This past weekend I had an opportunity to meet (and listen to) two brilliant basketball minds: Jeff Van Gundy and Brad Stevens. I was overwhelmingly impressed, as they both offered invaluable insight into what it takes to be successful on and off the court.  Here are the highlights:

Jeff Van Gundy Wisdom (old school)

·         Don’t over coach. Don’t run too much “stuff.” Keep things simple.

·         Albert Einstein: “Be as simple as you can be… but no simpler.”

·         Most high school coaches would be twice as successful if they cut out half of their stuff!

·         The key to winning: “You need to do what you do better than your opponent does what they do.”

·         To coach successfully you need to know what type of player you can coach.  Van Gundy has 3 types of players he can’t coach: soft, selfish, and stupid.

·         Bill Parcells: “You have to know what loses before you can know what wins.”

·         What loses? Giving up lay-ups in transition (not getting back), fouling too much (giving up FT’s), and giving up wide open 3’s (not closing out).  You can’t win until you eliminate those 3 things!

·         Tony Dungy: “If you want to be uncommon, you have to do what everyone could do or should do, but very few are willing to do.”

·         Want to be an uncommon player? Box out. Take charges. Dive for loose balls. Make the extra pass. Those are all things everyone can do… yet very few actually do.

·         Here is an answer to the question, “Why am I not playing?” Van Gundy: “I play the players that give us the best chance to win.  If you want to play, do something that gives us a better chance to win.”

·         Bill Walsh: “A great coach gets players to do what they don’t want to do in order to achieve the things they want to achieve.”

·         Van Gundy’s 5-Point Philosophy:

1.    Defend

2.    Rebound

3.    Low turnovers

4.    Play inside-out

5.    Get the best shot

·         There are only 4 stats that matter in winning:

1.    Adjusted FG % (taking 3 point shooting into account)

2.    FT’s made

3.    Turnovers

4.    Rebound %

·         If you win those 4, you crush your opponent.  You win 3, you win easily.  You win 1 or 2… and it depends on the differential.

·         Dead ball mistakes are unacceptable.  They are 100% preventable.

·         Praise unselfishness. “You have to give up a good shot to get a great shot.”

·         Good teams have ELO communication: early, loud, and often (sometimes called ELC: early, loud, and constant).

Brad Stevens Wisdom (new school)

·         Bill Walsh: “Mastery requires constant re-mastery.” Work on your craft (coaching or playing) every day!

·         Advice to assistant coaches: “think like a head coach at all times.”

·         Your values and standards are the foundation of your program. Don’t sacrifice or negotiate them for any reason.

·         Deep, deliberate practice is most effective. Don’t try to do everything! Focus on what is most applicable to each player’s individual game as well as what is most applicable to your team’s style of play.

·         Your goal should be to get more done in 45 minutes than most teams do in 2 hours.

·         Jim Caldwell: “Don’t do more. Do less. But do it better.”

·         True gym rats are rare.  You are lucky if you have one on your team. You can’t make players love the game. Every player’s motivation level and passion for the game is different.

·         The key to confidence is knowing you got better.  Find ways to show your players they are improving (stats/film).

·         Spend time on unique finishes around the basket (Eurosteps, etc.).  It keeps players engaged and focused and helps eliminate going through the motions.

·         NAIA coach: “Great teams do difficult things together.”

·         Basketball is a game of deception to get an advantage.  Your eyes are your deadliest weapons.

·         Finish every workout or practice with a challenge or competition. End on a high note.

·         Del Harris: “Every time you shoot, shoot to make. Every shot is important and every shot counts.”

·         Track how many shots your best player takes in your first official practice this year.  In Coach Stevens’ first practice at Butler, his best player only took 22 shots (in 2+ hours!).

·         Since then, he makes sure players get in at least 100 shots a day in pre/post practice and time efficient shooting drills.

·         “Great shooting teams are great passing teams.”

·         Make skill work a year round emphasis… not just in the off-season.

·         Don’t think creating a winning culture is important? Only 7 NBA teams have won a Championship since 1980.

In most areas of the country, official practices start in 4 to 6 weeks.  How are you preparing?

 

Here is video of a pre-season conditioning circuit we did at DeMatha: http://TinyUrl.com/DeMathaPreSeasonCircuit  

 

If you have any questions or need additional resources on making your pre-season as productive as possible, please feel free to email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

 

Train hard, train smart.

 

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

 

 

 

I have been ensconced in elite level basketball for the past 10 years. I know firsthand what it takes for a program to be successful.  While talent is obviously a key factor, it is actually the little things that make an average team a good team, a good team a great team, and great team a championship team.  Don’t wait for the season to start until you “sweat the small stuff.”

 

If you are a coach, you need to ask yourself the following 10 questions.  If you are a player, you need to share these questions with your coach!

 

1)    In addition to winning a championship, what are your team’s goals? Are these goals being effectively communicated to your players and staff on a daily basis?

 

2)    Does everyone in your program know their exact role on the team?  Are you sure?

 

3)    Does every player know your opinion of their strengths and weaknesses? Or do you just assume they know?

 

4)    Does your staff prepare for pre-season workouts with the same mentality that they prepare for practices? Do your players?

 

5)    Is every player in your program on top of their school work? If academics are a distraction now, what will happen when the season starts?

 

6)    Are your players eating well and getting plenty of sleep every night?  Do you just assume they are… or do you consistently remind them?

 

7)     Are your players appropriately addressing minor injuries and soreness?  Or do you give them some macho BS like “suck it up” or “no pain, no gain”?

 

8)     Do your players perform exercises to strengthen their ankles and feet? Groin? Low back? Or do they just bench press and squat like a football player?

 

9)     During each pre-season workout, are you an energy giver?  Is your enthusiasm contagious to everyone in your program? 

 

10)  Does your team go through a standardized warm-up before every workout?  Do they prepare for each workout to start, or do they just stand around and wait for each workout to start?

 

These questions should shed some light on whether or not you are doing everything you can to have a successful season. And for the record, a successful season is not only measured by wins and losses. 

 

Here is video of a pre-season strength workout at DeMatha: http://TinyUrl.com/DeMathaPreSeasonStrength  

 

Next week I will share a video of a pre-season conditioning workout.

 

“Success always looks easy to those who weren’t around when it was being earned.”

 

If you have any questions or need additional resources on making your pre-season as productive as possible, please feel free to email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

 

Train hard, train smart.

 

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

 

PS: One little thing you can do to make a big difference in your development is to listen to Audiobooks instead of music or the news.  Here are 5 of my favorites:

 

1)    The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

2)    Always Looking Up by Michael J Fox

3)    The 50^th Law by Robert Greene and 50 Cent

4)    Go Givers Sell More by Bob Burg and John David Mann

5)    The Story of You by Steve Chandler

One of my high school players asked me if I will teach Luke and Jack that they “can be anything they want to be when they grow up.”

 

I said “nope.”

 

He was shocked! 

 

They thought that’s what parents were supposed to teach their kids .

 

Not me. Why won’t I teach them that? It is n’t true.

 

You can’t be anything you want to be.  But you can be anything you deserve to be.

 

There is a significant difference between wanting and deserving. 

 

Wanting it is not enough.  Everyone wants it.  Only a few deserve it.

 

And what is the “it” I am referring too?

 

Success. 

 

People put too much energy in the wanting part.  All they do is sit around wishing, dreaming, and hoping for success.

 

Instead, they need to put their energy into deserving success. They need to put their focus into earning success. They have to put on their hard hat, roll up their sleeves, and work for success.

 

Don’t get it twisted… there is nothing wrong with having dreams. You should have dreams!

 

But unless you actively pursue those dreams with effort, determination, and persistence … they are meaningless.

 

Do you want to make the varsity team this year?  Do you deserve to?

 

Do you want to win a championship? Do you deserve to?

 

Do you want to play basketball at the next level? Do you deserve to?

 

Elite level players and championship caliber programs know the difference between wanting and deserving success. Your pre-season program is when you make that distinction. Are you doing everything in your power to deserve success once the season starts?

 

Do I believe Luke and Jack can be anything they deserve to be when they grow up? Absolutely.

 

And I will begin teaching them that at a very young age.

If you are looking for some innovative jump training drills to add to your pre-season workouts, check out http://TinyUrl.com/JumpTrainingForBasketball   

As always, please let me know if I can ever be of service to you for your program. You can email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

 

Train hard. Train smart.

 

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

 

PS: I sent out a batch of FREE “coaching nuggets” last week. If you requested them and didn’t receive them, please email me again. Many school firewalls prevented the emails from being received because of the rather large attached file.

 

For those that follow my blog, you know I am the proud father of 6 month old twin sons, Luke and Jack.  While I am not 100% certain (haven’t had them actually tested), I am confident they are geniuses. I’m serious!

 

Why? Because they have already figured out the 6 keys to success:

 

1)    Persistence: they never quit. Ever. When they want something… to be fed, to be changed, or hold a toy… they do not stop until they get what they want.  Right now they are learning to crawl… and they spend hours and hours “practicing.”

 

How persistent are you in getting what you want? How relentless are you in your development?

 

2)    Communication: they speak their minds. Granted, it’s in the form of crying, grunting, laughing, and Gibberish... but they do communicate. And they are attentive listeners.  When Mr. Wiggles is talking, my boys are listening! They communicate with me (coach) and they communicate with each other (teammate).

 

Does everyone on your team know their role? Their strengths and weaknesses? The team’s goals? Is this being communicated among coaches and players?

 

Quick side note: My wife is the Head Coach of our family; I am a lowly assistant.

 

3)    Enthusiasm: they have a passion for everything they do! When they are happy, they bounce around and their faces light up the room. When they aren’t, they flail their limbs and they cry like wild hyenas.

 

How much passion do you have for the game? Is your enthusiasm contagious? Do you raise the level of those around you?

 

4)    Structure: they are on a schedule.  They go to sleep at the same time every night, get up at the same time every day, and eat (and nap) at scheduled intervals.  They have a consistent routine.

 

Do you have a daily routine? Do your workouts/practices have structure or are they haphazard?

 

5)    Uninhibited: they don’t care about looking cool.  They will (literally) crap their pants while staring directly at you.  They don’t care if they fall on their face or if they have vomit on their shirt.  They are comfortable being themselves. And they aren’t afraid to make mistakes.

 

Are you worried what others will think if you make a mistake? Do you only practice the skills you are good at so you don’t look bad?

 

6)    Imagination: they think outside of the box.  They can spend an hour playing with a ball of tissue paper.  They make the most of what they have.

 

How much imagination do you put into your own workouts/practices? When you are doing drills, do you imagine there is a defender… or do you just do the drill?

 

So there you have it, Luke and Jack have figured out the 6 keys to success. Now, it’s my job as their father to make sure they maintain these traits as they get older. 

 

If they go through life with persistence, can effectively communicate, have an unbridled enthusiasm, have a consistent daily schedule, aren’t afraid to make mistakes, and can think creatively… they will be successful in whatever they choose to do.

 

I have my fingers crossed it's basketball.

 

Just kidding.

 

No I’m not.

 

I will leave you with this…

 

Your answer to the question I ask at the beginning of this video clip will determine how successful you will be: http://TinyUrl.com/WaitingVsPreparing

 

Please let me know if I can ever be of service to you for your program. You can email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

 

Train hard. Train smart.

 

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

 

PS: I will be speaking about proper pre-season and in-season strength & conditioning at basketball coaching clinics in Columbus, OH (September 27), Orlando, FL (October 1), and Houston, TX (October 2). If you live in one of those areas, I hope to see you there!

 

It’s been exactly one month since my last blog post.  I am refreshed, re-energized, and completely refocused on my commitment to offer quality insight on basketball strength & conditioning, coaching and motivation. 

 

In addition to spending quality time with my wonderful wife Rebecca and my twin sons Luke and Jack (23 weeks old), I read a dozen books on leadership and watched numerous DVDs and YouTube clips on performance enhancement. I combed through notebooks of my own notes and took time to reflect and evaluate my entire program.  Most importantly, I developed my plan for this coming pre-season.

 

And I have never been so excited!

 

During my reflection period, I decided to make a fundamental change to my blog. My posts are going to be much more concise.  I realized that some folks had to take a day off from work to read some of my lengthy blogs!  I will make each post helpful, insightful, and impactful… just with fewer words.

 

Enough said.

 

A couple of weeks ago a colleague of mine, Nick Tumminelo (a brilliant trainer in Baltimore and owner of Performance University), posted this on his Facebook page:

 

“Do you know the difference between training and working out? Training is when you have a progressive plan with measurable goals and continual challenges. Working out is anything that makes you sweaty and tired but not necessarily better because it lacks consistency, direction and specificity.”

 

I couldn’t agree more.  This concept is so applicable to your pre-season training program because it lays the foundation for your success this season. Picture a pyramid. A wide base (foundation) yields a higher peak. Your strength & conditioning foundation gives you the ability to perform your basketball skills at a higher level, perform them with more efficiency, and perform them for the entire game (without letting fatigue play a factor).

 

That is why the best players and the best teams are in the best shape! 

 

I am certainly a staunch believer in working hard. Intensity and consistency are the keys to success in anything… especially training.  But you have to be working towards something to make it effective. You have to have a plan. You have to have goals. You have to make progress towards those goals every workout. 

 

Working out just to workout, with no direction, will give you mediocre results at best. Puddles of sweat and aching muscles are only valuable if they are taking you closer to where you are trying to go.

 

Don’t just work hard. Work smart.

 

On that note, getting stronger and more explosive is important for basketball.  But nothing is more essential than moving efficiently on the court.  Here are a variety of drills I use with my players on a daily basis to promote proper footwork, jumping/landing mechanics, as well as strengthen and increase the functional mobility of the ankles and feet:

 

Movement Training for Basketball: http://TinyUrl.com/MovementTraining

 

Please let me know if I can ever be a resource to you for your program. You can email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

 

Train hard. Train smart.

 

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

 

PS: I just released an 8 Week Pre-Season Strength & Conditioning Program download at http://Shop.StrongerTeam.com. It includes everything you need to get stronger, more explosive, and in sick basketball shape. This program is the difference between training and working out!