We lost this past weekend to nationally ranked IC Norcom of Portsmouth, VA. Our record is currently 15-4 (7-1 in conference).
DeMatha has been an internationally renowned basketball program for over 40 years. High notoriety creates high expectations. We set very high standards for our program.
We expect to win every game. We expect to win because we do everything in our power to put ourselves in a position to be successful.
Obviously, we don’t always win. We lose games just like every other program.
Losing is a part of sports and is a part of life. How you deal with losing directly affects how successful you will eventually be.
I learned long ago that you can’t worry about what other people think. The only opinions that matter are those of the players and coaches in our locker room. The media, the fans, and the ‘haters’ all want to throw in their two cents – but you can’t let their thoughts affect you.
There were a lot of people on our bandwagon when we started the season 12-0 and beat two nationally ranked opponents in route to winning the Nike Les Schwab Invitational.
Now, many of those same folks are saying this season is a failure. They are saying that “DeMatha is overrated” and “DeMatha is having a down year.”
Personally, I choose to ignore it. I don’t read the newspaper and I stay off the message boards. I keep my focus on what I can control – which is doing everything in my power to help our program finish the season strong.
I don’t like losing. Losing sucks. But if you let losing compromise your focus, your values, and your perspective – then you are mentally weak. You will never be successful and you certainly won’t ever find happiness.
“Adversity is usually a prerequisite to great things.”
There is no need for us to panic. We have a young team. We only have one senior (who plays) and one other player (a junior guard) who played significant minutes on last year’s 32-4 team.
That means most of our team is getting their first real taste of high level varsity basketball. They are going to make mistakes. It’s all a part of the process.
I am not using youth as an excuse. We have more than enough talent to win now. But you have to have patience and give players time to mature at their own pace. You can’t force success.
The mistakes we have been making are fixable:
· We are currently shooting an abysmal 59% from the FT line (only one player shooting over 70%). This is not from lack of practice – Coach Jones has made FT shooting a high priority since the beginning of the year. It is purely mental. Missed FT’s played a major role in 3 out of our 4 losses.
· We have two very skilled big men. They are both shooting over 60% from the field. However, our guards don’t get them the ball enough – they are 5th in 6th on our team in shot attempts. We win when we pound the ball inside.
· We have been careless with the ball in several of our games. We currently have more turnovers than assists. Sloppy play leads to losses.
Given how correctable these issues are, we are very positive about the rest of this season. Regardless of what our detractors may think the ‘fat lady has not started singing’ yet!
Our team’s pre-season goals are still achievable:
1. Win the WCAC regular season
2. Win the WCAC conference tournament
3. Win the City Championship
4. Win the Alhambra Championship
The path to achieving these goals will not be easy. We have 10 conference games this month – 7 of which are on the road.
When you have DeMatha on the front of your jersey, you also have a target on your back. Everyone brings their ‘A’ game when they play us.
But we don’t want it any other way!
While it is imperative that we continue to put all of our energy into this season and coaching this team… we are simultaneously preparing for next year as well. Everything we do now affects what we do later. That is the difference between having a good team and having a good program.
Regarding my role, I am currently taking detailed notes on each player’s physical strengths and weaknesses, so I can tailor an individualized training plan for them once the season is over. While our players have room to improve in every capacity… I have one player who needs to lose 15 lbs., two players who need to gain 15 lbs., several who need to learn to ‘play stronger’, and a few players who need to improve their explosiveness and ability to move laterally.
I look forward to the challenge of addressing these issues once the season is over.
Coaching is a journey, not a destination.
Alan Stein
www.StrongerTeam.com
www.Twitter.com/AlanStein
www.Facebook.com/StrongerTeam
www.YouTube.com/StrongerTeamDotCom
PS: If you are looking for an inspiring book to read – please check out www.ACoachAndAMiracle.com.
PSS: If you are a basketball strength & conditioning coach, there are 2 outstanding conferences this spring:
Raleigh, NC – May 20-21st – www.SpecificStrength.com/speakers.htm
Boston, MA – June 3-4th- www.bsmpg.com/basketball-speaker-2011