Teach How

When coaching you have a responsibility to teach how. Put finer points on what ever you are teaching. Too often we say "don't do it that way”, or we use terms that the players may not understand conceptually, OR we say “they were just told how to do it, and yet they are still not doing it” I have even heard coaches say, I’ve been running this drill for 4 years, and they still don’t get it. Remember, when you point a finger, 3 point back at you. Maybe we need to rethink what and how we are teaching. Remember like parenting, being a coach the balance of the relationship is unequal. You should encourage communication, but you can’t expect that the players will always ask questions. You need to be able to demonstrate what you are teaching, even if it is at a much slower speed. Show players, what you want, associate a term for what you are teaching. That way you can give an auditory cue when you are trying to emphasize the skill or habit you are trying to make second nature.
Coach Paul

Euro Legend Jasmin Repesa

Attended a great clinic at Ryerson Friday night. The guest was Euro Legend Jasmin
and focused on individual athlete development with an emphasis on balance in basketball.

What I took away was the concept of not over extending in help, but being on blance so that your recovery is more effiecient.

Push Me

well sometimes push me means exactly that. I'm doing a clinic in Toronto, and I have the boys doing some 4 ball, ballhandling drills in pairs. Enphasis on atheltic stance. I'm knocking them about a bit to check their balance, and just because it raises the intensity, and competitive nature of the boys. I'm being me.. whoopin and hollarin, getting the atmosphere high energy, when one of the boys shouts out to me "coach push me, push me". I go over to him, and say "oh yes I WILL push you, and challenge you, but at some point you need to find it within yourself to push yourself. You need to be self motivated. You need to find it in here (tapping on his sternum) to take you outside your comfort zone"... pounding those balls he never missed a beat.. but said "no coach, I mean push me like you pushed that other kid. Check my balance" LOL..

one more clinic

One clinic left. I'm looking forward to a good workout with the boys. It's been a great group to coach. Respectful and hard working. What more could you ask for.
Last night we were fortunate to have Adam Jespersen workout with us. Adam talked to the boys about next steps, playing at the next level. He gave the boys some excellent information and lots to think about.
Thanks Adam
Coach Paul

3 In A Row

The boys had three excellent workouts with Ganon this week. The intensity of the drills while emphasizing specific key aspects leads to one thing. Being a better player!

Watching Ganon work out the boys reminds me of two philosophies.
1) Practice the way you want to play or you’ll play like you practice.
2) Basketball is a simple game. Do simple things correctly and you’ll be successful.

Coach Paul

Ganon Baker

Taking a few boys down to work with Ganon Baker in Saltfleet today. Always a good workout for the boys, and I never come away without learning something new.
Thanks in advance Ganon
Coach Paul

Rubbing Elbows

While in Indiana and Kentucky I had the opportunity to see and talk to some of the following coaches. Man what a thrill, to be around and talk to people that coach at that caliber. Coach Izzo was gracious enough to invite me down to watch some practices. I’ll definitely take advantage of that. All of the following coaches I have used invaluable information from their DVD’s whether skill development or cunning and subtle nuances to playing team defense or getting brown thing to go in the round thing.
Coach Paul


Tom Izzo is the head coach for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team.

William John “Billy” Donovan, Jr. is the head coach of the Florida Gators basketball team

Jerold Taylor "Jay" Wright, Jr. He is currently the men's coach at Villanova University.

Tim Buckley is a former head coach at Ball State University.

Kentucky

The EAU team went 4 and 2 in Kentucky. They lost in the semi-finals. Not bad for a first showing. It's very apparent that team defense is much better in AAU. Help and help-the-help is far more aggressive. The game is much more physical, and being a multi-dimensional player is key. If not you had better be able to do something better than all others.
Coach Paul

Are you ready

well the intensity of team defense is much much different here. It exposes players that only have a one dimensional game. It's a great experience for the boys, and it's very cool to see some big time coaches watching games. Tom Izzo was at our last game.. Jay Smith was at one of the earlier games in Indiana.
The trick will be, creating an environment back home that simulates this one.. stronger, faster, tougher.

Coach Paul

Last Practice before Kentucky

Last practice tonight before Sean heads out to Indiana and Kentucky. On the week of July 20 th, Ganon is in Saltfleet, and I'll contact him to see if he'll work out a small group after hours. Keep checking the calender.
Coach Paul

NBA Ballers 3 on 3

What a kick to see the finals for 3 on 3 age group 16 - 18!

Final game one team had 2 London Ramblers: Sean "The Truth" Patrick and Charles "The Thunder" Kamau and the other team had 3 London Ramblers: Erick "Rocky" Fasado Pennetti, Evan "Dozer" DeGier, Andres "ARAM" Ramirez.

Three other teams had other players from the same OBA team... Chidi "The Smack" Majok on one team. Colin "The Human Flash" Mandich and Nick "The General" Norwood on a team. Also Leon "Rockets" Mboko on a team.

Good showing boys. You are all winners by my estimation.
Coach Paul

How many hours do you have logged? OR how deep do your roots go?

How many hours have you logged?

In Geoff Colvin's book, Talent Is Overrated he talks about the 10 Year Rule.

The one thing that all expertise theorists agree on is that it takes enormous effort to build these structures in the mind. Simon coined a psychological law of his own, the 10-year rule, which states that it takes approximately a decade of heavy labor to master any field. Even child prodigies, such as Gauss in mathematics, Mozart in music and Bobby Fischer in chess, must have made an equivalent effort, perhaps by starting earlier and working harder than others.

In Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers he talks about the rule of 10 thousand hours.

Ten thousand hours! Why so long? Exeperts such as Daniel Levitin, the author of This Is Your Brain On Music, and Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers: The Story of Success figure that it takes ten thousand hours of practice to become an expert in almost anything.

In nature we see that the bamboo plant grows very little in the first 10 years. It spends those years establishing it's root system. After that time period it can grow up to 100 feet per year.

Figure it out.. take the time to determine how many hours you have logged. How deep are your roots. Then calculate how long it will take you to get where you are going.

Coach Paul

Sean is doing well with on his AAU team. Great group of athletes! They had their first tune up game before they head off to Indiana and Kentucky. They played against the top AAU team in Canada and came out with a very decisive win 95 - 64.
Coach Paul

Year End

Well it was a terrific year for me. The U17 girls team made it to D2 and competed 6 games in OBA's to get 4th. They also received the Fair Play Award.
The U16 team made it to D1, and competed well. They had a great record this season.
Busy, very busy, but very rewarding.
I'm looking forward to keeping in touch with all the players during their high school season.
Good Luck
Coach Paul