May there be peace within

May today there be peace within.
May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others.
May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content with yourself just the way you are.
Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

Things to work on during practice

• Practice your warm up routine.

Know exactly what you want to happen during your team's warm-ups. What drills prepare the team  to be ready for the game?
Game shots, ball handling, defensive drills and passing.
I like to watch teams warm-up to pick up new ideas.
Depending on the level the warm-up time will vary. You may get 20 minutes or you may get 10 minutes.
Know how long each part of your routine will take (i.e.): Defensive Slides 2 minutes Ball handling- 2 minutes.

• Practice time-outs

Where do you want your players to sit once they come over? Do you want your point guard in the middle?
Make sure all coaches and players know their role during a timeout.
Assistant Coach needs to watch for substitution from the other team. Also, it is a good time for an assistant to double check fouls for both teams and timeouts remaining. 
Always be ready to come out after the first whistle. You get burned once having your team come out too late or see an opponent get burned and you will keep it in the back of your mind.
Teach team to hustle over once timeout called. Also, once timeout is over, reinforce with players to know their matchups. Reinforce what is coming up in the next possession (whether defense or offense). The more you practice your communication it will help in late game situations.

• Practice subbing in and out the game.

Have a set routine once a player checks into the game.
Communicate with player being subbed out and know matchup. Also, get across how a player is to leave the floor.
Not pouting and worried about minutes. Come out, get water and ready to receive instruction. Going to the end of the bench is not the best option once coming out of the game.

Four things a man must learn to do

Thought for the day

Seven Things To Do

Ideas for better practices (updated)

· Communicate with each player before practice starts. Depending on your school and how the campus is designed it may not be easy to see your players before practice. I began to notice that often my first interaction with a player might be 15-30 minutes into practice. Shouting instruction or making them move quicker in a drill may have been the first time I spoke to the player on the particular day. So, I made a conscious effort to go by each guy before practice. It may have been something quick. I might ask how they were doing, a fist pump or just pat on the back. Daily I made sure to make eye contact or have an interaction before practice started.

· Have shooting drills going game speed and in game like situations daily. Where will they get shots in the offense? What cut do they need to make before getting open? Spend time on improving footwork going game speed.

· Every pass is an important pass. Whether it is in warmups, practice or a game every pass is important. The lazy pass made in practice will hurt in a game.

Thought for the Day