Basketball Camp Dates

“Camp of Future Champions" Week #1 – Monday June28 – Thursday July 1

“Individual Skills” Camp 9:00am to 12 noon “Super Shooter” Camp 12:30pm to 3:30pm

“Camp of Future Champions" Week #2 – Monday July 19 – Thursday July 22

“Individual Skills” Camp 9:00am to 12 noon “Super Shooter” Camp 12:30pm to 3:30pm

“Camp of Future Champions" Week #3 – Monday August 2nd – Thursday August 5th

“Individual Skills” Camp 9:00am to 12 noon “Super Shooter” Camp 12:30pm to 3:30pm

Dealing with people

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

University of Kansas Football coach Turner Gill trying to change the culture

http://tinyurl.com/y4uurah

How to Express Yourself to Others

How to Express Yourself to Others - By Greg S. Baker

One of the hardest things to do when you're communicating with someone is expressing yourself. How many times have you said something that just didn't come out the way you wanted it to? How many times have we said something that we really didn't mean, but we were too frustrated to stop it from being said? What's more, some people have a fear of expressing themselves at all. They're afraid to say something that might cost them a friendship. Or they bottle everything up tight and seize up at the mere thought of sharing their true emotions. This can be a constant struggle for people. However, it is something that can be conquered. If you are struggling to express yourself to others, or you know of someone who struggles, then read on. This article will show you what you can do to open up with others. THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION Every being on the planet communicates in some fashion. And the more complex the form of communication is, you will find more complex relationships as well. Human speech is the most complicated form of communication in the world. We have so many ways to express ideas, feelings, dreams, suggestions, thoughts, intents, love, rage, desire, and so forth. Words have meaning to us. Subtle differences in each word will convey a slightly different idea. Huge and gigantic have subtle differences. We think of gigantic as bigger than huge. Thus, the words you use in your relationships are of powerful importance. The person who said, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," never had a complex and in-depth relationship. Words can hurt. Words have the power to give life and death...especially in relationships. So it is important that you learn to express yourself. You must learn to convey your thoughts, ideas, dreams, ambitions, hopes and emotions to those that you share a relationship with. Your inability to do so, will damage your relationships. DANGERS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO EXPRESS YOURSELF 1. If you have a fear of people, people will avoid you. It's a vicious cycle. You avoid people because you fear that they will hurt you. People see your aloofness, and either think the worst (that you're stuck up), or grant your desire and leave you alone. Then you wonder why it is that no one likes you. 2. When you can't open up to people, people will feel that you are unapproachable. You'll have a hard time getting close to people when you bottle everything up inside. Your relationships will all be shallow. 3. Your inability to express yourself will haunt you in times of trouble. You'll need help, you'll want help, but you won't seek it. You'll hide. So, no one helps you. Then you grow resentful and angry. 4. Another danger is that of isolation. You build walls around your emotions and people instinctively leave you alone. That might be what you wanted at first, but your life will be barren, and empty. Life is relationships. The stronger your relationships the more joy you'll have in life. No matter if it is with your mate, God, children, neighbors, co-workers, friends, relatives, or even yourself, you must learn to express yourself. TIPS ON EXPRESSING YOURSELF Do A Lot Of Reading Reading will help you learn how other people express themselves. Pay attention to word usage, diction, flow, voice and tone. These will give you ideas on expressing yourself. Look up words that you've never seen before. Use them. They'll provide you with many and myriad ways of expressing your emotions. Often, I've found that a single word does better expressing what I feel than an entire paragraph of sentences. Learning new words will help you express yourself better and reading will help you to learn different ways to do so. A wise man once said, not every reader is a leader, but every leader is a reader. Do Some Writing On Your Own Do a variety of writing. Start a novel. Write letters. Keep a journal or diary. Often, you'll find that writing helps you to think your thoughts through. In the heat of an argument, you'll often say what you don't mean in a tone that creates more resentment. Writing will help you organize your thoughts. It'll give you focus and direction. Don't Fear People's Judgment Social anxiety is not a disease. You can't catch it from someone who has it. It is a spiritual state of mind that is the direct result of fear. There is really only one type of fear and that is the fear of the unknown. Don't fear what other people think about you. Honestly, your imagination will create far worse scenarios than what most people will ever think. To overcome your fear, try asking for their help. Try this, "I'm having a hard time expressing myself, and I thought maybe you could help me." Saying that will invoke an instinctual need that most everyone has-the desire to help and feel needed. Hardly anyone will be critical of you when you've asked for their help. It also sets the stage to retract what you may say when you say it wrong. Since you've already warned them that you are struggling with expressing yourself, when you actually struggle with it, they'll just shrug it off. It's a great tool to overcoming your fear of other people's judgment. When You're Upset, Write A Letter If you're furious at someone, then go ahead and write them a nasty letter. Just don't give it to them. Sleep on it. The next morning, go back over the letter. You'll find that your attitudes and perspective have shifted. I seriously doubt you'll send the letter under those conditions. But more than that, sending someone a letter that is well thought out is a great idea when you're trying to express yourself. Look, letters can't be argued with, they can't be interrupted, and you can't derail the train of thought. In fact, even if the letter is negative, most people will read it all the way through. Sometimes a well worded letter will allow you to convey your feelings where a conversation would not. Be Mature When You Express Yourself I don't take people seriously when they rant, rave, swear, cuss, insult, deride, mock, or get stubborn. These are immature attitudes that prevent and hinder the expression process. Here is a rule of thumb. If they are willing to talk about others behind their back, they will do it to you too. Let's stay away from the unproductive gossip, the insults, the profanity, and the finger pointing. These accomplish nothing. Think about it, when is the last time you actually made a situation better by swearing at someone? Maturity in conversation is thoughtfulness, consideration, and the willingness to listen. Show respect to others and they will respect you. Ask Questions You'll be amazed at how easy it is to express yourself in the form of a question. But the short of it is this, questions allow you to interact with others. They involve you in their thoughts, feelings, worries, and cares. This provides an opportunity to express yourself better to them. Expression is best done when there is good interaction. Thoughtful questions provide this platform. Remember, people communicate all the time, but either it is misunderstood or it is not listened to. These techniques and methods will help assist in the struggles that you have in communicating. ** To comment on this article or to read comments about this article, go here. About the Author: Please visit Greg's website at http://fitlyspoken.org For more books and resources to build relationships, express yourself, and develop stronger communication and social skills. Check out the book, 'Fitly Spoken', a Christian based book that explores the intricacies of human communication and expression in relationships.

“The Christian’s ultimate goal in life is not to be happy, but to glorify God”. Chuck Swindoll

“The Christian’s ultimate goal in life is not to be happy, but to glorify God”.                                                   Chuck Swindoll

More on Corey Brewer and improving in the NBA

Corey Brewer on improvement

April, 8, 2010

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images
The Minnesota Timberwolves' third-year player isn't a bust anymore.

Corey Brewer, as an NBA player, was once widely considered a bust. His first season, he did not play well. He missed all but 15 games his second season because of injuries. He's too skinny, he can't shoot, he can't play in the half-court ... there were a thousand reasons he wasn't going to make it. Not to mention, it's not good for any player to be associated with as much losing as the Timberwolves have done since Brewer arrived.
However, he's no loser. Brewer starred on the Florida Gators team that won back-to-back NCAA championships, and nobody who has ever watched him play can ever call him a quitter. He goes hard at every instant of every game. He also went really hard outside of games, completely overhauling his offensive games. John Hollinger wrote last month that Brewer might be the most improved NBA shooter ever. Even though he tosses up half-court end-of-quarter prayers every chance he gets, Brewer's shooting 35 percent from downtown, compared to 19 percent two seasons ago.
Brewer's now starring in a Timberwolves' campaign promoting him as the NBA's Most Improved Player. We asked him about his bounce-back season and more:
You played for one of the best college teams ever. Then you came to the NBA, where you have had setbacks and challenges, including lots of losing, and a major injury. What was that like?
"It was tough. I was happy when I first got drafted, but then I got here and Kevin Garnett got traded. I had a bad year. I played terribly. I was going from playing up and down to standing in the corner. I struggled.
"The next year we changed things again. We got some players like Mike Miller and Kevin Love. But I only played [20] games, and then I got hurt. So basically, I did a lot of rehab. Then last summer I went and worked out with David Thorpe, and I worked out here with [Timberwolves assistant coach] J.B. Bickerstaff, worked on my jump shot and my game. I just had my mind made up to have a good year, and that was my best year by far, after two bad years."
Having two straight bad years in the NBA ... that's a scary position to be in. Did you ever worry about your NBA future?
"It's a tough position, because everybody's going to ask you if you're a bust. But with what's going on here, I didn't feel like that."
You mentioned standing in the corner on offense. When you first got to the NBA, I don't think anybody thought you'd be suited for that. But now you're an elite 3-point shooter. How'd that happen?
"You've got to work on your weaknesses. And that was my biggest weakness. If you're going to play in the NBA you have to at least be able to hit a standstill 3. I worked my butt off, and it paid off this year."
What are you doing differently?
"I got a lot more shots up than last year. Mechanical-wise, it's all about my balance, but I think a big thing is confidence. If you have your confidence, you can go a long way."

Win McNamee/Getty Images/Getty Images
Corey Brewer (2) says college teammates Joakim Noah (back) and Al Horford (far left) talked him through his tough start in the NBA.

Watching on TV, it's clear that, like those other Florida guys -- Joakim Noah and Al Horford -- you play hard all the time.
"You said it -- that's how we played in college. No matter what, you go 100 miles an hour. That's another thing that hurt me when I first got here. We played slow, and you can't do that when you're playing a 100 miles an hour. It was kind of hard. I just always felt like you have to play hard to the end no matter what. If you want to win, you play hard. Playing hard sometimes out-wills talent."
A lot of players don't like to take end-of-quarter half-court shots because it hurts their 3-point field goal percentage. Holy cow, you are not scared to take that shot.
"I'm a basketball player. If I get a chance to take a shot to help my team, I'm going to do it. If I miss it hurts my percentage, but it doesn't really hurt anything else. I hit three or four this year. You gotta act how you feel. I feel like if I hit those, it helps my team. It's a freebie. And half the time they don't guard you. I feel like if I can get to half-court, I've got a chance to knock it down."
You practice that?
"Sometimes, when you're in the gym by yourself you do."
What are some moments from this season that you'll remember for the rest of your life?
"Probably dunking on Derek Fisher. I'll remember that. The half-court shot I hit to get into overtime against Houston. And the dunk on Robin Lopez, from the Suns."
Kurt Rambis said, when he was hired, that you had a chance to be a special NBA defender. Is that still your calling card?
"I feel like I'm a good defensive player. The way I play, that's a big part of it. But I'm just not going to let my game stay still. That's why I have worked so hard to add things at the other end of the floor.
"I'll always play defense. No matter what. That's what I do. That's what's got me into the league, and that's what's going to keep me here, but I'm not going to stop there."
Are there any defensive performances that stand out from this season?
"I don't know. When you're losing, it's hard to get too excited about your defense. I get so mad at losing. When we lose, even if I have a great defensive performance, I just try to block it out."
What's your defensive philosophy?
"I just want to make sure they know that I'm there all night. I'm going to hit them, scratch them, foul a lot. I just want to make sure they know I'm there all night."
Scratching ... are you one of those players who leaves his fingernails long?
"No, I wouldn't do that. I'm just saying that I'm going to bother people. I'm skinny, so I've got to do whatever I can do."
How much do you weigh?
"Probably about 190. I have my weight up from about 180."
Wow. I think an average American who weighs 180 is probably about 5-6. How tall are you?
"6-8, 6-9."
You're skinny!
"I'm skinny. That's a little thing I've got to work on this summer: Putting on some weight."
Who's your least favorite player to guard?
"That would be Carmelo. He's all about going to that block. He's going to be there all night."
You set a team-record by hitting a 3 in 33 straight games. At what point did you become aware of that, and were you doing anything special?
"No one thought that would ever happen two years ago. I wasn't aware of it until we got to like 25 and everybody started talking about it. I was just playing. I just felt like my game was finally coming together. Everything was just flowing. My defense. My offense ... that was probably my best [stretch]."
When David Kahn took over the team, he said he wanted to lead the league in player development. If you're a strong candidate for Most Improved Player, I guess you're the poster child for that kind of development.
"I guess you could say that. They do a good job around here. A lot of individual work. A lot of coach's time. Development is going to be a big part of this. And we've got a bunch of young guys coming in next year, too, with all them draft picks. It's going to take a few years to come together."
Is that a long time to wait?
"For me, yeah, 'cause I'm in my third year in the league. So if they say one or two years, that's my fifth year in the league! I'm hoping next year we'll turn things around."
You couldn't have had a better situation in college.
"That was the best situation in the whole wide world. I couldn't ask for anything different."
But unlucky in the pros -- all the losing, a new system and then an injury.
"Total 360. Life throws you curves. You've got to deal with them."
What was the low point?
"Probably last year when I got hurt. My rookie year, I couldn't throw it in the ocean. I was shooting about 20 percent my first few months. I was real down. Last year when I got hurt, it was even worse. I felt like I was finally playing defense. I came up with a good game or two. Then I got hurt.
"It's a bit leap to now. A lot of confidence now. People thought I might be a huge bust. Now we're talking about the Most Improved Player."
Who did you talk to when you were down?
"My brother, he helped me a lot. Then my two teammates. Joakim and Al. Last year, I used to talk to them a lot. I used to call them for love. They'd tell me, 'Oh, you know, it's all right. You'll be all right. They'll learn about you. Keep your head up.'"
Funny that the kind-of-family you had in college is still there for you in the pros.
"Yeah, I tell them they're like my hype men. They'll hype you up. They'll have you thinking you're going to score 50. It's really cool to have those guys having my back."
In general, you're feeling optimistic about the Wolves?
"Yeah, I'm feeling optimistic. I hope I'll be here. I've been here for the lows. I hope I'll still be here for the highs."

10 Ways to Help Your Kids With Their Homework

10 Ways to Help Your Kids With Their Homework

From All Pro Dad

1. Set the time
Structure is always important. Designate a specific time frame for homework to be completed. Creating a regular routine will increase productivity.

2. Get involved
It is important to be active in your kid’s education. Most schools offer online services to check on grades, homework assignments and overall progress. Keep yourself up to date on all of these things.

3. The proper setting
Provide a quiet and well lit location. Make sure there is a spacious work area and all necessary items to complete the assignments. Preparation is half the battle.

4. Limit distractions
Our homes are filled with distractions. Televisions, cell phones and video games just to name a few. The use of these items should not be allowed during homework time. The mind should be focused on the task at hand.

5. Organize
Multiple subjects and classes can create confusion. Provide a planner and instruct your child how to organize and prioritize assignments. Create a solid game plan.

6. Be a cheerleader
Always show support and give encouragement. Reward strong effort as well as results. We want our children to always give their best.

7. Provide guidance
We all get stumped sometimes. Make sure help resources are available when needed. These might include yourself, school provided telephone services, or school approved online assistance. A child should always be able to ask a question and get an answer.

8. Work first
Just as their parents, children have busy lives these days. Homework should always come before sports and social activities. Make sure education is the number one priority.

9. Notes
Make sure your child develops an excellent note-taking system. Experts believe an outline form of note-taking is the most efficient method. However, all children are different, so just make sure they have a system that works for them.

10. Study habits
Help instill strong study habits and work ethic. Tests and projects require plenty of planning. Provide tips and techniques that will bring the top-notch results that are desired.

A way to help your shot in the game of basketball

Here is some information off the internet on how to shoot with better balance and form. Like anything else it takes practice, but you can see from the pictures and diagrams the difference in proper form and improper form.
Click below:
How to shoot with better body balance like players in the NBA.

Eleanor Roosevelt Quote on strength, courage and confidence.

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along." . . . You must do the thing you think you cannot do." Eleanor Roosevelt.

Stay Focused on Your Dreams by Jack Canfield

Stay Focused on Your Dreams
by Jack Canfield

I just spent a day conducting my Success Principles Workshop for 200 unemployed men and women sponsored by the Workforce Institute in San Jose, California.
It was a very revealing day.
First, I was struck by the diversity of the people who have lost their jobs due to the cutbacks caused by the recession—computer programmers, salespeople, managers, artists, trainers, architects, landscapers, lawyers, actuaries, truck drivers, painters and teachers.
Secondly, I was struck by the mood of resignation and depression that was present in the room when we began in the morning.

The prevailing belief was that there were not any jobs available and that it wasn’t going to get any better anytime soon. People were preparing their resumes, going to job fairs, going to interviews, but with little or no results.

I was reminded of Spencer Johnson’s book Who Moved My Cheese, in which he reports how rats in a laboratory maze are trained to press a certain buzzer with their noses, and once they are reinforced with a reward of cheese, will keep going back to press the same buzzer even though they are no longer receiving cheese for pressing the buzzer. Their noses will become bloody and they will eventually die rather than press a different buzzer.
Human beings do the same thing. They will repeat a behavior that used to work over and over and over again, even though it is not producing the desired result, hoping that someday it will work again.
There is something to be said for perseverance in the face of an obstacle, but sometimes you have to come to grips with the fact that a particular opportunity may never exist again.
In my book The Success Principles I teach a formula called E + R = O. It stands for Events + Responses = Outcomes.

If a certain response (job search) in the face of a certain event (the current economic situation in your area) is not creating the outcome (income) you want, you may have to change your response.

You may have to try something different, which could include employing a more creative approach to presenting yourself, moving to a new location where the jobs are, changing fields (which might require retraining or re-education), becoming an entrepreneur and starting your own business venture, joining a multi-level marketing company, partnering up with other people to start a service of some kind—all of which may require you to step outside of your comfort zone.
A good example of what I am talking about is a woman I read about in USA Today. After losing her job she noticed that all the homes that were being foreclosed in her neighborhood were left in shambles, just as the angry people who were forced out of them. She called the local banks and offered to clean them for a fee so that they would be presentable when the banks tried to rent or sell them. Her little venture was so successful that she had to hire several other people to help. She now has a successful house cleaning business.

I saw a story on CNN about another jobless woman who opened a store to help buy and sell used furniture from the people who were forced to downsize as they were being foreclosed upon or forced to move to smaller apartments. She sold some locally and some on the internet. These are all examples of finding a need and filling it, of getting creative instead of sitting passively by, doing the same old behaviors that are not working.
By the end of the day in San Jose there was a different mood in the air—one of excitement and enthusiasm about pursuing all of the possibilities that lay before them.

They had come in at the beginning of the day simply hoping to figure out how to find a job. By the end of the day they were leaving focused on how to create the life of their dreams.

They had transcended the limited goal of getting back to ground zero and replaced it with a goal of “thrival” rather than mere survival. 
No matter what is going on in the economy...

• hold fast to your dreams,
• visualize them with feeling twice a day,
• keep your self-talk positive,
• surround yourself with positive people,
• read uplifting books,
• trust your intuition,
• take continuous action,
• expect the best,
• respond to feedback by making the necessary corrections,
• and persevere until you get the result you want.

It’s a formula that always works.

After the workshop had concluded, one of the participants came up to me and said...

“You know, I used to set goals and do the things you were teaching us today when I was younger.  I guess I’ve just stopped doing the things that work.”   

Whatever you do, don’t stop doing the things that work. I promise you, if you work the principles, the principles always work.

Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com