Ice Bucket Challenge

So I was challenged to do the Ice Bucket Challenge earlier in the week but couldn't do it due to tryouts and poor lighting conditions. So I did it today after work.

I encourage everyone to look into what the ALS Association is doing to help improve the quality of life for people who are diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. I've heard some people try to take the moment away from the effort because of how little is known about the disease, it's non mainstream-ness, or whatever reason they can think of, but if you look into what this does to people, families, and communities, then you'll understand why this is so important to those people and the ALSA. Get Yo' Learn On!


I issued a general challenge to look into the disease, but I nominated a few friends and my sister to take the challenge complete with ice bucket. Their rules are as follows:

 - Donate some money regardless of whether you actually soak yourself. These people really do need some kind of hope and I feel it's entirely long overdue. I know we may not have the finances for a big donation, but any bit helps.
 - I'm not going to limit you to 24 hours. I know you all have lives and schedules, just try to do it soon and spread the hope.

Without further ado - my #IceBucketChallenge!!!

Where I Was (Part 2)

The Fall AAU season wasn't my proudest moment of my coaching career. There are different kinds of ways things "challenge" you, and that was a struggle for me to handle. But working with the high school team was nice.

Once the high school team got into it's Fall league, that was a bright spot, as I got to work with guys who understood how to make adjustments to their opponents, and were committed to being at all the games. I wasn't really comfortable with the situation since I didn't really know the players and they were practicing right after school (which is prime working hours), but they responded well, and helped me to settle in a bit as we collectively prepared to turn the program around in December. The very first game was against the cross-town rival high school, which we won fairly definitively (especially since we didn't have any of our post guys) so it just felt good to be a part of that. Overall we did pretty well for a coach with minimal knowledge of the team and minimal high school experience. Best part was that there was no real pressure to win every game. I'm sure we lost a few games we "should have won" but the head coach just kind of went with it, helping to find signs of growth and where we would improve by December. Perhaps that's one of those things you learn over time, because I still don't fully understand how that's okay, but I do appreciate that it never felt like I was on the hot seat or inadequate. The fall was a growing period for the entire Hills program, and I think we did a good job on all levels, from top to bottom, of  doing just that.

The winter was interesting to put it mildly. Actually, that's just a flat out understatement. Winter was CRAZY. I coached a 5th grade travel team and had coaching responsibilities at Hills, so every day of the week was basketball just about. Most of the time it was fun - the Hills guys played with a chip on their shoulder and played with such blue-collar energy, while my 5th graders were dominant through most of their season with their chemistry. Sure, both teams had rough days where a lack of energy or focus made the day tough to swallow, and there were off court issues that made me want to destroy the Internet and cell phones, but that's something all coaches go through. I've learned that it's easy for fans and parents to forget that coaches aren't robots, but people. People with jobs, personal lives, emotions. Sometimes they just put on the glasses that block out everything but their interest (their con, their personal goals) and just look for every opportunity to attack. Comes with the territory, and you learn to deal. But for most of the season, it was fun to be around, as the 5th graders won 2 tournaments, took runner up in 2 tournaments, won 1 league, and took runner-up in another league while Hills won their League and had an over .500 record for the first time in years. Like I said, I was busy and worn down at times, but the experience was well worth it (so much so that I'll be in a very similar boat this winter) as I was able to learn things from the high school staff that I could turn around and implement with the younger kids. I still have a lot to learn, but I feel like I'm on the right track to catching up.

As busy as it was, I really did enjoy the winter overall. I could have done without some of the parental attitudes, and probably had to pass on a lot of great social experiences, but this is what I want. I want to be able to lead a program to victory from year to year, and that takes sacrifice. People talk about sacrifice in sports all the time, but they almost always think of what the players have to sacrifice. I know from experience, that coaches, if they want to be the best, sacrifice too if they want to maintain that success and respect.

Where I Was (Part 1)

In the interest being more open about my journey as a coach, I decided to make this post about what happened over the last year. Maybe not all at once because that might be a REALLY long post and no one has time for that.

So we last left off with a good run in the Zero Gravity National Tournament and I was pretty happy with how we'd done considering the drama off the court and the competition we drew. Later that summer, I was asked to come on staff as an assistant coach for Wayne Hills High School. I had every intent to post that gem of great news once it became official with the school board. But then the Fall AAU season started and I began to get frustrated by what I perceived as a lack of commitment by a lot of players on the team. At that point I began to get frustrated by the lack of progress we were making as a team and I decided it was better to keep that to myself rather than turn this into a soap box.

Maybe I was wrong about what was going on. The numbers at tryouts were low and I had several multi-sport athletes on my team with no backups to cover the inevitable conflicts. Practices were draining as it felt like we just kept rehashing the same concepts over again since consistent attendance on a team level was nonexistent. I was trying to lead that team to some kind of tangible success to keep up with the rest of the program, while working a full time job and helping with the high school and adjusting to those guys. I was spread thin (admittedly, by my own choice) and it felt like the parents and players didn't care. I put so much energy and effort into trying to be a great coach for their kids and I practically had to beg people to show up. We showed up to one game with 5 players just in time for tip off, and of course one guy gets hurt and we have no subs. What do I do there? He's devastated because he feels like by getting injured he let his team down. The rest of the team battled hard but when you are a man down in basketball for an entire half it's not going to end well most times and is upset at the people who didn't show. I did my best to keep the focus on the positives of that game and let our injured teammate know that no one hates him for getting hurt playing his heart out. But on the inside I'm livid. I was ready to be done with that season and I rarely ever want that.

In hindsight perhaps it would have worked out better not to have a team with so many people fighting conflicts. We recruit out of an athletic area of Jersey and our only makes sense that the younger kids take their turns art every sport to see where they can and want to excel. I get it. I do, but I'm a basketball coach and I can't say I don't want people that are just going to play basketball. As we approach another Fall season, this does with on my mind a bit. So much so I almost told our director I didn't want a team just because I was dreading having that scenario unfold two years in a row (that is for another post).

I think that's enough for one post. We'll get back to this soon...

It's Been A While...

So it's been a really long long time since I posted. It wasn't that I stopped coaching, or that I'd have moments where I wanted to post, but I made a decision to take care of some other situations in my life. A while back, I'd taken a break because my mindset wasn't in the right place.I'd started back up, thinking I had righted the ship. Seems all I'd done was put a band-aid on it. I had a terrible attitude about a lot of things, my outlook on practically everything was filled with way more cynicism than any one person should have. Don't get me wrong, that was a big part of the lull and Houdini act, but another piece of the puzzle is that I got really busy.

One of my fellow coaches from the Wayne PAL program was offered the head coaching position at Wayne Hills and he brought me on board as a volunteer assistant. A challenge with the work schedule for sure, but one worth taking considering where I want to be in a few years. During the season, I was able to attend practices, go on scouting trips, and kept game stats, but most importantly, I was able to see how to build a program. How to gain the loyalty of the fans, administrators, parents, and players. While they weren't the tallest or strongest team in our league, by building that respect and trust, we were able to take a team that went 10-17 to a team that won the league title, won a county game (hadn't been done in years), and managed to play well enough to get a decent seed in the state tournament. Being a part of this also helped me see another idea behind scouting that I'd never tried and I was able to use some of that to lead my fifth grade team to a tournament championship title in Clark. I'm hoping to see more of that come into play next winter.

I had an interesting Spring season as we struggled to find an identity and purpose, myself included. Towards the end of the season we were able to find those elements and things started to turn around. Over the summer, I've done some more work on my mental state to hopefully stay in the right frame of mind to be successful and a positive leader. Another thing I've decided is to remember why I started this blog. "The successes and struggles of a young coach trying to make it..." Everything isn't always going to be sunshine and rainbows, and coaches are people outside of basketball. They get affected by things outside the lines, and it may affect what goes on within the lines. One thing I get frustrated with is how sometimes it feels like parents forget that we coaches are people too, but then when you don't let them see the human side of you, what do you expect?

I am not going to promise to hold to some kind of schedule. I don't even know what my schedule is going to be like. But I hope to still get back to my purpose for starting this. Talking about this thing that I love, the joy it brings me even when we lose, the thrill of winning as an underdog. The journey of being a nobody who just showed up one day asking to coach to one day being a respected, sought out leader. I'm not sure what that will look like, but writing has been my outlet for years, and I can't not do it. As time permits there will be posts. Some will be funny, some will be sad, but that's what this is for.

Airing It Out

I recently had the chance to witness something I've been looking for for a while now.

A while back, I posted this entry and mentioned that I was looking for a group willing to gel enough as a team to be willing to constructively go at each other and hold one another accountable for their performance. I saw a team really go at it, and just sat on the side and listened.

There was absolutely no filter. They were mad, and they let each other know it. Questioning each others effort for that game and even the effort to grow as an individual player. Calling out ballhogs, poor shot selection, and playing too timid. As I said in the post, dysfunctional teams lack that comfort with one another to be that honest. It was good to see all of that come out and get verbalized. One problem teams have, and I can vouch for that as I have the same issue at the office, is that there's that generalized problem. "You" is all too often replaced with "we" so that no one's feelings get hurt. The court is a warzone, and there's little place for hurt feelings there.

The one problem I have with the display I witnessed was there was no rebuilding. No healing, no strengthening of the bond. Just destruction. The team left points on the table in a big way. These types of meetings have to have purpose - and that purpose should be similar to that of a creature shedding a weaker layer to make way for a better, stronger, improved version. When a creature sheds the old, it goes and heals, as it is vulnerable for a time, and nurses itself to allow the new version time to adjust, strengthen, and take hold. They did not do this, and as a result, I don't really see much improvement for them in their future (I also don't see much because they are not basketball players but just average athletes who are not committed to one craft, but three) and that's a bit of a let down.

One day I'll see that whole process take place again. And hopefully it will end the right way.

Ramblings

Not really sure what to post about today.  Sure there are plenty of things to talk about, but my mind is a mess and the three drafts I attempted started getting a little weird. So, instead we'll just empty out some of those ramblings and hope that it will clear my head a little.

#1 - Dwight Howard could be good, but I think he's not worth all the attention he's getting - at least not now. Lakers will actually be better without him under their current coach. He was taught by a great center in Orlando (P. Ewing) and those skills need to find a system that needs a true center. D'Antoni doesn't do that, and has a hard enough time using Gasol, though he's a bit more versatile than Howard. Unfortunately, I have no opinions on where he goes, I just wish he'd go already so ESPN can talk about other moves being made. Stop with this "Howard is going to...oh wait now he's not sure again. He's leaving, oh nope staying." It may be official as early as Wednesday, but you never know with Dwight. Could work out in Houston though as they could really take advantage of his inside presence to help free up their back court to get some uncontested shots and driving lanes...

#2 - I have way too much time on my hands right now. Not that I don't have things I need to do in the off season, but when you are used to going from work to practice and playing 5 games a weekend, coming home after work and getting to actually cook dinner makes you feel like you have time to do a ton of stuff.  Like hang artwork, rearrange closets, and the like. Productive, well needed, but I kinda miss the hustle and bustle. I'll be asking for a breather in December though :)

#3 - There is big news to announce, but it will have to wait. Just know that I love the position I'm in and the energy surrounding it. Yes, to leave it at that is a little on the evil side, but I'm going to do it.

#4 - Glad to see the USA Men's World University Games basketball team thrash United Arab Emirates on Sunday by 94 points in a game that saw plenty of minutes for everyone and helped them in their bid to advance from pool play (Not unsportsmanlike to score that much, its in the FIBA advancement rules, and when you're in a pool as strong as the USA pool, well you take every advantage you can).  Seems they won again today over the Czech Republic by 43. Baylor's Cory Jefferson had a 10-point 15-rebound game, which brings a little extra smile to my face. Sic 'em CJ!

#5 - NCAA Football 2014 comes out tomorrow and looks pretty legit. I wish they still had college basketball games though. Recruiting is a lot more fun that dealing with free agency...

#6 -  I need more trophies. With this newfound free time, I decided to put up a shelf for trophies. Should have thought that through a little bit more.  I thought I had more than 3 trophies, but then I realized that coaches don't get trophies anymore because it costs too much. Most players don't either. T-shirts is the new thing, but I want trophies. They don't shrink or fade.  They just boast awesome.

All right, that's enough. I need to go do something productive (eat being one of them) to get ready for work tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be a bit more focused and put together something a little more focused next week.

 

My Year in Review

Maybe it's just me, or maybe its a coaching thing, but I have two different "years" going on. There's the calendar year which dictates my day to day, Monday through Friday, "9-5" (who actually works those hours?) life and it goes from January 1 to December 31. Then there's the coaching year which goes from something like August to June. July is just a hole and a time to catch my breath - for now. As each year gets completed, I try to take a bit to look back on what I did (or did not do) during the year and see if I feel like it made me a better coach or if I took steps backwards. Here's a quick recap on my own little self review.

This year was a tough year for me. It was the epitome of the phrase "peaks and valleys" and tested my confidence.  But as I said a few entries back, you need years like this. Times that push you out of your comfort zone and force you to grow.  It's human nature - adapt or survive. That mentality has served me well in life. It's how I learned to swim as a kid - my dad picked me up, dropped me into the deep end and pretty much said figure it out or drown (He was close enough to save me if I didn't save myself, but far enough away that I wasn't about to cling to him for dear life). It's how I learned to do solid work under crazy time constraints - nothing like writing papers and doing science fair projects the day before you had to turn them in. Basketball for me is no different, and I think it ultimately made me a better coach to struggle the way I did this year.

Not Good

From a record standpoint it was nothing close to what I expected. Some people who were involved would say some it was because this year the talent level was lower than in past years, commitment at times was flaky, and that may be true. But I also think I was the source of a lot of my own demise.

1 - Don't over-commit yourself

I started the year out coaching a 5th, 6th, and 7th grade team. The program was growing in size, but the younger kids were smaller and it didn't sit well with us to possibly put them in a position to get injured, and I loved working with them so much that I didn't want to just say, "Sorry, no team this season." So I volunteered to take all the teams. While my heart was in the right place, you can't do that with teams that young and my full time job. I was being pulled every which way and couldn't really focus on anything ever. We all managed, but I think ultimately none of us saw our full potential that season. 

2 - Ask for help sometimes

This has always been an issue for me, simply because I have such little faith in the general public, especially parents of players, to do things for you without expecting some kind of "favor." I'm always weary of parents who volunteer because I always expect them to look for extra minutes because they are helping out. I've seen it before and heard the horror stories of that kid who had 3 left feet (and as a result spent more time on his face than standing) yet played the most because daddy was a team sponsor. However, there are a lot of things you have to do as a coach and sometimes the mundane administrative stuff gets in the way. While I haven't quite figured out which of the tasks I can delegate, I know there needs to be less typing in emails and texts and more film watching and strategy sessions.

Good

This year reminded me of what it is to be successful as a coach, especially at the younger levels. While it may sound cliche, it's not entirely about wins and losses, and the experience can be the difference between a repeat player and having to go recruit a whole new team.

1 - Stronger relationships with players

This is especially true with the last team I worked with, but even guys that I coached my first year I still stay in touch with and chat with about all kinds of things. While usually they want to compare which team was better, the conversation also includes choices outside of basketball and has branched into academics. Sure it's not on the same level as some of our other coaches in the program, but it's definitely building bonds that will help keep them interested in our program  and working hard.

2 - Practice organization

While it wasn't as consistent as I would have liked, I feel like I did a pretty good job organizing and scheduling practices and making the most of the court space I had. I also created a kind of rhythm that the players could expect so practices were more about getting in reps rather than taking time to refocus and being non-productive. Once I figured out how to turn the scoreboards on so everyone could keep on track to complete the exercise in a given time, the improvement was very noticeable. It also kept me from talking too much. Less talk, more work, more organization, better team.

Not that this was a year I am content with, I'm also not ashamed of it. There are many things in life that go through such a transformation where an old layer is tossed aside so that something new and better can emerge. There were several moments that I can learn from and I look forward to the opportunity to put that new knowledge to the test next year. Should I repeat, then I would have cause for alarm - for now Ihave hope that I am capable of going much better.