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)

 

DROSE WORKS ON GAME -- AND LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS

A big thanks to my friend Joey Burton for emailing me this article.  It is written by K.C. Johnson for the Chicago Tribune and it's on the "leadership growth" of Derrick Rose:

Luol Deng readily recalls the first time his mother met Derrick Rose.
 
"She kept talking to me about him and was just really happy with how he carried himself," Deng said. "To me, I don't care how good you are or what you do in life. Who you are as a person is more important than anything. And you can just tell Derrick is one of those kids who was raised the right way.
 
"He's not going to change. He's better at dealing with the spotlight than before, but all he really cares about are his teammates and winning. That's what a leader is."
 
Rose may be quiet by nature, but his will to win invokes determination and demands of others.
 
"I never worried about Derrick in terms of taking care of himself," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "But in setting the tone for the team, not tolerating others not doing their job, I think that has been his biggest growth."
 
Rose is notoriously hard on himself. His post-practice shooting routine would get bleeped out if misses were filmed. This drive, paired with a tireless work ethic to improve his game, is an example of his non-verbal leadership.
 
"If you can't coach your best player hard, you can't coach your team hard. And you can coach Derrick Rose as hard as anybody on the entire team," general manager Gar Forman said. "You talk about leadership. That to me is probably the strongest type."
 
The verbal leadership is more evident to those who know Rose well. So while there may not be histrionics on the court or many headlines about his leadership, those within the organization say it's there.
 
"He's quiet by nature but he's comfortable with the guys around him," Deng said. "If you don't know Derrick or he doesn't know you, he just goes about his business. Guys he's comfortable with, he'll open up."
 
"The talent is pretty easy to see," he said. "What you don't see are all the intangibles that he brings to the team, the confidence. But the confidence doesn't come from a false bravado. It comes from his preparation, his study and the work he puts into every day.
 
"The best thing about Derrick is he's a team-first guy. He's committed to playing for the team, and that's special."
 
Put another way, Forman appreciates Rose's low maintenance.
 
"We've all seen it over the years: There may be scenarios where the star player wants or needs preferential type of treatment in whatever it is," Forman said. "And there's none of that with Derrick."
 
Asked if he feels he has grown as a leader, Rose looked up.
 
"I just know I put the work in," Rose said.
 
You can read the entire article -- it extremely well-written -- here.

STOCKTON "LOVED TO COMPETE"

In 19 years, John Stockton never once lost a suicide drill in practice. Well there was one day.  But he was sick and he still ran it.   That’s the important thing.  John didn’t need all the attention that comes with making the all-star teams or getting his name into the headlines. He just loved to compete.”

-Jerry Sloan (Stockton’s coach at Utah)

 

WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?!

This photo was snapped a few days ago.  After practice, Kobe Bryant stuck around and worked on his individual ball handling drills. Which begs the question:

If one of the best players to have

ever played the game still finds

the need and time to work on

developing his game, why aren't you?

DENA EVANS ON MENTAL TOUGHNESS

For basketball players reading this blog -- no matter what age, male or female, regardless of your level of play -- if you are looking for a special experience that will take your basketball IQ to another level than you should look into a session at Point Guard College.

You can find more info at: www.PGCBasketball.com

Until then, learn from this video of PGC CEO Dena Evans talking about Mental Toughness:

THE DRIVE TO IMPROVE

The following is an excerpt from "Meek's Little Book of Hope" written by WNBA point guard Temeka Johnson. The book is compilation of stories and quotes designed to motivate and is due out this fall.

Michael Jordan changed the game for a lot of athletes. Immediately after winning his first championship, he went right back in the gym to work on his game. If the greatest player to ever lace them up worked that hard, what are the rest of the players going to expect?

Work ethic typically comes from within, but it’s never too late to learn. For me, the drive to become successful is also based on my will to win. If I want to win championships, I have to become better – yearly. Even after winning my first championship in the WNBA, I knew that more players and teams would be working harder to stop us from winning another one. I hired a personal trainer to get even better. I worked extra before and after practices, as well as before and after games.

For many, it’s not about just beating your opponent, it’s about being the best you can possibly be. That equates to every walk of life. If you’re a student, it’s about studying until you know everything, not just knowing enough to pass a test. If you’re at your job, it’s about putting in long hours and taking ownership in your work, not about proving something to your boss or co-worker. It’s your internal drive that you should be focused on. That’s what helps me get better every year. On those days when you think you’ve done enough, this chapter will help you push through and accomplish more.

HOW HARD ARE YOU WORKING?!?!

"If every basketball player

worked as hard as I did,

I'd be out of a job."

-Steve Nash

(via Point Guard College)

POINT GUARD = QUARTERBACK

Thanks to Coach Eric Musselman's archive for this look at point guard Rajon Rondo on what he learned as a high school QB:

"When things go bad you take a lot of pressure. You’re responsible for everyone on the field, knowing where they have to be. You call the plays and you’re also an extension of the coach on the field."

The same goes for basketball:

"I think [QB and PG are] the same exact position, really. You’re the leader, regardless of whether you want to be or not. Even though I’m a third-year point guard I’m still the leader of the team. Offensively I’ve got to get the guys in their sets and knowing what plays to call. I’m playing with three All-Stars. It is what it is. I don’t look at individual goals."

POINT GUARD TIPS FROM STEVE NASH

Special thanks to Coach Eric Musselman for the following:

Words of wisdom for point guards presented by Steve Nash at the Nike Point Guard Academy:

"You should always want your coach to be critical.It gives you an opportunity to learn and to over-come adversity."

"You maximize your potential by being humble,develop a work ethic, strive to be a good person,and to be the best teammate you can be."

"Use your scoring ability to be a better passer,and your passing skills to become a better scorer."

"You can't be a point guard who gets into the lane and always passes. Capitalize on the real estate you have gained."

"Point Guard must be able to pass with both hands equally off the dribble."

'"I am always thinking how can I get myself better."

"On the fast break, after 2 or 3 hard dribbles you should see the whole floor and know where all your teammates are."

PGC: THE 6 INTANGIBLES TO MASTER THAT MAKES YOU INVALUABLE

One of the best camps in the country for developing perimeter players is Point Guard College headed up by former University of Virginia standout Dena Evans. Dena has a philosophy she teaches the point guards including The 6 Intangibles To Master That Makes You Invaluable.

SPIRIT

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

COMMUNICATION

Talk on the floor, call names, give them reminders often.

HUSTLE

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 the environment -- don't contaminate it...make it better doing something extra...expect to do more that your expected to...do extra...come earlier, stay later, compliment someone, smile, push a broom, pick up trash...and don't expect praise for doing something extra.

One of Dena's favorite quotes: "Championships are won with high levels of energy, spirit, and enthusiasm."

For more on Point Guard College, visit:

http://www.pointguardcollege.com

HOW TO PLAY POINT GUARD LIKE JOHN STOCKTON

A neat little article I found on ehow.com.

Step 1: Know what you can and cannot do.

Too many players try to make plays that are beyond their ability. John Stockton always knew what he could and could not do. He made the safe passes. He threw crisp chest passes, bounce passes and wrap around passes. He was not concerned about making high light reels; all he wanted to do was get his teammates in position to make an easy open shot. If you want to play like John Stockton, be unselfish and make safe passes.

Step 2: Play for your teammates.

John Stockton could have averaged well over twenty points a game whenever he wanted. He was one of only a handful of point guards who consistently shot over fifty percent from the floor. However, he never averaged more than 17.2 points per game. He was dedicated to getting his teammates good shots. Everyone wanted to play with him as their point guard and if you can play like John Stockton, everyone will want to play with you.

Step 3: Be tenacious.

One of the toughest players to get around when he set a pick was John Stockton. He was always setting screens on bigger players and drawing fouls because they would become agitated and finally just push him down. He was also tenacious on defense and worked very hard to get the ball back.

Step 4: Master the pick and roll.

The play that John Stockton was known for was running the pick and roll with Karl Malone. Every pick and roll that is run correctly puts the defense at a disadvantage. Once you know how to capitalize on that disadvantage you can play like John Stockton. You can dominate a defense and get your teammates easy shots.

Step 5: Shoot accurately.

Stockton was a tremendous shooter. It was a great weapon that prevented defenses from sagging off of him. If you gave him even a little room, he could hit any shot from the three point line and in. In order to play like Stockton you need to have a better than average jump shot.