A Coach's Diary

One of my favorite quotes about hard work was said by one of the greatest coaches of all time, John Wooden. He said, "Nothing will work unless you do." In other words, you can have the best plans, the most perfect offensive and defensive schemes, and even a great amount of talent. But if you and your team are not willing to put in hard work, your plans will never be realized. Another quote I often share with my players was by NBA legend Jerry West. He said, "You don’t get much done if you only work on the days that you feel good." Hard work cannot be sporadic. It cannot take place only on the sunny days. If you want your best to become a habit, you must engage in intensive, intelligent, and persistent practice. I believe you play like you practice, so when you practice hard every day, playing hard will seem natural when the game is on the line. A final quote about work that I share with my team is Roger Staubach’s: "Spectacular achievements are a...

The following notes are from the Detroit Pistons Training Camp, taken and shared by Steve Finamore. Tuesday September 29, 2015 10:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. Notes by Steve Finamore Boys Head Varsity Basketball Coach East Lansing High School - Huge sign on the wall at the Pistons practice facility behind basket: - “BE IMPACTFUL!” - Championship and division banners hang from the rafters. - Pistons team and coaching staff walk onto court together at 10AM. (Many players were at practice facility at 8 A.M. getting in extra shooting with coaches)                                                         Coaching staff: Stan Van Gundy, Brendan Malone, Bob Beyer, Malik Allen, Tim Hardaway, Charles Kl...

Practice By: Greg Tuchek, Pro Shot Trainer, Venice Beach Basketball Hall of Fame Player  I don't get these guys nowadays. Don't get me wrong, I hated running... But, I looked forward to competing. My goal was to take your spot, or keep mine. I looked forward to getting better every day! I wanted to win every sprint or at least come in the top three. My speed developed so much running sprints. At Long Beach City, Red was the first team. White was the second. I was on white my whole freshman year. I was new to organized basketball and just happy to be a part of the team. I wasn't tainted by the "superstar" mentality. I played hard EVERY possession. I would get the red team so mad! I would sneak in for an offensive rebound and coach would go ballistic. I just thought that is how you were supposed to play. Like a "Rudy," but with more talent.  I was a good teammate and we could be cool after, but, you had what I wanted. I tell my kids and players, ...

I recieved this story from the  UW Women's Basketball Newsletter  newsletter via Coach Mike Neighbors.  To recieve the weekly newsletter, email him at  nabes22@uw.edu. WHAT COACHES MAKE  The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, tried to explain the problem with college athletics. He argued, “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to be a coach?”  He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about coaches: “Those who can’t play, are those who coach.” To stress his point he said to another guest, “You’re a coach, be honest. What do you make?” Having a reputation for honesty and frankness, the guest replied, (At this moment Coach Ridder was FIRED up and getting after it!) “You want to know what I make? I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like a winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor. I make kids run through 90 minutes ...