In my previous segment on the effects of the lack of playground basketball, the focus was on making free throws. When I was younger, there used to be 30-40 guys on any given night trying to play basketball at the park by me. In order to get on the court, five guys had to make their free throws, and if they did not, they had to sit out the game and hope that they made them the next time. Having to make your free throws under that kind of pressure is tough and very game like. Let’s be realistic, no one wants to sit out a game. This is game time pressure that cannot be replicated in every day practice and there needs to be more of it. Pickup basketball not only forces players to make their free throws, but also to adjust and learn new skills throughout the course of the game.
During the summer months when pickup basketball dominated the playgrounds, I would play almost every night because the level of competition was top notch. The collegiate players were all back from college and I being a high school player wanted to play against players who were better than me. In doing so, I learned my weaknesses as a player. In other words, if my crossover kept getting picked, I learned to adjust. If I could not get my jumper off, I learned to adjust. In a way, playing pickup basketball gave me a list of skills to work on the next day during my workout. That’s how it was all summer, workout in the morning and pickup games at night. This is a great method to use when training for basketball. By doing so, players learn what skills work and do not work in real competitive games.
If you ever get the chance, head over to Rucker Park or The Cage on West 4th Street in Manhattan and take a look at how good some of those players are. They play day in and day out against great players. As a result, they learn how to adjust, they learn how to get better. This is all a result of playing against great players on a daily basis. It is a result of playing pick up basketball at the playgrounds and unfortunately it is something that does not happen enough nowadays.
In the next and final installment of The Effects of a Lack of Playground Basketball I will focus on how pickup basketball teaches players how to cope with the pressure of making big shots and big stops in order to get a win.
In late August, I was fortunate enough to attend and invite only Coaching U Clinic at Kean Univesrsity. The two day clinic was given by Kevin Eastman and Brendan Suhr and was one of the most valuable clinics that I have ever attended. There were so many topics that were covered over the course of two days that it was hard not to walk out of there with a wealth of knowledge.
During one of Kevin Eastman’s presentations, he spoke about game changers, what they were, and there affect on the game. Here are four game changers that I picked up from Kevin Eastman. This may seem simple and trivial but these are the little things that make a big difference in the game.
1. 50/50 Game
Long rebounds, loose balls, etc. We need to control 75% of them.
At the end of each of my Elite Basketball Clinics, there is usually a segment devoted to one-on-one basketball drills. During this segment, the players are able to use the basketball skills that they have been working on throughout the basketball clinic in a one-on-one situation. This is done in order to teach the player to transfer the skills that they learned from the drills into a live situation. This is what I refer to as transferability and something that needs to be worked on as often as possible. One-on-one basketball drills present a great opportunity to do so. The extra amount of space on the floor should give the player the confidence to at least try some of the new ball handling skills or moves that they have learned and this is a effective way to work on finishing moves against a defender. One-on-one drills also aid in developing the defensive skill of guarding a man with the ball, which is a skill that can be quite difficult. Finally, these drills pit players against each other, thereby inspiring their competitive spirits and making them fun and exciting.
In the video you will see the drill that I refer to as one-on-one around the chairs. The players playing against each other will line up on either end of the baseline. One player will have the basketball and the other will not. There will be chairs set up out near half court. When the coach says go, the players will sprint or sprint dribble around the chairs and then play a live game to one. The player without the basketball should beat the offensive player around the chair and give himself a legitimate chance to defend the player with the ball. These games are usually ability grouped but it may be beneficial to have your bigger players compete against your guards in order to creat a mismatch that you may see in a game. By creating this mismatch smaller players can work on beating and finishing over bigger players and bigger players can learn to use moves against quicker guards. The benefis of this drill and other one-on-one basketball drills are endless and their use should be encouraged in practices more often.
With basketball season well underway, I decided to do some research and take a look at how last summer’s basketball bootcamp survivors were faring in their seasons. This group of guys committed two days a week for the majority of the summer to the intense basketball specific strength, speed, and conditioning workouts that the bootcamp provided and the results were evident as each one of the guys that attended is having success at their respective schools.
J.J. McDaniel who is a sophomore at Cardinal McCarrick joined the group late in the summer but made great strides while he was there. McDaniel is currently playing varsity for McCarrick who is ranked in the top five in the Greater Middlesex County Conference.
Dallas Oanu, graduate from perennial state powerhouse Christian Brothers Academy, is a sophomore at Villanova University. He turned down many scholarhsip offers to play basketball at smallers schools coming out of high school in order to take advantage of Villanova’s school of business. As a freshman, he decided to set the goal of making Villanova’s nationally ranked basketball team (number four as of this week). Last summer he started working out with me on his skills and strength and conditioning on an individual basis, but when a scheduling conflict forced him to come to the bootcamp he loved it so much that he came to every session for the remainder of the summer. Dallas’ hard work paid off as he was the only player that tried out for the Villanova team that the coaching staff chose for their practice squad this season and he is in line to be on the team next year as a walk on. When I asked Dallas how it felt to be playing with some of the best players in the entire country, he said, ” I have to work so hard just to keep up with these guys. I’m exhausted and every part of my body hurts, but I wouldn’t have it any other way…I love it.”
Finally, David McDaniel has experienced the most success of all of the bootcamp survivors. David was with us from day one and made gains in size, speed, and strength throughout the entire summer. David who is a freshman playing at Montclair State University started the season coming off the bench for them and in his first game score 14 points. He has now worked his way into the starting lineup for Montclair and when I recently spoke with his former high school coach at Rutger’s Prep, Tony Mentos, he said that David’s increased size and strength has allowed him to finish stronger and better around the rim. This increased ability enabled David McDaniel to earn NJAC Rookie of the Week honors on December 21, 2009 and his accomplishments that week can be viewed here.
Stephen Fortuna, who attended the bootcamp in order to get in better shape for baseball has yet to start his season, but continues to train daily at his high school. Lamar Nichols and Jerry Nichols who also attended the bootcamp but no longer play college basketball are both still active in various men’s basketball leagues in the area.
The guys that attended the bootcamp epitomized hard work. They showed up each and every Tuesday and Thursday with a willingness to work and even when the workouts got harder they fought through them together. This mental toughness no doubt has helped their growth as players and people knowing that they were able to accomplish more than they ever could. And given the success of the guys who attended their physical toughness needs not to be mentioned again.
Great work to all of you guys, congratulations on all of your success, and I look forward to working with you guys and new recruits again soon.
The 2010 Elite Basketball Bootcamp begins on Tuesday June 15th and runs Tuesdays and Thursdays through August 5th. If you are looking to challenge your body like never before and see great results on and off the court, register here Basketball Bootcamp flyer 2010.
Not convinced? Go to Elite Basketball Bootcamp for more information and testimonials from past attendees.
There is no such thing as self respect without respect for others.
Individual success is a myth. No one succeeds all by herself.
People who do not respect those around them will not make good team members and probably lack self esteem themselves.
Being responsible sometimes means making tough, unpopular decisions.
Admit to and make yourself accountable for mistakes. How can you improve if you’re never wrong?
Loyalty is not unilateral. You have to give it to receive it.
Surround yourself with people who are better than you are. Seek out quality people, acknowledge their talents, and let them do their jobs. You win with people.
Value those colleagues who tell you the truth, not just what you want to hear.
Communication eliminates mistakes.
We communicate all the time, even when we don’t realize it. Be aware of body language.
To make sure that they are getting her message, Coach Summitt has asked her players to respond to a correction in practice by saying “rebound,” and to being praised by saying “Two points.”
Make good eye contact.
Silence is a form of communication, too. Sometimes less is more.
Discipline yourself, so no one else has to.
Self discipline helps you believe in yourself.
Group discipline produces a unified effort toward a common goal.
Discipline helps you finish a job, and finishing is what separates excellent work from average work.
Do the things that aren’t fun first, and do them well.
See yourself as self employed.
Put the Team Before Yourself.
When you understand yourself and those around you, you are better able to minimize weaknesses and maximize strengths. Personality profiles help.
Success is about having the right person, in the right place, at the right time.
Know your strengths, weaknesses, and needs.
Be flexible.
Teamwork doesn’t come naturally. It must be taught.
Teamwork allows common people to obtain uncommon results.
Not everyone is born to lead. Role players are critical to group success.
In group success there is individual success.
Make Winning an Attitude.
Combine practice with belief.
Attitude is a choice. Maintain a positive outlook.
No one ever got anywhere by being negative.
Confidence is what happens when you’ve done the hard work that entitles you to succeed.
Competition isn’t social. It separates achievers from the average.
You can’t always be the most talented person in the room. But you can be the most competitive.
There is nothing wrong with having competitive instincts. They are survival instincts.
It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts the most.
Change equals self improvement. Push yourself to places you haven’t been before.
Handle Success Like You Handle Failure. You can’t always control what happens, but you can control how you handle it.
Sometimes you learn more from losing than winning. Losing forces you to reexamine.
It’s harder to stay on top than it is to make the climb, Continue to seek new goals.
Here are some links to some video segments of Coach Summitt teaching:
Each time you click on a link, you will probably need to scroll down the page to see the video segment.
In this video clip, Coach Summitt describes how she handles teams that trap the first pass: Mastering Special Situations
In this video clip, Coach Summitt describes how they prepare their offense to play against the upcomingopponent’s defenseand how they start practice each day.
