Solid Start

Ok, so its been a long while since I've written on this blog. Between coaching, the Tip-Off, Thanksgiving, teaching, and spending time with the wife to say my time is limited is a huge understatement.

In a nut shell, practices have been good, bad and ugly depending on the day, and the players overall work in the classroom could be better. I have had to sit out a few good players because they haven't quite organized their time to keep up their grades and attend two-hour practices.

Recently, most of the players have really been trying to do better in school. For example, I had two kids scrambling around trying to get with their teachers and turn in or re-do any work they needed to bring up their grades so they can play. In triumph both were able to bring their grades up in each of their classes they were struggling in.

All of the players on the team are eligible to play, but I make sure that their grades do not slip during the season. If grades slip, it affects their playing time on the court. I know for some players this is extremely tough. However, I am a big believer that players should learn how to keep their priorities straight and make school just as important as basketball. I know that if every player on the team dedicated two hours a day to studying, they would NEVER fall below a C.

We dont play again until December 6, so Im sure the ones that have poor grades will bring them up by game time.

We are 2-0 right now, and it would be great to have every player on the team ready to go next week.

The Ticket Room

One of the most important things a program has to have is pride in their home. How you show pride is with the little things. Picking up a wrapper off the gym floor, dust mopping before a shoot around, making sure doors are locked on the way out, taking care of equipment, and in some cases a little renovation.

Both the girls volleyball and boys basketball team participated in a Bob-Villa-Type task of giving the ticket booth a face lift. Home Depot donated over $150 worth of paint, flooring and other supplies, but we had to supply the elbow grease.

So in two Saturdays of work and one day after school, we gave the ticket room a much needed face lift. In a nut shell we painted it South Plant Purple, refinished the counter, added new outlet covers, laid down wood flooring and base boards, and patched up a few holes in the wall.

It was not an easy task by any measure, but with everyone's help it was done in good time and most importantly with pride. Thank you to the students that gave their time and hard work into making their home gym a better place. View pics of the renovation.

 

Work Hard - Work Smart -Work Together

It's not always the most talented team that wins. Sure if you have a team of superstars, 99 out of 100 times they win. However, most teams dont have all superstars and the great majority of the teams have a very slim difference in talent levels. With that being said, on any given day any team can win a game. The difference maker is how hard you work, how smart you play, and if you are working together.

One of the goals I have for this team, which has some talent, is to make them the smartest team on the floor. Right now, their basketball IQ is low so I have my work cut out for me. Collectively this is a very smart group, but struggle with how to play the game from an intelligent perspective. Hopefully, this fall league will help us understand how to close games and how to make teams play our style.

Until we understand how to play the game, every game is going to be a struggle.

Pre-Season

One of the best things about pre-season is that it's almost like the honeymoon phase. The players are all excited about the upcoming year, coaches are not so bothered having 12 hour days.

On top of that, no one is really sure if they will make the team, so they are going the extra mile to stand out from the rest. That includes keeping up grades and having a great attitude. Having gone through enough pre-seasons, I know that when we're in mid-season it will be a different story.

Players wont push hard some days. Coaches will get grouchy with only 3 hours of sleep. What really will be toughest is when teams start to lose focus. The daily grind of basketball will start wearing on a team, and if they forget what they are playing for things can get ugly fast.

So thats why I am doing things a little different at South. I want the culture of South Basketball to be one that's hardworking, dedicated, and knows when to work and when to play. And I want this to be the attitude of our players whether we are in season or not. I want anyone associated with South Basketball to consistently know that when you put in your time, you are improving yourself and everyone that is part of this family.  The good of the few will help the good of the many.

Because this is my first year coaching the team, my priority this pre-season is getting the mindset changed. The best way to do this is by keeping them together as much as possible. Open gym, fundraisers, conditioning, off-season leagues, study hall, early morning shooting, exposure camps, meals, etc. Anything that brings players together gets them to understand that this is more than just a basketball team.

So far, I have no complaints. Its been going better than I expected.

Dedication

There is no secret to success. The formula is very simple: When it comes to working at your skill, do all the things the others don't want to do.

I open the gym at 6:30 am on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for anyone that wants to shoot the ball from our shooting machine. Within a half hours time, an individual can get in anywhere from 70 - 100 shots. This may not seem like hard work, but the fact that they have to be here that early in the morning is tough especially to a 16-year-old.

I look at it as a way to separate your self from the average ball player. Most kids that play basketball wont wake up early for breakfast let alone to shoot. So if you are dedicated to the point where you are doing everything you can to get better, then in time you will separate yourself from the ones that don't dont work as hard. A player will also find a sense of accomplishment by being dedicated to something and seeing the resultys payoff.

First Fall League Game

Today was the first time I saw the guys in action and despite the loss, I was satisfied with their efforts.
We played a very strong University School team that has one of the better point guards in the county. For the better part of the game we struggled to push the ball and box out.

We were down by 10 to start the second half, and had a run where we played great defense and forced turnovers. We kept the game close until the last 3 minutes, but couldn't get the extra rebound and couldn't convert on a few out of bounds plays.

The good thing is we have seven more games to get things right. I also know that these games will definitely help us get ready for the season. This is where teams get better and that's what its all about.

First Day of Conditioning

What a great way to start the new era at South!
We had over 37 kids show up on a saturday morning for conditioning. Its hard enough to wake up at 7am on a weekend, but to wake up at 7am on a weekend to go running just shows how enthusiastic these athletes are.

There are always a few things you can count on during the first day of basketball conditioning. 1) There are always a few that show up and don t have paper work. I call that group the watchers cause thats all they could do.  2) Some will get there late, and then regret it after seeing the others run for them. 3) Last but not least, a few will be hovered over the garbage can within 10 minutes of running. Yes, all of these things happened, but a lot of great things happened as well.

The kids encouraged each other, they pushed themselves to run faster, and when it was all done, they asked to go longer. By the way, not one single person complained about all the running. Those are definitely a few of the traits Im looking for when I envision the kind of players that will be part of this program.

I really look forward to working with this group of ballers.

Coach M.

First Meeting

I met with the future of South Plantation Boys Basketball yesterday, and all I can say is that Im excited. Seems like the interest is high and the players are willing to do whatever it takes to make this an elite program. I've had students coming to my room all day, asking questions about conditioning, open gyms, etc. I've even had one of the players from last years JV team using his lunch time to talk with me and just get to know what Im all about. I'm glad I've been welcomed with positivity and enthusiasm. My promise to the school and the players is to give 100% to making South Plantation Basketball a program thats exciting and respected everywhere.