Hey Mark, Keep Shooting!!

To put it simply, you've got to put in the practice time if you want to be a better shooter.



The greatest marksmen in the NBA were known to take a 600-700 shots a day as a way of honing their skills. Since 70% of a good jumpshot is muscle memory and proper form, this approach makes a lot of sense.

I got into a discussion one day with my buddy Mark Cannon about becoming a better shooter. Mark's a senior in high school and has a desire to play basketball competitively at a higher level.

He understands that if he wants to get better, then he'll have to put in the effort. Therefore, getting up at 6am to take 650 shots to get better isn't beneath him.



I encouraged Mark to continue shooting and in the process, pay more attention getting the shots up using the proper form as opposed to the number he actually hits.

Maintaining a consistent shooting form using the same motion repeatedly is key. The hits and misses will average themselves out.

To help put things in perspective, the worlds greatest shooters hit about 40% of their shots.



For Leaders

Consistency in leadership is as important as it is in jump shooting. Without it, you risk undermining your position and the people around will lack confidence in your abilities as a leader.

You sharpen your leadership skills the same way you train your muscles. Repitition and practice using the same technique and form so that it becomes natural, fluid and in rhythm when its game time.

We listen with our eyes as much as our ears placing all of our actions under a microscope. Irrational actions, conflicting directions, and inconsistent behaviour can ultimately lead to your downfall as a leader if your're not mindful of your actions.

Here are a few points to help you maintain your consistency in leadership:

If you make a promise, keep it or don't make them at all;

Treat everyone equally and avoid playing favourites;

Not keeping your own rules sends a wrong message.

John Quincy Adams,the sixth president of the United States said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

Thanks for reading!

Audley

Breaking The Press

A full-court press is a pressurized defensive style of play that is designed to trap ball handlers in the backcourt with multiple defenders.



The press is intended to frustrate and upset the opposing team and force them into committing turnovers as soon as the ball is inbounded.

Beating it and advancing the ball over the half court without a violation is a big challenge for many teams.

One effective way of doing this is to have a ballhandler inbounds the ball and as the defense approaches pass it back or reverse it back to the original ballhandler.

This "reverse" pass forces the defense to adjust as the ball is now moving in a different direction. If the passes are short and crisp and the ball is moved quickly enough, then the press can be broken.

They key is in the reverse pass.



The aim of the game may be to advance the ball ahead but there are times when making that pass back helps you move forward.

Such is the case in our daily lives. We're faced with so much pressures at times that we sometimes forget to re-assess our situation by taking a step back.

Stepping back provides a different perspective that separates you from the experience. It gives you a better view of the big picture which leads to more calmer well rounded decisions.



While the temptation to barrel straight through obstacles with our heads down is great, there are instances where a more cerebral deliberate approach is just as effective.

Remember, these six points the next time you're faced with a full court press:

1.Slow things down
2.Take a step back
3.Give your mind a rest
4.Look at things in there entirety
5.Plan your next steps
6.Take action

Thanks for reading!

Audley

Leadership From The Point

In basketball, the point guard position is generally regarded as the on court leader. They have an important role of facilitating and executing the wishes of their coach on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.



In some respects, they're considered to be an extension of the coach, without the clipboard.

The point guard may play a key role in running the team on the floor but this doesn't mean that leadership skills can't be demonstrated by others.

Through our actions, each of us can display leadership qualities in our daily lives and make a positive difference, whatever our title or position is.

This isn't to suggest that anyone can be a leader. There's still a certain level of training, experience and aptitude that come into play.

However, individuals shouldn't feel that they can't act like leaders because they don't have the title bestowed on them.



In his book, "You Don’t Need a Title to Be a Leader", Mark Sanborn indicates that the following qualities are shared by leaders:

*Acting with purpose rather than getting bogged down by mindless activity;

*Caring about and listening to others;

*Looking for ways to encourage the contributions and development of others rather than focusing solely on personal achievements;

*Creating a legacy of accomplishment and contribution in everything they do.

Remember, leadership skills can come from a variety of sources and we all have the capacity to demonstrate them. All that's needed, is the confidence and supportive enviorment to make it possible.
















Listen to the Fast Break Podcast by clicking here.

Thanks for reading!

Audley

Homecourt Advantage

If you ask any basketball player about home court advantage, they'll probably tell you that the comforting feeling of performing in front of their fans is a definite advantage over their opponents.

An arena filled with 20,000 people making noise and screaming in support of the hometown squad is probably the ultimate psychological advantage.



While it may not guarantee a win it certainly helps swing the pendulum a bit further in your direction. Being at home eliminates the pressure of playing on the road, sleeping in a different bed or getting comfortable in a new enviorment.

But there are times when we have to produce outside of your comfort zone.

Staying within our boundaries of comfort and familiarity generally is the safe thing to do and takes the risk out of life.

However, it also limits us from being able to fulfill our goals and dreams.

Having goals and dreams allows us to think beyond our present circumstance and provides us with a tangible target we can visualize and works towards.




So, choosing not to challenge ourselves means that we've fallen into our old reliable habits and not giving our potential a chance.

There is another significant point to remember when we talk about our comfort zone. This area of familiarity is more than just a place of comfort, it also represents a happy, safe area that can renew recharge and relax us.

Therefore, if we challenge ourselves and expand our boundaries, we're also expanding our opportunities to be happier and safe more often.

What Can You Do?

Here are three things you can do to help you expand yourself:

1) Replace the phrase, "I wish I could" to "I will";

2) Try different ways of doing simple tasks. i.e. take a new route home;

3) Gain new perspectives by sharing with others

It's far easier to play in front of your home town fans but when you don't have the home court advantage, you have no other choice but to come out of your shell and get the road win.

Challenging yourself will help with your personal growth and perhaps get you one step closer to winning a title.


Thanks for reading!

Audley

We've Got The Power

There are several small, subtle unoticeable things that happen in basketball that lead to paying huge divedends in the way of a basket or key possession.

You'll often times see players pointing at each on the court as they make their way back to the other end of the floor.

What they are doing is a form of acknowledgement.

Perhaps a player has set a screen to get their team mate open for a shot or maybe offered some sort of assistance on the defensive end to force a turnover.

By pointing, they're saying "Thanks", "I saw that" or "Keep up the good work".



In a lot of ways, it's the little things that make the most difference and this is especially true in basketball as well as life.

Acknowledging the actions of others hold tremendous power and can create waves and ripples that motivate, inspire and improve the quality of our personal and professional relationships.

Having out actions acknoweledged will make us more prone to do the same for others.

Think of a moment that you worked really hard on a project or task. What was the feeling you had when someone recognized and commented on what you did?

Did it make you feel valued and appreciated? Were you inspired to keep going? Did you level of respect increase for the other person?

I believe that we all want to be acknowledged for our contributions to society deep down inside. To know that our actions made a difference to someone else is a great motivator on so many levels.




In her book, The Power of Acknowledgment Judith W Umlas says, "each of us has this power, and it is important to remember to use it appropriately, often, and honestly both in business and in our personal lives."

It's a marvelous power that can encourage others to do great things including help score more baskets!


Thanks for reading!

Audley

Coaching

My first experience coaching youth basketball came when my daughter, who was 8 at the time started playing on an organized team.

I figured that I might as well be of use since I'd be hanging around anyways.



Coaching has been rewarding for me on many fronts and I can truthfully say that I developed a great deal personally from being involved.

Here are four things that I've taken away from my coaching experience:

Patience

You can never have too much patience - Each child has their own on/off switch and coaches have to identify the trigger in each to make them go. Learning a new anything takes time and a lot of trial and error.


Kids may not pick up something after the first attempt but a little repetition and patience can help a lot. Who knows, maybe they'll grasp it at trial #1000?

There's Always a Next Time
It can be real easy to beat yourself up for an in game decision after the fact, especially when the final outcome isn't in your favour. During the course of a game, there's all sorts of factors and consideration points that go into making a certain play call or substitution.

I've found that situations have a way of re-representing themselves so that we can get it right the second, third or maybe even the fourth time around.

Follow Their lead
Although you may be the coach, your players will ultimately guide the direction of the team and what you do during practice. If they don't grasp a concept or idea, be prepared to scrap your original plan and start over. Being flexible is key because you really need to be operating at their speed, not yours.













Celebrate Successes

A coach needs to be prepared to celebrate player's individual successes.I may not have won national titles or had a bucket of Gatorade dumped on my head for reaching a coaching milestone but I love the feeling I get when a player who I taught the mechanics of free throw makes the net sing. SWISH!!!

My coaching philosophy quite simply is to teach my players the right way to play the game. This means focusing on skill development, teamwork and having a good court awareness.

Oh yeah, let's have some fun out there!

Thanks for reading!

Audley

The Last 2 Minutes

There's a saying in basketball that goes something like this, when a team loses by 10 or more points the players are to blame and if the loss is by anything less than five then it’s the coach’s fault.



Coaches generally carry the heavy burden of losing when a team is going through a tough stretch. If a team under performs or fails to win consistently then the onus is on the coach to motivate, inspire and manufacture wins any way possible.

One motivating tactic many coaches use is to break the game down and set up small digestible milestones for players to understand.

For example, coaches will encourage their players to win the last two minutes of every quarter. This tactic moves the focus away from what has happened to what can occur with a bit of focus. It doesn’t matter how badly the game started or what the current score is.

The job is to take control of the last two minutes and finish strong.



Dan Green asks in his video, Finish Strong, `How will you choose to respond to the challenge before you.

He reminds us that the choice always remains ours to make.

We encounter challenging or tough situations on a daily basis but it is important to remember that our attitude and beliefs that will always guide our actions.

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.

Anatole France - French poet, journalist, and novelist.

Thanks for reading,

Audley