PGC: 6 INTANGIBLES THAT MAKE YOU INVALUABLE

One of the great acronyms from Point Guard College is SCHAPE:

SPIRIT...good teams practice with enthusiasm and zest...a quiet gym is a losing gym...Enthusiasm = Excellence...demand energy.

"Championships are won with high levels

of energy, spirit, and enthusiasm."

COMMUNICATION...talk on the floor, call names, give them re-minders often.

HUSTLE...is on all the time—not a sometime thing…"sheepdog mentality...persistent, enthused, work, everyday.

ATTITUDE...body language is important.

PRECISION...exactness...attention to detail...accuracy...sharpness of approach.

ENHANCEMENT...Contribute to environment—don’t contaminate it...make I better doing something extra...expect to do more than your expected of...do extra...come earlier, stay later, compliment someone, smile, push a broom, pick up trash…...and don’t expect praise for doing extra.

(These notes were actually taken by one of my former point guards, Latasha Dorsey)

 

BE THE BEST YOU

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

"If I had to choose one thing that caused me to break Lou Gehrig's record, it was the simple fact that I loved playing baseball.  It's easy to go to work day after day, month after month, year after year, when you really love what you do.  Every day is fun.  Every series is an adventure. Every game is important."

-Cal Ripken

DREAM BIG...WORK HARD!

POTENTIAL ABOUT MORE THAN PHYSICAL ABILITIES

"Players don’t reach that potential because of physical abilities alone.  They have to have that motivation, and they have to have, really, desire and commitment to the game...I could be the most talented basketball player in the country, but not really work hard, and so therefore I will never really reach my potential.  I always tell our coaches in recruiting, I don’t want to have to go out and use my imagination.  I want to go out and see what a player is willing to commit to do on the floor.  And then if we need to work on skills, that’s find.  But that heart and head is so important when you’re talking potential and development."

-Pat Summitt

LESSONS LEARNED FROM MJ

I have had the opportunity to work with Michael Jordan of the Bulls and the first time I sat down to talk with him he said a few things that were fascinating to me. First, he said that when people talk about him some say that he is quick or that he is a great jumper, but he said that his pride lies in his heart and guts. He is most proud of his ability to go all out, every game, on every play, at both ends of the court. Being first team all defensive team shows him that he plays the defensive end as hard as the offensive end.


The second thing he said that impressed me was that he goes out onto the court EVERY NIGHT EXCITED. How can he be excited to play or practice every night? He said that it doesn’t matter how he gets excited, he just does. He finds a way to get fired up every night. Some nights it is the guy he is playing. Other nights it is the place he is playing. He finds a way to be excited, to play hard every minute. Most guys don’t go all out every minute, that is why he thinks he is one of the best ever.

The third thing he said that spoke to me was that for awhile he just took care of himself. He did well, but his teams didn’t achieve. Then he made the decision that take care of just himself wasn’t enough, so he started to take care of himself and two or three others. He started to boost others up daily as well as #23. That in his opinion is when he started winning championships.

Notes from author Bob Rotella’s talk to the Umass basketball team 10-19-95

DON'T CONFORM...BE DIFFERENT WITH ENTHUSIASM AND ATTITUDE

When the Cincinnati Reds signed Pete Rose in 1961, the organization made a regular habit of signing young Cincinnati-area players to fill its minor league rosters. Rose was signed not because he was an attractive prospect but because he was from the area. When he arrived at spring training in Tampa, Florida, he had one above-average tool—his speed—plus an abundance of enthusiasm and determination. His arm strength was barely average, his defensive skills were unimpressive, and he lacked power. But Rose was always among the first to work out in the morning and the last to stop at night. When his assigned team was not scheduled to be doing anything, he would mix with another team and find some way to get extra work. Rose had been assigned to Karl Kuehl’s Class D Geneva, New York, team for spring training, but one day Kuehl went over to the Triple A game. One game was not enough for Rose, so after his workouts ended he would dash over to the Triple A game and tell the veterans, “If you’ve had enough for today, I’d love to finish the game for you.” When a veteran chose to opt out, Rose would take over for the late innings. No other young player had the nerve to make such an outlandish request, and it paid off for Rose—he got noticed and kept moving through the system.

Rose thus ignored the tacit demands to conform, and he advanced by not being afraid to be different. He chose extra work and spending time with more advanced players over team bonding. This takes some degree of courage, since he did make himself stand out from the crowd with his work ethic and relentless hustle.

From "Mental Toughness: Baseball’s Winning Edge" by Karl Kuehl, John Kuehl, and Casey Tefertiller

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

“When you’re in the locker room before the game starts, and you’re sitting there and there’s still silence, almost like a silence sweeping over the locker room. You don’t know what it is. You can look in the eyes of your teammates. Sometimes you get to see the other team. A lot of times I look in their eyes. You can see fear. You can see excitement. You can see nervousness. It’s that before-the-game moment. In my mind, it’s like everything is silent. It’s like another realm, another world. It’s like, ‘This is it, it’s all on the line.’ For me, every game, it’s all on the line. Just that little moment, knowing it’s all on the line, right now, there’s no second chance on this game, there’s no getting a player over, that’s something that excites me. I love to see other players, especially defenders, if they’re nervous. Yeah, that gets me excited.”

-Former All-Pro running back Curtis Martin

12 SIMPLE YET SIGNIFICANT WAYS TO HELP YOUR TEAM ON A DAILY BASIS

Thanks to the http://www.CoachingToolbox.net/ for sharing this list from Coach Steve Smiley of Sheridan College. Steve is a former point guard for Coach Don Meyer and doing a great job of coaching.


1. Be the hardest worker at practice today.
Without fail, one of the quickest ways to impact a team is with your own work ethic. Choose to be one of the hardest workers on your team today. Not only does it set the tone for the work ethic of your program, it is also one of the best and quickest ways to enhance your leadership credibility with your teammates and coaches.

2. Be a spark of energy and enthusiasm today.
Let your passion for the sport shine through today. Spread a contagious energy and enthusiasm amongst your teammates. Think about how lucky you are to be able to play and compete. Remember back to when you were a young child and reconnect with the joy you played with back then. Make your sport fun again for yourself and your teammates.

3. Model mental toughness today.
Because your teammates will look to you under pressure, adversity, and stress, be sure to model mental toughness today. Bounce back quickly after errors to show your teammates how to respond to negative situations. Maintain your poise and optimism despite any mistakes you might make so that your teammates can trust and rely on you to get them through the tough times.

4. Connect with a teammate today.
Leadership is all about relationships. Invest the time to build and strengthen the relationships you have with each of your teammates. Inquire about their day, challenges, and goals. Make a special and ongoing effort to get to know every athlete on your team, not just your friends and classmates. The relationship building you do each day will pay off immeasurably down the road.

5. Compliment a teammate today.
Be on the lookout for teammates who are contributing to your team. Call out a teammate for making a hustle play, pushing through a weight workout, recovering quickly from a mistake, getting an A on an exam, etc. Praise the actions and attitudes you want to see repeated. As Mother Teresa once said, “Kind words are short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.”

6. Challenge a teammate today.
Challenge at least one of your teammates today. Positively push them and yourself to make the most of your workout. Make a friendly wager to see if they can be successful at least 4 out of 5 times in a drill. See if you both can improve your times in conditioning. Offer to stay after to help if there is anything they want to work on. Good leaders consistently invite, inspire, and sometimes implore others to greatness.

7. Support a teammate today.
Odds are, at least one of your teammates is struggling with something today – it could be a performance slump, a rocky romantic relationship, a disagreement with a coach, an unglamorous role, struggling with a class, or a sick family member. Good leaders are consistently on the lookout for teammates who might be struggling and are ready to offer an ear to listen, an encouraging word, a pat on the back, or a shoulder to cry on.

8. Constructively confront negativity, pessimism, and laziness today.
As a leader, have the courage to constructively confront the negativity, pessimism, and laziness that will crop up on your team from time to time. Instead of fueling the fire by joining in or silently standing by, be sure to refocus your teammates on solutions rather than dwelling on and complaining about the problems. Left unchecked, these problems can quickly grow to distract, divide, and destroy your team.

9. Build and bond your team today.
Team chemistry naturally ebbs and flows throughout the course of the season. Take the time to monitor and maintain your team’s chemistry. Let your reserves and support staff know how much you appreciate them. Stay connected and current with each of the natural sub-groups on your team. Douse any brush fires that might be occurring and continually remind team members about your common goal and common bond.

10. Check in with your coach today.
Invest the time to check in with your coach today. Ask what you can do to best help the team this week. Find out what your coach wants to accomplish with today’s practice. Also discuss if there is anything your coach is concerned about regarding your team. Discuss your collective insights on your team’s chemistry, focus, and mindset. Work together to effectively co-lead your team.

11. Remind your team how today’s work leads to tomorrow’s dreams.
 It’s easy to get bogged down during your season with monotonous drills, tiring conditioning, and demanding workouts. Remind your teammates how all the quality work you do today gives you a distinct advantage over your opponents. Help them see and even get excited about how today’s hard work is a long-term investment in your team’s goals, rather than just a short-term hardship or sacrifice.

12. Represent yourself and team with class and pride today.
Leaders have the awesome privilege and responsibility of representing their teams. Take advantage of this opportunity by representing your team with class and pride today. Hold a door open for someone, sit in the front rows of class and actively engage in the discussion, say please and thank you, dress in respectful attire, etc. These tiny pushes represent you and your team with class and distinction. And they ultimately set you up for a lifetime of respect and success.

ENTHUSIASM IS TO ATTITUDE WHAT BREATHING IS TO LIFE

• Enthusiasm gives you the power to get up early when you are not a morning person.

• Enthusiasm keeps you working on a project instead of quitting.

• Enthusiasm gives you the courage to take the risks needed for success.

• Enthusiasm fuels motivation to make things happen.

• Enthusiasm brightens your personality.

• Enthusiasm combats fear and worry.

• Enthusiasm distinguishes a championship team from an average team.

• Enthusiasm is in the fire in the belly that says, “Don’t wait!”

• Enthusiasm is the burning desire that communicated commitment, determination, and spirit. It shows everyone else that you are sold on what you are doing and that you are seriously motivated.

• Enthusiasm’s last four letters stand for I Am Seriously Motivated.

• Enthusiasm and a positive attitude are the winning ingredients for success.

From "Attitude is Everything" by Keith Harrell

THE HIGH FIVE EFFECT

Via Coach Eric Musselman comes a piece of an article from Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun about a common denominator of good teams and players that care:

It was only after it was explained to Chris Bosh that the touchiness was referring to his penchant for high fiving teammates or making some physical connection of congratulations after a free throw or good play that Bosh caught on.

“Oh yeah, I’m a big fan of the high five,” a relieved Bosh said. “It’s a little thing, but even coming out of games I try to give everybody on the bench a high five because it keeps everyone in the game ... High fives are cool. It’s fun.”

The study, which was referenced in a recent New York Times article, showed Bosh and Boston’s Kevin Garnett touch their teammates more than any other player in the NBA and that “with few exceptions, good teams tended to be touchier than bad ones.”

ARE YOU IN "SCHAPE?"

If you fail to develop an every-day-every-play habit of precision, you just are not paving your way to championship performance. I call it making sure you are in SCHAPE to play. S.C.H.A.P.E spells out six important ingredients.

• Spirit
• Communication
• Hustle
• Attitude
• Precision
• Enhancement

Spirit: Spirit is noise. Do you make noise while you are practicing and playing? To demonstrate spirit, you have to make noise with your mouth and your hands. You yell and you clap.

Communication: On the court or on the field, communication during sports competition required the same ingredients that permit effective communication in an office or at a party. Make sure you use the ingredients consistently in practice and in games.

Hustle: This one doesn’t need much explanation except to say that it is something you have to measure every day on the practice field, not just during big games.

Attitude: Most everyone understands who one even if it’s a bit difficult to put it precisely into words. You gotta play and practice with an attitude. You can’t just go through the motions. Everything about your approach to what you are doing has to say “This matter, this is important, I care, and they, want to see intensity at work?

Precision: It takes extra effort to be precise. That’s why so many athletes fail at it. It seems easier to cut off a few steps, to take a shortcut.

Enhancement: After all the instructions are given, throughout the criticism and encouragement, the winning and losing, a final question keeps popping into the championship equation for me. Are you out there every day actively trying to enhance what is going on? Making a drill run more smoothly? Trying to turn seven repetitions per minute into eight? Encouraging your teammates who are tired or in a slump? Trying to get your big slow guy to get some zip into his game? Trying to help the reserves feel more a part of the action? Trying to make the practice atmosphere more positive?

From "Think Like a Champion" by Dick Devenzio