Last week I posted an entry called “Whipped Cream or Crap” that discussed some of the wisdom of super successful Coach Tom Martinez, who I first met over 25 years ago.  Yesterday Coach Martinez died. The following is a copy of the post written by Maggie Hendricks on Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner blog:

Tom Martinez, the coach who mentored New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, died Tuesday after suffering a heart attack during dialysis. The man known as “The Quarterback Whisperer” was in need of a kidney transplant due to diabetes complications.

Martinez first came into Brady’s life when the future MVP was just 13. He signed up for a quarterback clinic and then worked with Martinez for the rest of his career. Brady said he would never be the quarterback he is today without Martinez’s help.

“He’s a great friend of mine for a very long time and taught me how to throw a football at a very young age,” Brady told ABC News in January. “He’s been looking for a kidney for quite a while.”

Brady used his platform in the Super Bowl to encourage organ donation.

People from around the NFL immediately reacted to Martinez’s passing. Brady’s teammate, Julian Edelman, tweeted, “RIP coach Tom Martinez. He was such a great mentor to many in the bay area. His legacy will always live on.” Brady’s father told CSN New England, “There are a lot of sad people in San Mateo County tonight.”

Martinez’s impact was felt beyond football. He coached football, women’s basketball and softball at the College of San Mateo, where he won a combined 1,100 games. He was 66 years old.

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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

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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.

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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!

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If you are a player who wants to improve his shooting, foucus, and concetration try the following drill. (Improving your focus and concentration is going to improve your shooting!) Start with 1 and circle it, Then go to 2 then 3 then 4, etc until you have circled all numbers. Go as fast as you can and time yourself so you can work on going faster each and every time. This is much harder than it looks but very, very effective!

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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.

1. Have each player write his name down on a piece of paper
2. 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.
3. Rank each of the 3 in order of importance and/or preference
4. 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

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We spend a lot of time talking about defense but we don’t spend nearly as much time talking about finalizing the defensive possession. Murry Bartow, the head coach at East Tennessee State University, once shared the following thoughts in a presentation at a coaching clinic.

We can finalize the defensive possession by:

Being in position, seeing the ball, and getting a steal.

Taking a charge.

Pressuring the offense into committing a turnover.

Rebounding the basketball.

The obvious purpose of playing defense is to keep the offense from scoring and to regain possession of the basketball. A defensive possession cannot be considered success unless both of those things happen.

In other words, players and coaches can’t be satisfied with playing good defense or even with playing great defense as it is possible at times to play great defense and still give up a score. Therefore the goal must be to play effective, game changing defense, and that can only happen if the possession is finalized!

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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!”

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1. Mikan Layups   1:00

* Goal = 0 Misses & 0 Drops

2. Box to Box        1:00

* Passer on each wing. Post breaks block to block, receives pass and makes post move. Gets own rebound, throws it back out and breaks to opposite block

* Goal = 0 Dropped Passes

3. Elbow to Elbow Jump Shots 1:00

*Passer/rebounder underneath basket (variation – put passer on the wing)

* Goal = 75%

4. High Post Drive  1:00

* Start on block. Break up to High Post, receive pass, square up and drive. Get to basket in one dribble. Rebound own shot, pass it out, break up to opposite High Post

* Goal = 0 Misses

5. High/Low 3’s 1:00

* Post steps out to top of the key, receive pass from wing, and shoots the 3

Each one minute segment is to be run at full speed. Keep track of made shots and constantly try to set a personal best.

This could be run as a circuit with several players going through several repetitions. Keep score and the work out becomes a competition.

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The following ideas came from a clinic presentation given by Jerry Wainwright who is currently an assistant coach at Fresno State University.

1. To calm the players
2. To motivate the players
3. To run a special play
4. To reinforce individual assignments
5. To stop your opponent’s momentum
6. To quiet down the crowd
7. To ice an opposing free throw shooter
8. To let your players rest
9. To make an immediate offensive or defensive change
10. To stop the clock

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