Two days after I posted last week’s blog on the Ankles & Feet, the Wall Street Journal’s David Bideman (coincidentally) wrote a provocative article on why Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash prefer wearing low top sneakers when they play.  Here are a few key points from the article:

 

Kobe Bryant specifically asked Nike to make his latest signature shoe low-cut because “I feel like I can move around better.”  Steve Nash agreed.  When asked why he doesn’t wear high-tops, he said “I feel less mobile.”  They both admit that having their ankles freed up and unencumbered allows them to play better. This is coming from two guys who have combined for 17 All-Star appearances and 19 playoff appearances in the last 10 years alone!

 

The article also offered an eye opening stat to back up my belief that high tops and ankle braces (or tape) do very little to prevent injury. According to NBA statistician Harvey Pollack, NBA players missed 64% more games last season because of foot related injuries than they did 20 years ago. Wow.

 

Also, after seeing my blog and video on the Ankles & Feet, a colleague turned me on to the Ankle Foot Maximizer (www.AFX-Online.com). I ordered one immediately!

 

OK… now on to our topic.

 

I get hundreds of emails per month from youth basketball coaches around the world asking questions about proper training. One of the main topics they ask is about athletic testing. 

 

Should we test?

What tests should we do?

How often should we test? 

 

These are all valid questions.

 

I think proper testing can be a valuable tool for identifying athletic strengths and weaknesses as well as for monitoring progress over time. With that said, you must pick appropriate (standardized) tests, collect accurate and reliable “scores”, and conduct additional follow up tests throughout the year to measure improvement.  And even then, it is only useful if players participate in a comprehensive training program that addresses their specific needs.  Telling a player “their agility score is really low” without giving them the specific means to improve it is absolutely useless.

 

High school basketball players can be tested at the following intervals:

 

·         The end of the school year (now!)

·         The beginning of the school year (to measure their summer off-season improvement)

·         The beginning of the playing season (to measure their pre-season improvement)

·         The end of the playing season (to measure their in-season improvement)

·         The end of the school year (to measure their spring off-season improvement)

 

If you are interested in the athletic testing protocols we use for youth basketball players, please check out http://tinyurl.com/StrongerTeamTesting.  

 

If you really want info from an expert on athletic testing, please visit www.BamTesting.com. Paul Schmidt (BAM Testing – Basic Athletic Measurement), a friend and colleague of mine, is the master of athletic testing.  Last weekend Paul directed the testing portion of the annual NBA Pre-Draft Combine.  As always, he did a phenomenal job. He is a master at his craft and someone I truly respect.

 

However, in my opinion, athletic testing is a much more valuable tool for working with youth basketball players than it is for players on the cusp of the NBA.  For a player who has progressed to the verge of playing professional basketball… the scores from athletic testing become irrelevant.  At that point, all that matters is can he play?! Jonathan Givony of Draft Express wrote a brilliant article a few years ago that I wholeheartedly agree with, http://tinyurl.com/CanHePlay.

 

Athletic tests do NOT predict future success on the court. 

 

If you have ever seen John Wall play, you know he is an exceptional athlete on the court.  He possesses all of the qualities you want in a basketball player - quick, explosive, elusive, and has a motor that doesn’t stop.  From what I was told, he also happened to test very well at the combine. 

 

But what if he hadn’t?  

 

What if his vertical jump, agility shuttle, and ¾ court sprint weren’t so stellar? What if they were mediocre scores? Should that give the Wizards’ some doubt in drafting him? Of course not! Regardless of his scores, John Wall has already proven with his play at Kentucky that he possesses the necessary ability to compete in the NBA.

 

Now that was a hypothetical example because John Wall did test well.  However, if you comb back through the test results from the last few years, you will see numerous examples of players who didn’t test well but have still gone on to become elite NBA players. 

 

Don’t believe me? Three years ago, Kevin Durant ranked second to last at the combine (including the inability to bench press 185 even once).  DJ Strawberry, on the other hand, ranked the highest overall.  What has happened since? KD was the 2^nd overall pick in the draft, won Rookie of the Year, and is currently an NBA All-Star and the youngest player in history to lead the league in scoring.  DJ was drafted at the end of the 2^nd round and is currently in the D-League.

 

Their fates were the exact opposite of their combine numbers!  

 

And there are dozens of similar examples. Heck, LeBron James and Dwayne Wade weren’t even the highest rated athletes when they went through the combine. You know who was? Troy Bell.  Who is that? Exactly my point.

 

Using the current combine tests to predict success on the court uses faulty logic.  Look at the bench press as an example. Having long arms is a huge disadvantage when bench pressing.  The longer your arms, the farther you have to move the weight.  That is why the world’s best bench pressers have arms like a Tyrannosaurus Rex!  Yet having long arms is a distinct advantage on the court. Long arms make you a more formidable defender and helps with your ability to shoot, rebound, etc.  So if having long arms is an advantage on the court, why would you have a test where long arms are a disadvantage?  It makes no sense. I have bench pressed 185 lbs as many as 25 times before. Do you think I should be drafted?!

 

Let’s examine this faulty logic from another perspective. Each of the athletic combine tests are closed skills. By definition, closed skills are “performed with a predetermined starting point and finish. They do not require the central nervous system to process feedback from external stimuli in order to properly perform the movement.” Too scientific? Closed skills do not require the player to react, which is an integral ingredient in basketball.  Also, closed skills can be practiced, over and over for thousands of repetitions, until the nervous system has “memorized” the movement.  Meaning yes, if you run through the pro lane agility a million times before the combine, you will improve your score.  But is that time well spent? Does having a fast pro lane agility time guarantee you will be quicker on the court when you have to move and react to the game? No! It's apples and oranges.

 

While the combine tests are closed skills, basketball is a game of open skills. Open skills “require the player to process information from external stimuli and react accordingly.  The player must take this external information, such as the movement of an offensive player, process it and then produce appropriate movements.”  I know, too technical, sorry. Whether going for a rebound, guarding an offensive player, or cutting to the basket to catch a pass – basketball is predicated on being able to read and react. Basketball is a game of open skills. So why do folks place so much emphasis on testing players with a battery of closed skill tests?

 

In order for the combine to predict success on the court, they need to come up with tests that measure reaction, anticipation, basketball IQ, competiveness, leadership, or toughness.  After all, these are traits that will dictate how successful a player will be at the next level.  A player’s college body of work as well as his performance at the individual team workouts should be the most heavily weighted indicators of future success… not his score on the bench press or vertical jump.

 

Same goes for testing kids at the high school level.  Seasonal tests can (and should) be used to make sure players are progressing… but should not be used as a predictor of future success on the court.

 

UPDATE:

 

We have just completed the 8th week of the Can He Dunk? Project (www.CanHeDunk.com). The program is going very well and all 7 participants have made tremendous progress.  We will release the promo video in mid-June and the final webisodes will air in early July (which will include each player’s weekly dunk attempts, player interviews, and highlights from their workouts).

 

Also, this past month I have been working out the key members of the DeMatha Basketball team before school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Here is a video clip of our before school strength training workouts: http://tinyurl.com/DeMathaMorningWorkout.

 

If you like motivational quotes, please follow me at www.Twitter.com/AlanStein.

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

 

Train hard.  Train smart.

 

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

 

 

 

I have been writing my weekly blog for well over two years now. I created my blog as a means to consistently provide my experience and expertise on proper basketball strength & conditioning. That quickly morphed into sharing insights and perspectives on issues and topics that would have a positive impact on the lives of players and coaches off the court as well.  Very rarely have I “recycled” older posts. I like my material to be new and fresh. But this week is an exception.  I dusted off a blog I wrote exactly one year ago.  I didn’t do this out of laziness. I did it because of how strongly I believe in the message. Players, I hope you read this carefully.  Coaches, I hope you share it with your players. I made several updates to the original post.  So, without further adieu, here is Brand You 2.0!

 

What are your favorite brands?
Nike? Apple? Facebook? BMW? Vitamin Water?
 
What traits come to mind when you think about your favorite brands?
Elite? Durable? Stylish? Performance? Quality?
 
Do you consider people to be brands?  Well they are! The most obvious is Michael Jordan (heck, his company is called the Jordan Brand).  What about Donald Trump, Jay-Z, and LeBron James?  Do you consider them brands?  I certainly do.  Why? Because the characteristics that come to mind when you think of them as individuals are automatically associated with the product they endorse. Make sense? You won’t see Donald Trump endorsing Wrangler Jeans.
 
If you want to be successful, both on and off the court, you need to start viewing yourself as a brand as well. Think of it as “brand you.” Everything you do affects your brand in some way (either positively or negatively). The way you dress, the way you act, and even the way you play.  You need to take your brand very seriously if you want to make it to the top.  And just to clarify, I believe in being authentic.  I am not telling you to act like someone else or to try to please others just for the sake of it.  You need to be real. You need to be genuine. You need to believe in your own brand, and equally important, set the standards of your brand. You need to decide what characteristics you find most important and then live up to them every day of your life.
 
Is your goal to play college basketball? Then carry yourself as if you already do!  Hold yourself to the same standard of excellence as an elite college basketball player would… now… don’t wait.  Carry yourself with the same honor, character, humbleness and work ethic as college superstars Evan Turner (Ohio State) or Wesley Johnson (Syracuse). Those two represent everything that is right with college basketball.  Evan and Wesley know the importance of their brand. And now both are surefire lottery picks.  

 

Are you in college trying to make it to the NBA? Do the same thing. It is going to take much more than a killer crossover and a money jump shot to make it in the league. Thousands and thousands of guys have that. You need to separate yourself from the pack.  You need to make your brand stand out. While the LeBron’s, Kobe’s, and CP3’s most certainly have extraordinary talent, they also have charisma, professionalism, the ability to be coached, and an unmatched passion for the game. Their brand is bigger than just their skills. 

 
This past year I read two outstanding books which I highly recommend to any player or coach. One was Money Players by Marc Isenberg and the other was Me 2.0 by Dan Schawbel.  Both are invaluable resources and were the inspiration for this blog. Both books can be purchased at Amazon.com.
 
What do you want people to think about your brand? What would you want them to say when describing your brand? Hard working or lazy? Coachable or a hard-headed? Energy giver or energy taker?
 
What makes your brand unique on the court?  Are you a great passer? Or are you a ball hog? Are you a lock-up defender? Or do you only play one end of the floor? Are you a good teammate? Or are you only focused on getting yours?

What makes your brand special off the court?  Are you a good student? Or are you a class clown and a jackass? Do you do what is right when no one is watching? Or are you always looking for a short-cut or an easy way out? Nike cares about what people think of their brand.  So does Apple.  So does Vitamin Water.  So does every other big time brand. So should you.
 
If you don’t think these things matter, then honestly, you don’t have a clue.  They matter more than you know.  What people (coaches, teachers, scouts, parents, friends, etc.) think about your brand has a direct impact on the opportunities you will have in life.  You only buy brands you like and trust, right? Why would people be any different?  Would you buy an iPod if there was a good chance it would break? Would you drink Gatorade if it tasted like vinegar?  Absolutely not!  So why would a college coach want to give you a scholarship or an NBA general manager give you a contract if they didn’t have full confidence in your brand (both on and off the court)?  The answer is… they wouldn’t.
 
Still don’t think your actions affect your brand’s reputation? Ask Tiger Woods.  Tiger Woods appeared to be one of the classiest, most respected, and most honorable professional athletes in the history of sports. But through his own selfish actions, he has disgraced his brand, suffered irreversible damage to his image, and permanently tarnished his legacy. Not to mention, he lost millions of dollars and the respect of millions of fans.  His brand (obviously) isn’t what it used to be.
 
On the flip side, your actions can drastically improve your brand’s reputation.  As most of you know, I had the pleasure of working the Kevin Durant when he was in high school.  KD went from being a high school All-American to the College Player of the Year to the NBA Rookie of the Year to an NBA All-Star and NBA scoring leader in only 5 years.  The kid can flat out play. But do you think Nike signed him to a $70 million contract, fresh out of college, just because of his basketball talent?  Absolutely not.  They signed KD because they knew his brand would be an asset to the Nike brand.  KD’s brand, above and beyond his unbelievable basketball ability, is about passion, work ethic, respect, humbleness and professionalism.  And I can say, without hesitation, KD has exemplified those characteristics since the day I met him.  KD has always known the importance of his brand.
 
Everything you do reflects your brand – everything! The way you dress, your email etiquette, your Tweets, your table manners, your voicemail message, your eye contact… the list goes on and on.
 
I roll my eyes when a player sends me an incoherent email full of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes asking me what they need to do to be successful on the court. Especially when it is sent from ChocolateAdonis@aol.com (which actually happened!). How am I supposed to take them seriously?  If you don’t have the personal pride to use spell check or punctuation, why would I think you have the discipline to follow my recommendations? Please don’t waste my time. Same goes for someone who has a 5-minute rap song full of foul language on their outgoing voice message or a Facebook profile full of inappropriate pictures.  These folks just don’t get it. 
 
Research has shown it takes less than 30 seconds for someone to form a lasting impression of you.  If you make a poor first impression, it can take up to 21 follow-up impressions to change that person’s opinion.  First impressions are a big deal.  Remember, whether it is right or wrong, people will always judge you and judge your brand.  What do you want them to think? 
 
One of my favorite stories of first impressions and building a strong brand is when Michael Redd met Jerry Colangelo.  Back in 2006, USA Basketball was in the initial stages of putting together the “Redeem Team” to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Jerry Colangelo (managing director of USA Basketball) arranged individual interviews with every potential player.  He wanted to meet with them prior to deciding who to put on the team.  He wanted to look them in the eye to get a sense of their character and commitment. Michael Redd drove straight from his practice with the Milwaukee Bucks to a hotel in Chicago for the interview.  When Mr. Colangelo answered the door, Michael was standing there in his team warm-ups with a garment bag on his shoulder.  After shaking hands, Michael asked if he could be excused to use the restroom.  When he emerged a few minutes later, he was dressed in a full suit and tie. Now he was ready for the interview. Now he was ready to show Mr. Colangelo what his brand was about.
 
Michael Redd’s actions landed him on the team that eventually won the gold medal. Putting on his suit and tie for the interview showed respect and professionalism. You see, Michael Redd gets it.  He understands the importance of his brand. It is not an accident he plays in the NBA and has an Olympic gold medal.

 

I took a page out of that book last month when I went to discuss the available strength & conditioning coach position with the basketball program at DeMatha Catholic High School.  Even though it was an informal, preliminary meeting with a friend of mine (I have known Coach Mike Jones for years), I dressed in full suit and tie. I wanted to show how serious I was about the opportunity.  I wanted to show respect. I didn’t want to take anything for granted. I even bought a new tie in DeMatha’s school colors and provided a full color, bound Power Point presentation on what I could do for the program. I left no stone unturned.

 

It must have worked, because less than two weeks later I was taking the team through these workouts:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8K-gDlPS28

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gHPE6SvO6k

 

Lastly, after months of anticipation, our 12-Week Basketball Off-Season Strength & Power Program is finally here! You can purchase it at http://Shop.StrongerTeam.com.

This program outlines exactly what you need to do to maximize your basketball specific strength training and power workouts - exercise by exercise, day by day, week after week. There are dozens of digital pictures and exercise descriptions, all of which use standard equipment (dumbbell, free weights, bodyweight, etc.) to make sure it is easily adaptable to your specific weight room.

Our 12-Week Basketball Off-Season Agility & Conditioning Program will available soon! It was designed to be done in conjunction with the strength & power portion.
 
As always, if I can ever be a resource to you for your program, please let me know. I would be honored to help. You can email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

 

Train hard.  Train smart.

 

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

Most people get uncomfortable when they hear the word “change.”  Some actually fear it.  But to be successful in any walk of life, from business to basketball, you have to learn how to embrace change.  Change creates opportunities. There are those who see an opportunity and there are those who seize an opportunity.  Successful people obviously do the latter. The world is changing on a daily basis, and if you don’t change with it, you will be left behind!

 

Why am I harping on the concept of change?  Because that was the deciding factor in my decision to resign as the strength & conditioning coach with the basketball program at Montrose Christian and accept a similar position at DeMatha Catholic High School. I was ready for a change.  I was ready for a new environment. I was ready for a new challenge. I was ready to learn from a new coach. I was ready to take another step forward in my professional development. 

 

It was not an easy decision, but one that I evaluated thoroughly over the past several months.  I confided in, and listened to, my inner circle of family and friends.  I heavily weighed the pros and cons. And in the end, I decided that it was the right time to move on.  I am 100% confident in my decision.

 

Montrose has been an overwhelmingly important part of my life for the past 7 years.  I will always be eternally thankful for the opportunity Coach Vetter gave me.  I got to work with and develop lifelong relationships with coaches and players.  I got to meet some amazing people, go to some amazing places, and do some amazing things. Montrose opened a lot of doors for me. Equally important, I got to learn, grow, and develop as a coach.  I got to work on my craft every single day.  I am a better coach and a better person for having been a part of the Montrose program.

 

But it was time to move on.

 

I have known Coach (Mike) Jones for several years and have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for him as both a coach and as a man.  I am so excited to be a part of his staff and a member of the tradition rich DeMatha Basketball Family.  I look forward to being an asset to their already successful program as well as begin a new chapter in my life and career.  I have an opportunity to be a part of another one of the nation’s top high school programs.  I will get to see how someone else does it. That can only make me better.

 

I get several dozen emails (as well as Twitter/Facebook messages) asking me “what it takes to be a great player.” Here are a few of my thoughts:

 

Over the past three weeks I had the opportunity to work the nation’s two premier high school basketball All-Star events – the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand All-American Classic. As always, being a part of such prestigious events is both an honor and a privilege. Having access to the nation’s top high school players for several straight days gives me valuable insight into what makes them great players.

 

With very few exceptions, elite level players absolutely love to play basketball.  They want to play 24-7.  Whenever possible they have a ball in their hand and they are always trying to get up shots.  They would rather play basketball than do just about anything else (the only thing that even comes close is chasing girls!).  When they aren’t playing basketball, they are watching it on TV. The game consumes them. And most of them have been this way since they were young.  Do you have the same love for the game? Do you have the same passion?  I am not implying or suggesting that basketball should be the most important thing in your life… but it should be up there.  If you truly want to be great, you have to genuinely love the game.

 

I also noticed that the most elite level players are super competitive. They hate to lose.  Whether they are playing NBA Live ‘10 or a game of H-O-R-S-E, they always try as hard as possible to win. They never concede. Winning matters. Especially when they are playing against their peers or when bragging rights are on the line.  Does winning matter that much to you? How hot does your competitive fire burn?  If you want to be a great player you have to learn how to compete. Winning has to matter.

 

Despite being the top players in the nation, most of them still fit into one of two categories: those who have a tremendous work ethic and those who are lazy.  Unfortunately, many of the players who are the most naturally gifted are also the laziest because they haven’t had to work hard to be successful. They have been able to rely solely on their size, strength, quickness and explosiveness. They aren’t hard to spot. Heck, I can tell in the first 5 minutes of warm-ups which guys like to work and which guys don’t. Regardless of how naturally gifted they are, it will eventually catch up to them… at either the college level or the pro level. Do you enjoy putting in the hard work necessary to be a great player? Or do you constantly look for short cuts and the easy way out? The best players look at every workout and every practice as an opportunity to get better.  As Kevin Eastman of the Boston Celtics says, “great players look to get from the workout, not through the workout.”

 

Another thing I noticed about the talented players that play in these games are the intangibles of attitude, enthusiasm, manners, punctuality, and appearance (how they present themselves).   Most of the players are energy givers, not energy takers.  These players think “we”… not “me.” Their attitude and enthusiasm raises the level of those around them.  They are polite, friendly, and engaging. These are the guys who will make it. I will admit the committees that select the players for these prestigious events do an outstanding job of taking character into account.  It is very rare that a jerk makes the team. This means if you want to be an All-American, you have to be an outstanding player and an outstanding person. Are you an energy giver or an energy taker?  Are you always on time? Do you say please and thank you?  Those might sound like “small” things; but they aren’t. 

 

Obviously, the players who have the best chance to excel at the next level (whether college or the NBA) are those who combine natural talent, solid fundamentals, an unparalleled work ethic, and a fantastic attitude.  Kevin Durant, the youngest NBA scoring leader in history, is the epitome of those qualities.  KD loves to play more than anyone I have ever worked with. KD loves to compete.  KD works his butt off every single day.  KD is an energy giver.  Despite his money, fame, and success, KD is as humble as the day I met him. KD is pure class.

 

If you haven’t already done so, it is time to start thinking about making your off-season as productive as possible.  What you do this spring and summer will determine how successful you are next season. Championship programs and elite level players are built in the off-season!  That is why THE BEST PLAYERS ARE IN THE BEST SHAPE!

 

Whether you are a coach or a player, here is a three-step plan to how you should approach this off-season:

 

1)    Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses (athletically and fundamentally)

2)    Create a comprehensive plan to improve (prioritize AAU vs. individual development)

3)    Implement your plan with effort, enthusiasm, and consistency (deserve success!)

I will be traveling to Wisconsin this weekend to speak at a Nike Championship Basketball Clinic as well as to conduct one of my Cutting Edge Reaction and Quickness for Basketball clinics.  If you would like more info on either event, or if I can help you in any other way, please email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

 

Train hard. Train smart.

 

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

For those who haven’t heard, after seven very rewarding years, I have decided to leave Montrose Christian.  I want to extend a sincere thank you to Coach Vetter and the myriad of coaches and players I had the opportunity to work with.  I have accepted a similar position with the DeMatha Catholic High School boys basketball program.  I am honored and excited to begin this new chapter in my career and be a part of Coach Mike Jones’ staff.

For those of you that this comes as a surprise, I will happily elaborate why I made this decision in a future blog.

And be ready for blog entries, Tweets, and YouTube videos with an "all access" look at another one of the nation's top high school basketball programs!

“You need to learn to love the path to the prize as much as the prize itself. Success is a journey, not a destination.”

 

Train hard. Train smart.

Alan Stein