churchill who once said, “There comes a time in every man’s life when he is offered an opportunity unique and fitting to his talents only. What a shame and a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work.”
Stay Confident. Henry Ford used to say, “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” Remind yourself of past successes. Play your own personal highlight tape over and over in your mind. If you want your coach to share your same level of confidence, show him you can do it each and every day in practice. He’s never going to have confidence in your ability to perform well unless he sees you performing well in practice.
Go For It. Take advantage of every opportunity you get no matter how small it initially seems. Jeremy Lin wasn’t worried about how he was going to play 5 games from now – he just wanted to play well in the first one! Who knows when the opportunity will come again so don’t put yourself in a position where you look back and say to yourself, “I wish I had played harder and done more!”
Remain Humble. Take every opportunity to thank your coach and your teammates and to give them credit for any success you might enjoy. Don’t ever say either vocally or with your body language, “It’s about time I got off the bench and played more!” Jeremy Lin even called his coach an offensive genius – that same coach who was going to cut him from the team only a week earlier. Let your game do all the talking!
Ignore Stereotypes. Nearly every player is stereotyped one way or another. Too small; too slow; too young; too old; “wrong” race; went to the “wrong” school; too soft; too aggressive, has the “wrong” body type, and on and on. That ridiculous! (And not the good ridiculous either!) Basketball is basketball and if you can play you can play. Never let someone else’s description of you become your reality!
Enjoy the Moment. Smile. Laugh. High five your coaches. Chest bump your teammates. Then repeat all of the above. Basketball is a big part of all our lives but it’s still a game so have fun. Watch Jeremy Lin play and watch him speak to reporters afterwards. He is completely caught up in the moment, is soaking up every second of the experience and is having the time of his life. You should too!
Follow these six steps and be like Jeremy Lin. Will following them get you on SportsCenter? Who knows, but I do know they will make you a better player, a better teammate and a better person.
Posted in 2011, Discussion, Motivation, NBA | Permalink | No Comments »
Sunday, February 19th, 2012
Nearly every coach and player I know can relate to the following poem written by Alan Stein, assistant basketball coach at DeMatha High School and a nationally recognized expert in basketball strength and conditioning.
One Possession
It was only one possession,
Why does my coach scream?
My poor ‘D’ allowed a basket,
But what does one hoop mean?
As the pass comes my direction,
I fumble it into the stands,
My coach’s voice rings loud and clear,
“Always use both hands!”
C’mon coach, its one possession,
Our team will be OK,
It’s just the first two minutes,
I mean damn, we’ve got all day!
In the beginning of the 2nd quarter,
Their center is strong and stout,
He scores an easy two, quite simply due,
From my failure to block out.
It was only one possession,
I didn’t commit a crime,
My team is ahead and I’m playing well,
And there’s still plenty of time!
As the halftime buzzer sounds,
I watch the ball bank in,
I know I will hear it from my coach,
Asking why I don’t defend.
But it was only one possession,
Coach – don’t have a heart attack,
We’re only down one and we’re having fun,
I know we’ll get it back!
The 2nd half is much the same,
So it is really no big deal,
That my lazy and careless pass,
Results in an easy steal.
I quickly sink a jumper,
I’m greeted by high fives and slaps,
But the next time down, I give up a lay-up,
While suffering a mental lapse.
It’s only one possession,
C’mon coach just chill out!
It’s crazy to see you so mad,
As you consistently scream and shout:
“Victory favors the team,
Making the fewest mistakes.
Singles possessions are the key,
And will cut down their fast breaks.”
I step to the line for a one and one,
The game is in my hands.
I can’t believe I missed it short,
And hear cheers from their fans.
After the game I pouted,
Knowing what I could have done,
Realizing the value of each possession,
Damn, we lost by one.
Play hard. Play smart. Play Together… every possession.
Alan Stein
Posted in 2012, Motivation, Stricklin | Permalink | No Comments »
Friday, February 17th, 2012
 When is praise not really praise after all? Jill Geisler of the Poynter Institute has a podcast called What Great Bosses Know where she recently spoke about what she calls “Praise Erasers.” The information presented was meant for employers but it certainly applies to coaches as well.
Geisler says there are 5 Praise Erasers that actually turn praising your players into a negative experience. They are:
Praise that sounds controlling. Praise while reminding your players who is still boss. “Great job running the offense! See what happens when you do it my way?”
Praise that sounds condescending. Talking down to your players. “For someone who doesn’t have much court sense you really did a good job breaking that press!”
Praise that is self involved. Making the praise all about you. “Great game! Reminds me of the time I scored 30 points against Ocean View High, only I didn’t miss quite as many shots as you did. Anyway, if you can keep playing as well as I did when I was your age, you have a chance to be pretty good.”
Praise that is really bait & switch. Starts as praise but turns into an assignment. “ Great job shooting the ball last night. In fact you shot so well why don’t you set up the clock, sweep the gym floor and fill up all the water coolers so everyone else can get some extra shots in.”
Praise with a big BUT. Starts as praise but ends as criticism. “Way to go! You really pulled the game out for us in crunch time BUT next time don’t wait so long before you start playing well!”
Do you praise your players using any of these methods? It’s been said that people love material rewards but will crawl over broken glass for one single, sincere compliment. Is your “praise” building your players up or actually tearing them down?
To read more of Jill’s excellent leadership advice, check out her book called What Great Bosses Know.
Posted in 2012, Leadership, Motivation, Skill Development, Stricklin | Permalink | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 15th, 2012
 Coach Tom Martinez is an extremely fascinating and successful coach. Not only did he become Tom Brady’s personal quarterback coach when Brady was 13 years old and continues to work with him several times a year, but Martinez also coached the football, women’s basketball, and women’s softball teams at San Mateo College in San Mateo, California all at the same time for well over 20 years. Not only did his teams compete but they won several championships each.
Coach Martinez had a simple philosophy for dealing with so many different attitudes, work ethics, and personalities. He felt that everyone’s life is simply a big bowl full of crap and whipped cream. If a player’s bowl was full of mostly crap then Coach Martinez stirred in an extra dose of whipped cream. However, if a player’s bowl was just about full of whipped cream then Martinez felt obligated to add a little crap.
Is your team struggling either individually or collectively? Than maybe they need a little more whipped cream! Are the guys starting to think they are something special and maybe crossing the line from confidence to cockiness? Maybe they need a little more crap!
Posted in 2012, Coaching, Leadership, Motivation, Stricklin | Permalink | No Comments »
Saturday, February 11th, 2012
 Almost all coaches would like to have greater insights into the personalities of their players. Here is a short written test that can teach you a great deal about your individual players and about your team as a whole.
- Have each player write his name down on a piece of paper
- Tell them, “If you are going to war in a dangerous, remote part of the world where you had to rely and trust on your teammates in order to survive, who would you want to share a fox hole with? Write down the names of three teammates.
- Rank each of the 3 in order of importance and/or preference
- 3 points for #1, 2 points for #2, and 1 point for #3
Use this test 3 or 4 times a season and keep a running total of all the points awarded
Posted in 2012, Coaching, Leadership, Motivation, Stricklin | Permalink | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
 With the Super Bowl coming up I’ve noticed how many players being interviewed have talked about teamwork and team chemistry. Do they suddenly believe in teamwork because their teams are in the Super Bowl or are their teams in the Super Bowl because they believe in teamwork?
In the book Game Plans for Success by Ray Didinger, Coach Marty Schottenheimer talks about how coaches can only do and say so much when it comes to instilling values such as teamwork.
“That direction is much more effective coming from a player that coming from a coach. Players get tired of listening to coaches. When the guy at the next locker verbally kicks a player in the butt, it makes an impression. . . . .
A coach can scream and holler about teamwork, but the teams that really have it are the ones on which the players live it and demand it every day. It comes with a mutual respect and internal leadership.”
I would have to completely agree. Teamwork that is “forced” upon the players is usually short lived and insincere. The only enduring and effective form of teamwork must be genuine and must come from the players. As John Wooden used to say, “The main ingredient to stardom is the rest of the team!”
Posted in 2012, Coaching, Leadership, Motivation, Stricklin | Permalink | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
 At this point in the season I have been thinking about how I can strengthen my team and prepare for a run at the playoffs. My first thought was to concentrate on eliminating any “weak links” but then I read these words written by Bob Starkey, long time men’s and women’s assistant coach at LSU and now an assistant at the University of Central Florida:
I have thought often over the course of the past two years about this particular blog post. Rarely do you want to tackle one of those life-long coaching axioms. But that’s what I’m going to do.
“You’re only as strong as your weakest link.”
Now don’t get me wrong — I’m not saying that your team wouldn’t be better if your weakest player had a great attitude and was a hard worker.
But I am saying this: “You’re only as strong as your strongest link.”
I base my premise on years of coaching. I have been fortunate to have coached some special teams. During my tenure on the college level I have been to six Final Fours — special teams indeed.
Some of those teams had a player or two that didn’t work as hard as they could have or didn’t have the best of attitudes. In fact, with a team, it is almost a safe bet that you will have one or two. But the one thing those Final Four teams had was a player or players that were incredibly committed to having a great team. They were leaders in their actions and in their words. The best players on those teams were the hardest workers. The best players on those teams were the unselfish. Coach Don Meyer said at the very first clinic I ever heard him speak nearly 20 years ago that “if your best player is your hardest worker than you have a chance to be good…but if he’s not, you could be in for a long season.”
The strongest link is the most important because it is the link that holds the chain together. The stronger that link, the more links it can “carry” and “lift.” If you have a team that is top heavy with strong links than you are about to have a great season.
I believe a good coach can minimize the effects of a player with a bad attitude or poor work ethic if they are at the bottom of the chain…but if that weak link is at the top it’s going to break at some point and you will be scrambling to hold it together.
As a coach, I think it is important to recognize that and make sure that you put the necessary energy into communicating and motivating your strongest link. Too often we get caught as coaches spending 80% of our time on the bottom 20% of our team.
Work hard to find and develop strong links. Talk to them about how important they are to the success of the team. Let them know that it is up to them to be the hardest workers when the coaches aren’t around. They need to be the most enthusiastic whenever everyone else is flat. Yes, they need to get on their teammates when necessary to hold them accountable but they most also know when and how to lift them when need be.
Make the time to meet periodically with your “strongest link” to coach him or her up. Give them the attention they need and make sure the team knows that you have his or her back. Coach your strongest link on what you need from him or her in all areas of the game — including on the floor, in the weight room and in the locker room.
I have also coached teams that had good talent but did not have a strong link at the top and those teams ALWAYS felt short of their potential.
I would add “the strongest link carries the chain.” How strong is your strongest link(s) and what are you doing to make them stronger?
Starting tomorrow, as we get ready to start the second round of conference play, I am going to make sure my strongest links are even stronger!
Posted in 2012, Coaching, Leadership, Motivation | Permalink | No Comments »
Monday, January 23rd, 2012
 Here are the final 21 thoughts for new coaches. If you have any additional thoughts that I can add to the list I would love to hear about them!
1. Start your own basketball camp
2. Become an incredible note taker
3. Understand the value of attention to detail
4. Learn how to be a rebounder and passer for drills and individuals
5. Be loyal to yourself and coaches in your program
6. Get a job description typed early and follow it to the letter
7. You go to all the classes and get all the best grades
8. Be the best at everything you do
9. Be ready for grunt work and to suck some scum
10. Be ready to make no money for a while
11. Have a plan written out for what you want to do and what level you want to work
12. Start a coaches club – a network of coaches that share information with each other
13. Make your own business card if your program doesn’t provide one
14. Get to know your boss and help him become better and more successful
15. Make a portfolio of ideas, strategies, drills, offenses, defenses, etc;
16. Become proficient with video technology, editing machines, computers, copy machines, fax machines, and telephone systems
17. Establish goals and work on them everyday
18. Establish yourself as a winner
19. Remember the stories of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Joe Torre, and John Elway (Perseverance)
20. Remember only a certain small percentage make it to the “big time”
21. Pray to God and have faith that everything will turn out for the best.
Posted in 2012, Coaching, Leadership, Motivation, Stricklin | Permalink | 1 Comment »
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