What color uniforms should we wear in our first game?

Friday, October 29, 2010

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.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

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.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

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.