The Slam Dunk Illiteracy Campaign!

I recently had the pleasure of participating in a powerful series of literacy and self-development seminars featuring former NBAer and Toronto Raptor, John Wallace that were designed to make a difference to Toronto/GTA youth!

The campaign ran from October 3-5, 2011 and reached more than 1,000 youth in that time period.

Wallace was drafted 18th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. He went on to play eight seasons in the NBA and and two in Europe. In 1998 he was the runner up of the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award while with the Toronto Raptors. John was also voted Community Service Man of the Year for his dedication to youth in the city of Toronto.

I've known John for quite some time and he's always had a deep appreciation for the city of Toronto from his playing days and has always wanted to give back to the city in some capacity.

Wallace is the co-founder of a youth mentoring company called, Winning Because I Tried and is joined by his partner, Modie Cox to deliver inspiring talks to young audiences.

Important messages that are taught include:

• The power of hard work and perseverance
• The value of education and literacy
• Learning to develop confidence in your abilities despite obstacles

John and Modie have a true passion to help today's youth reach their full potential. They bot
h came from challenging backgrounds and are committed to sharing their experiences in order to guide audiences on the right path.

The SLAM DUNK ILLITERACY campaign has been receiving rave reviews from Toronto schools and youth organizations:

“Thanks a lot for today. The event was amazing. What you guys were able to do was amazing.”

Lennox Cadore, Arts Program Manager - Urban Arts Toronto

The campaign also featured a book that I co-authored called, "Basketball Talk, The Way It Should Be!" It's an entertaining baller and celebrity quote book that makes reading fun and some of the proceeds are being donated to some of their charities, Epilepsy Halton Peel Hamilton and the ErinoakKids Foundation.

Overall, with poor literacy rates, bullying and lack of motivation rampant among today's youth, John and Modie's presentation aims to connect with young people most as risk and make them accountable and inspired to break through their challenges.

If you're interested in having The SLAM DUNK ILLITERACY campaign come to your school or organization, please feel free to contact:

DaveandAudley@TheBreakdownShow.com

See you on the court!

Take What the Defence Gives You

Taking what the defence gives you is a concept reserved for those on offense trying to score.

It's a reactive mindset that encourages players to exercise patience and in the process helps to strengthen decision making skills.


Essentially, an offensive player with the ball takes their cues from their defensive counterpart. The defence wants to control where you go and what you do on the court.

All done in an attempt to make it difficult for you to score.

It's our job on offence to maintain our edge and not succumb to the will of others.

Read the situation and take the best course of action that will get you one step closer to your goal.

Making Your Move

After an OT win against the Utah Jazz, Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat guard said in a post game interview that, "Most of what happens in basketball is about reaction"

He was referring to a play in which his defender, Andrei Kirelenko was playing him particularly tough on his strong right hand.

To get by him, Wade pulled a behind the back cross over dribble from his bag of tricks and finished with a lay-up for the basket.

Kirlenko, an above average defender was left beaten and flat footed.

Wade reacted and made his move once he understood what the defence wanted him to do.

The defender really could be anyone or anything. Life has a way of throwing all sorts of challenges on our pathway.



The onus falls on our shoulders to respond accordingly.

A Few Points To Keep in Mind

Before you jump in reaction to a situation, take a moment to understand what's happening around you.

Make sure that you're aware of the possibilities before you make your move.

Finally, be prepared to have a plan B if the first one doesn't work out.

In Closing...

Keeping these points in mind will put you into better scoring situations and help you get your two points.

Thanks for reading!

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Audley