Due to the increased success of the Metuchen Summer Hoop Camp, an autumn version will hit the hardwood for the first time next month. Metuchen High School head coach Rich Stoner saw his summer camp enrollment increase fourfold in just its second year in existence, and figured it was time to open camp for the fall.

“I like to run the summer camp outside,” Stoner said. “Outside in the sun gives the camp an old-school feel that I think is appropriate for the summer months. This fall the camp will move indoors to Sports Zone in Edison.”

At Sports Zone, formerly known as the Basketball Academy, Stoner’s campers will experience a program that places heavy emphasis on the strength and conditioning aspects utilized by elite basketball players.

“We’ll be doing a lot of speed and agility exercises made basketball-specific,” Stoner said. “We’ll use a lot of different methods and tools, such as sandbags, kettle bells, sled drags and a bunch of other stuff that we’ve taken from body training programs and fine-tuned into our own basketball-specific program.”

Stoner’s camp will also stress team-concept basketball, but the top priority is making basketball players into elite athletes.

“Our philosophy is to create the complete basketball player,” Stoner said, “one who can outlast his or her opponent in the fourth quarter, one who can jump higher, run faster, and hit that winning shot and still have something left in the tank.”

The Autumn Hoop Camp is slated to run Sept. 7-Nov. 4 from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. at Sports Zone.

“Just like we had in the summer camp, we expect some really high-level athletes at this camp,” Stoner said. “At the summer camp, we had a player that ended up earning a walk-on spot at Villanova [University]. We’ve had kids as young as 14 and as old as 19 in the camps.”

For younger players, Stoner will hold what he is calling a Half-Day Hoop Series. Hoopsters ages 9-14 can enlist for a 9 a.m.-to-noon class held at the Salvation Army in Red Bank.

“The idea is for kids to take advantage of some days off from school to work on developmental skills as well as speed and agility,” Stoner said. “The series will run Sept. 9 and 10 and Nov. 2, 4 and 5.”

“The camps for the younger players are always a lot of fun,” Stoner said. “We’ve had kids from all over, including Bridgewater, come down to Red Bank for the series.”

Interested players can get an up-close look at Stoner’s teaching methods and philosophy later this month when he’ll be teaching a speed and agility class at Sports Zone. Class begins at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 24. For more information, visit www.richstoner.com or send Stoner an email at rstoner42@gmail.com.

In the past I have spoken on numerous occasions about my speed and agility workouts and how they include basketball skill work.  Primarily, this is done in order to make the drill more functional to the game of basketball.  However, it is also done to make the drills more efficient.  More can be accomplished in less time when skill work is merged together with speed and agility work.  The same holds true with other elements of the game of basketball.  Why not combine ball handling drills and shooting drills?  Why not use one drill that makes the player pass, dribble, and shoot?  In short, there is no reason, “why not,” and this is why this type of training is one of the fundamental aspects of all the Elite Basketball Training workouts.  In doing so, my players are forced to work on basketball skills in a way that is, at the very least, the game’s equivalent when it comes to functionalilty.  At the same time, these drills are highly efficient and allow the player to work on the most important aspects of the game in the least amount of time. 

The video below shows a player going through some of the various stages of a combination drill that I call, “The Dribble Attack, L-Cut Series.”  In the drill, the player is working on various dribble moves that are allowing him create space for himself off the dribble in order to attack and finish from the top of the key.  He then runs an L-cut out to the wing and works on attacking out of the triple threat with the use of a jab series.  During the jab series, he is shooting a jumper or attacking the basketball while using different jab steps in order to create space for himself.  At the same time, he is working on his jumper and finishing around the basket with different finishing moves, including a straight finish, finish off a jump stop, and a finish off a jump stop with a head fake and step through.  This video only shows him working from the right side but it is important that the player complete this drill from both sides of the court.  When using this drill, the player is usually asked to make 10 shots from the wing, before they move on to the next dribble move and attack move. This really forces them to concentrate on makes rather than total shots taken.

As you may or may not know, I have been away for the past two weeks on vacation with my family.  The trip was great as I got to spend a lot of great time with my one and a half year old daughter building sand castles or “cakes” as she calls them on the beautiful beaches of Aruba.  Now I am back and reality has set in as we continue to expand our services at Elite Basketball Training.

At the beginning of the summer, I expanded on Elite Basketball Training in order to include a recruiting service for all high school athletes looking to play any sport in college.  The recruiting service called The Highlight Reel – Central Jersey, LLC is a franchise of the national recruiting service The Highlight Reel, Inc. which has been in existence for the last five years.  Our services go above and beyond your average recruiting service as one of my local affiliates dubbed it, “A recruiting service on steroids.”  The main goal of The Highlight Reel is to simplify the often hectic recruiting process for all parties involved while ensuring that the student athlete uses their talents to obtain a college degree.  This notion was clearly illustrated in the article below which hit the papers just before I left.

Recruiting service aids athletes and parents alike

In case you haven’t heard, Metuchen might just be one of the best-kept secrets in the high school basketball world. In the not too distant past, Jayson Williams, a graduate of St. Joseph, was the high school basketball player of the year before leading Duke University to the national championship in 2001. Fellow St. Joseph alumnus Andrew Bynum won his second NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers this spring, and Metuchen High graduate Marqus Blakely inked a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this month after a stellar career at University of Vermont.

While St. Joe’s has always been a desirable post for high school basketball coaches, the less prestigious post at Metuchen has been held by one of the brightest minds in local hoops, Rich Stoner. Stoner has taken his talents and dedication to young athletes into the recruiting arena to form Highlight Reel of Central Jersey, a recruiting service for student athletes in all sports.

Highlight Reel of Central Jersey is a franchise of the nationwide outfit, Highlight Reel Inc. Highlight Reel’s services include four major components: financial planning, academic tutoring, college advising and studentathlete profiling.

“Highlight Reel isn’t just about the sports aspect,” Stoner said. “Most student-athletes fall into the category of Division III or lower Division I prospects. Not many students are going to have the chance of playing basketball for Duke or football for Ohio State. Most student-athletes and their parents are unfamiliarwith the recruiting process. Essentially, the students are in a pool of players that are all recruited for a small amount of spots. We want them to stand out and get the best deal possible.”

Highlight Reel staffs a lineup of financial advisers to assist families with financial planning and the submission of forms such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In addition, the service offers online tutoring for both standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT, but also for most subject areas in school such as algebra, biology, social studies, etc.

“The online tutoring program allows students to complete assignments at his or her own pace, but also to take responsibility for their own education,” Stoner said. “Services are offered for any class. We really push the academic aspect because we don’t just want to help families get athletic scholarships, but as much assistance as possible.”

The college advisory component of the Highlight Reel package offers, among other things, assistance with college application essays and transcript analyses. This component customizes college searches to fit the needs and wants of student-athletes, such as location, size, academic ranking and cost.

The student-athlete profile aspect of Highlight Reel’s services personalizes a studentathlete’s package to colleges and universities. Film clips of athletic events, letters of recommendation, test scores, newspaper clippings, and even bio films can be sent via a protected password to prospective universities and their athletic departments.

“We have access to every college coach’s contact information in the entire country,” Stoner said. “This component allows coaches to see a side of the student-athlete that might not come through on just a piece of paper. Currently, over 23,000 coaches use Highlight Reel services.”

Interested student-athletes and parents can visit www.thrcentaljersey.info or contact Coach Stoner at rstoner@sportshlr.com for more information.

In addition to the Skills and Drills Clinics, Elite Basketball Training will be expanding on its successful Half Day Hoops Series from last fall.  In its preliminary year, the Half Day Hoops Fest was run over the course of two days with great success as many parents liked the opportunity for their son or daughter to work on their basketball skills on their days off from school.  This year, we are giving them even more opportunities to do so as the Half Day Hoops Series has been expanded from two sessions last fall to include five sessions this fall.  Each session runs for three hours and if you sign up for all five sessions you can get in at the low cost of $150.  That’s only $10 per hour!  To register please click here ==> HALF DAY HOOPS SERIES.

Last but certainly not least, Elite Basketball Training is running its first ever fall session of the widely popular Elite Basketball Bootcamp.  Basketball training is not always about skill development and the Elite Basketball Bootcamp is a great way to increase your strength, speed, agility, vertical jump, and conditioning on the basketball court.  As parents and players have become more aware of this, this summer’s Elite Basketball Bootcamp saw its enrollment increase to four times the amount it was last year.  These workouts are intense, use alternative training methods, and are geared toward basketball players that are serious about taking their game to a whole new level.  Equally as exciting, this fall the Elite Basketball Bootcamp will run for an extra week and will be held indoors at The Sports Zone Fitness Center in Edison.  For more information and a registration form click here ==> Elite Basketball Bootcamp. 

As always, I keep the number of players attending my clinics low to ensure that those attending receive as much individualized attention as possible.  So don’t miss the opportunity to work on your basketball skills, strength, and speed this fall.  SIGN UP NOW so that you can become an ELITE BASKETBALL PLAYER. 

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Team defense is a very difficult concept for a young player to understand let alone execute.  Young players are often so determined to stop their own man, that they forget to play defense as a team.  Simplifying team defense and breaking it down into three on three drills can facilitate the process of developing a solid team defense.  At the same time, it will also still allow you to work on all of the facets of individual and team defense that you need to. 

One of the primary aspects of defense (aside from the stance) is the ability to close out properly and to the correct spot.  Each player should sprint to the their close out, not slide or shuffle or anything else that will get them to the correct spot slower than a sprint.  As they approach their player, or spot on the floor, they should breakdown into choppy steps and maintain their balance and posture so that they can move or change directions instantly.  Finally, the player should have their hands active when closing out, no matter where they are on the court.  Having your hands down at your side could be the difference in deflecting the ball or not deflecting the ball.  In order to work on your team’s closeouts using three on three games, start off each game with the defensive players in the lane and have a coach or a manager pass the basketball to one of the offensive players on the perimeter.  Once the ball is passed, the defensive players must close out to their proper spot.  The coach or manager should vary the spots to which he throws the basketball so that the players are closing out to different positions every time.  The game is live once the ball is caught by the offensive player and at this point, the team can now work on defending the different offensive concepts that the team is working on in that given segment. 

The first offensive concept that we worked on was moving without the basketball.  To do so, the players were not allowed to dribble and had to rely solely on their cutting and screening to get an open shot.  Defensively, this allowed us to practicing defending cuts and off the ball screens.  In order to defend these concepts properly, defensive positioning is key.  The defensive player must react on the pivot and not the pass (the pass is too late) and once the ball is thrown from one player to the next, they must sprint to their new closeout and defensive position immediately.  By doing so, they will be in good defensive position to help on any off the ball screen and bump any cutter as they moved towards the basketball.   Our team has a rule that no player should come from the weak side through the lane untouched.  We were also forced to show on all off the ball screens in order to prevent a curl cut for a layup or an open jumper.  By bumping cutters and showing on screens, we force the defensive player to catch the basketball going away from the basket which forces the offensive player to have to regroup and pivot thereby making them less efficient. 

In the next two segments, when the offense was working on their dribble attack, the defense was able to take the defensive concepts from first segement and add them to defending the dribble drive on and off the ball.  As a team, we work on early help and early recovery.  To accomplish this, our defenders that are guarding wing players would not contact deny their offensive player.  We want ot be able to help early on any middle drive so our defender would play up the line a little to help on the guard’s penetration.  In doing so, it allows are players not only to work on sliding their feet into a good help position but also to close back out on their player after the recovery has taken place. 

Defending the dribble drive also allows us to work on our weak side help on baseline drives from the wing.  Our team knows that their weakside help on any baseline drive from the wing should come outside the lane and not inside the lane because that is too late.  To accomplish this, our players position themselves in the center of the lane or, “split the rim” position.  This allows them to get to the help position outside the lane on any baseline drive much quicker.  It also allows the man guarding the guy at the top of the key to work on dropping into the lane on the drive to provide secondary help, if necessary.  This type of positioning does leave the skip pass open, but if the man guarding the ball is pressuring the basketball properly it will eliminate any straight line pass and allow us to recover quite easily. 

The final defensive concept that was worked on was defending the pick and roll.  This seems to be something of a lost art as not too many teams work on defending the pick and roll properly if at all.  By utilizing the pick and roll in a three on three setting, it teaches all of the defensive concepts necessary in defending the pick and roll.  It forces the man guarding the guy setting the pick how to properly show on the pick and force the ball handler back in the direction of his teammate who is guarding him.  It also teaches the defensive player off the ball to be in proper help position if the ball handler gets past the original show on the pick. Finally, it teaches how to recover properly back to your man after the offensive action has taken place. 

Ultimately, three on three basketball is such a valuable tool in teaching individual and team defense.  Because there are fewer players on the court, the defensive concepts being taught or worked on become simpler and easier to identify.  However, simpler does not mean less effective.  Working on the concepts in this fashion is just as effective as working on them in a regular five on five game.  Not to mention, that by playing three on three, the games are still and competitive thereby making it realistic to the game itself.

Three on three basketball can and should be used to develop your team’s offense because the games can be altered in many ways in order to fit your offensively philosophy.  At yesterday’s practice, we worked on multiple variations of three on three basketball in order to help develop our team offense and defense (which will be covered in the next post).  Each game was to one point and the loser would rotate off while the winner stayed and played the next team.  We used both sides of the court so that teams would not be standing for a long period of time.  Each block of games which usually lasted for 10 minutes had certain variables that needed to be followed and worked on based on our team’s offensive principles.   Offensively we run the dribble drive but with more movement off the ball and some added pick and roll sets. Consequently, we worked on all of these concepts during our three on three play.   

The first concept that we worked on was moving without the ball.  In order to do so effectively, the players were not allowed to dribble at all during this time period.   Too many players get caught dribbling too much and the other players tend to stand around and watch.  By eliminating the player’s dribbles it forces them to rely on cutting and screening in order to get an open look at the basket. 

During the second block of games, the players were all given one dribble per touch.  Once again, this forces them to really move without the basketball in order to get open looks but at the same time, they were now working on using their dribble for a purpose.  Players can do more than they think with one dribble provided they use their dribble to attack a gap and force a teammate’s defender to help or attack the basket and score.  By limiting the number of dribbles a player has, they are forced to use their dribble properly or they will waste an opportunity to score. 

As we progressed into the next block of games, we allowed each player three dribbles on each touch.  Now we were getting into more of the dribble drive offense’s concepts.  Once again because of the limited number of dribbles, the players had to learn to attack properly with their dribble in order to be productive, but at the same time they were still forced to rely on moving without the basketball and setting screens in order to keep their spacing and create driving lanes for the man with the ball. 

The final variable that we added was that the score had to come off the pick and roll.  Each player still only had three dribbles per touch because we wanted to work on attacking off the pick and roll effectively and not with an excessive number of dribbles.  My players are drilled to go by screener tight with their shoulder low enough that they actually hit the screener’s hip.  It is preferable that they use two dribbles while coming off the pick and roll with the second dribble being the one to clear them from the pick and attack the space that is being created by the action.  It is preferred that the player with the ball attack coming off the pick and should not go sideways.  Attacking while coming off the pick will put the defenders at a disadvantage when trying to help and recover and should lead to better scoring opportunities.  On the other hand, cominf of the pick and attacking laterally creates an easy help and recover opportunity for the defenders. 

Once we had worked on all our offensive variables, there was an, “anything goes” session of three on three.  This is meant to work on all of the concepts we had worked on in the previous four sessions while allowing the players to use their own creativity within the offense.  This is an important concept because players are too often confined to what their coaches want them to do that it actually limits their capabilities as a player.  A player’s creativity can sometimes be the best part of their game and it should be cultivated to make your team better. 

Ultimately, making the team better is the goal of every practice and game and three on three basketball can go a long way towards accomplishing this goal.  Using three on three basketball can be a highly efficient way of developing your team offense.  The games can be short, competitive, and altered in a way that fits your team’s offensive concepts.  By adding rules to the games, the players are able to work on those concepts more effectively.  Since there are fewer players per team than in a regular game, each player will get more opportunities to work on the designated concept.  Also, because the games are short (only one point games) it forces the players to compete harder in order to win and stay on the court.  Consequently, they will try to execute the concepts better more often and more efficiently in their attempts to win.  Overall, three on three basketball is an excellent way to develop your basketball team’s offensive concepts and improve in a game like setting.

At the end of each workout, right before we do what I like to call “Abs of Fury”  we usually have some sort of finisher that really taxes the body.  Last week, we turned it into a competition which I actually was forced out of retirement to compete in due to an uneven number of participants.  Instead of just doing our regular prowler sprints, we turned it into a timed relay race where each team member had to go a certain distance and back.  It was a close one until the end, so check out the video below to find out what happened and who won. 

Remember the registration for the fall Elite Basketball Bootcamp is already out.  If you are interested in signing up, click here ==> Elite Basketball Bootcamp Fall 2010  

If you are not convinced that the Elite Basketball Bootcamp workouts are for you, give one a try.  Contact me at rstoner42@gmail.com to schedule a FREE training session with the current bootcamp members. 

Enjoy the video:

The Elite Basketball Bootcamp is in full swing and the athletes are really starting to see the benefits of the hardcore training. With the workouts being outdoors and no weights available, we are hitting it hard with body weight training, sand bags, kettlebells, speed and agility, and plyometrics. Not to mention the intense finishers and core training that we close each session off with. The Elite Basketball Bootcamp workouts are geared toward basketball players that are serious about taking their game to the next level. The kind of player that wants to be more explosive and get stronger. The type of player that wants to jump higher and react quicker. The type of player that is mentally focussed on pushing their body to the limit and then going even further.

Are you that type of player? If so, then The Elite Basketball Bootcamp is definitely for you! Check out the video below to find out what the Elite Basketball Bootcamp is all about. If you like it, contact me to schedule an appointment for your FREE Basketball Bootcamp workout, and take advantage of this before the fall session starts on September 7th. If you are already convinced, then you can register by clicking here: ELITE BASKETBALL BOOTCAMP and sending in the registration form. Hope to see you all there pushing your bodies to the limit and taking your game to the next level.

I only have a few minutes so I will make this quick…

If you have ever wanted to dunk before it has never been easier
then it is now, and I have a secret weapon that will get you jumping out of the gym in record time…

His name is Adam Linkenauger, but you may have heard of him by his other name  “Mr. Instant Inches”

Adam is *WORLD FAMOUS* for not only having a legit 51″ vertical leap, but actually being able to get
any athlete in the world to add 3-5 inches to their jump in minutes.

Awesome right?

===========================
Here is what’s really cool
===========================

Adam and I talked and as my valued subscriber I have arranged for you to
to speak with him live on U-stream. 

You can talk to him live and ask him any dunking question in the world at this link below:

Talk To Adam

 Whats even cooler  is that Adam is having a contest to turn one lucky athlete into the next big pro dunker!

If you take action today and Become A Freak with his Version 2 system…

You can realistically be doing a live dunk show with Adam in front of a crowd of 10,000
people screaming your name.

To enter is easy just follow this link and Become A Freak with his V2 system today:

Talk To Adam

 Well that’s all for now …

I will have even more cool stuff for you later today and tomorrow!

Sincerely,

Rich Stoner

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

P.S.

If you have ever wanted to know the in’s and outs of what it takes for you to slam dunk a basketball, then
there is no better time then now.

Follow this link below and talk with Adam Live now:

Talk To Adam
I will see you on ESPN!

In case you haven’t heard of him, he is the one that thousands of athlete’s from around the world are calling:

“Mr. Instant Inches”

O.K. back to the phone call…

So anyhow Adam was telling me his amazing story of how he
transformed himself from the worst athlete in his school
to landing a division 1 scholarship, and eventually becoming a
Powerade Slam Dunk Champ.

If you think his story is too good to be true then you
can see it for your self by watching the video here:

Slam Dunk Champ

So anyways… after hearing about Adam’s success he told me
had a really big idea that will change the lives of a few lucky athletes.
He told me that anyone who purchases his Become A Freak V2 System will
be eligable to become a pro dunker for a day!

You can take your first step to becoming a freak and entering the contest at the link below:
Slam Dunk Pro for a Day Contest
Adam believes in you sooo much that he wants you to experience the same joy he
had by becoming a professional dunker. If you are willing to dedicate yourself to
the become a freak system we recommend you take action now and get it today!

The top 3 athletes who make the biggest improvements in their jump will get to become a pro
dunker for a day and dunk live with Adam and the rest of his pro dunk team.

Talk about awesome!!

Well thats all for now.  I will be in contact with soon!
Sincerely,

Rich Stoner

Elite Basketball Training, LLC

P.S.

Adam’s contest is really the coolest thing I have ever heard in my life.
If you have ever dreamed of becoming a professional dunker then pay close
attention to Adam’s story and follow this link to enter the contest by becoming a freak today:
Pro Dunker for a Day Contest