Temporary Insanity

State Tournament, NCAA Tournament, NIT Tournament or NBA Playoffs. Whatever level you compete, now is the time to bring your "A" Game. It's funny how players complain about practice and fatigue but remind them that one loss and the season is over and suddenly they forget about how tired they are. So stop complaining how tired you are and get ready to make a run that will be remembered for years to come. There's nothing more exciting than coming back to your gym and seeing your winning season up in the rafters. How will you be remembered? Are there really no Cinderella Stories?



Will your team have reason to celebrate this season?



Temporary Insanity aka T.I.

Parents of N.J. athletes prepare for 'temporary insanity' of winter sports

Posted by Mark Di Ionno/The Star-Ledger February 21, 2009 6:00AM

Rob Gilbert, a professor of sports psychology and culture at Montclair State, loves this joke.

"Someone told me they were writing a book about parents and youth sports. I said, 'What's the title, 'Temporary Insanity?'" It's a big weekend for high school winter sports. District wrestling tournament, state and county basketball games, hockey, swimming, fencing playoffs, the indoor track Meet of Champions. Same goes for youth sports. It's tournament time, from indoor lacrosse to competitive cheerleading, and thousands of parents will caddy their kids' equipment bags to gyms, pools and rinks round New Jersey.

So here comes the Temporary Insanity. Not just by parents. By coaches. By fans. That all the sports are indoors magnifies the problem. Vitriol doesn't get carried away by breezes from bleachers to field; it bounces, and rebounds and echoes off tile walls and hardwood floors.

This is nothing new. No one knows exactly when the first sports parent berated a referee or called a coach an idiot, but it was probably during the first Greek Youth Olympiad. Since then, rules have been made. Schools and leagues ask for pledges to be signed. The T.I. can be removed from gyms, banned from leagues. Police can be called, games forfeited. Still, when the moment is right -- eruption. For the less-crazy among us, T.I. is bottled and capped, but watching kids participate in organized sports can still be tough. Here's a startling fact. Seventy-five percent of kids quit sports by age 14, from either burnout, boredom or pressure.

"It's just not fun anymore," Gilbert said. T.I. has a lot to do with it. "Parents are so emotionally and even financially tied to their children's experiences," said John McCarthy, a lifetime teacher and former basketball coach. "They want to see their kids do well, and expect it because they've paid for camps, and private coaching, and travel teams, and on and on. They want a return on their investment, and if they think a coach or referee is impeding on that, look out!"

McCarthy and Gilbert, along with Dave Kaplan of the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center have launched a series of panels and seminars to help parents and coaches navigate the treacherous waters of youth sports. "We see this as part of Yogi's legacy of a simpler, more normal approach to sports," Kaplan said. The Berra museum is a pantheon honoring baseball the way it used to be, beginning with pictures from Yogi's sandlot days, captioned by Yogisms like "Playing baseball as a kid in St. Louis was pure joy," and "Playing sports gave me a happy childhood." On the program agenda are such topics as "Measuring Your Child's Athletic Ceiling" and "The Benefits and Drawback of Travel and Club Teams." "Parents find themselves pulled into this vortex of youth sports, and they don't really know a lot about it," McCarthy said. "We want to give them information to help them make good decisions for their kids, and themselves. "One example is the explosion of club and travel teams, and private coaching. Kids "'try out" for teams with names like "'futures" and "'nationals" and "'all-star." Lo and behold, they all make it. Next thing you know, parents are spending thousands of dollars all with the hope of getting athletic stardom and scholarships for their kids "Some kids will get scholarships, but most do not. And when people hear 'scholarship' they think full ride. What they don't understand is the huge majority of athletic scholarships are partial, and they are all year-to-year," McCarthy said. And here's another startling fact: There is $22 billion available for academic scholarships, with only $1 billion available for athletic scholarships, according to the NCAA. You have to be crazy not to see that.

Don't Miss The Bus

O.K. I'm old school and I have to be honest it's sometimes hard for me to give it up to the new generation of basketball players. I don't know if it's the lack of fundamentals, the excess tattoos, not playing hard...I could be all day. Well I have to give it up to LeBron James when he was coming out of High School I was skeptical because I thought he was too skinny and couldn't shoot. LeBron I'm getting on the bandwagon bus. I know it's full but I will stand if I have to because you are that good and you have to give credit when credit is due. Not to mention dude's got personality and a whole lotta game!!

Here's why I really like LeBron

How To Prepare

Greetings,

It's Friday and hopefully everyone is in good spirits. As superstitious as I am, I know 13 is actually a good number because according to the Ancient Egyptians 13 it represents the start of a new cycle or time period. 12 + 1 = 13. I wish I was blogging from Phoenix, but I'm not so despite the fact that it has been warmer this week on the East Coast it's still not 80 degrees like it is out there. Big weekend for me basketball wise I will be at the Nike Super 6 Tournament tonight @ Fordham University if you're in the building come by and say hello. Saturday night I will be down in Trenton, NJ at the Prime Time Shootout. For those not familiar with the Prime Time Shootout and its significance I offer the following:

LeBron vs Carmelo


A Who's Who of Talent


10 Reasons You Won't Make it To The Next Level

1. Attitude, if it's bad nobody wants you no matter how talented you think you are
2. Work Ethic...what did you do harder or better than someone else today without being asked?
3. Attention to Details...Very small differences, consistently practiced, produce superior results.
4. Playing is not working, if you spend more of your time playing than working how do you get better?
5. Practice Doesn't Make Perfect...Perfect Practice gets you closer to perfection. If you practice poorly you will continue with the same bad results.
6. There are others out there who are just better than you, don't envy them..emulate their formula for success. This applies to you too Coach! 
7. A failure to plan is a plan that fails. I want to be a D-1 player but haven't completed my clearinghouse papers. I'm telling everyone I want to be a pro but I don't even know how to enter my name in the NBA Draft. You're just talking.....
8. You take your body for granted. You have no sound training program or plan, your idea of nutrition comes from a vending machine. Treat your body like a Sports Car and it will perform like one, treat your body like a "Hoopty" and it will perform like one.
9. You focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses. If you can jump out of the gym don't dunk after practice, work on your jumper. If you're a great shooter work on your ball-handling or your athleticism. Too many players focus only on their strengths and when someone takes that away their game starts to look real suspect.
10. You just don't want it bad enough. "A goal is a dream with a deadline." Refuse to lose and don't take no for an answer. It's not how many times you get knocked down, it's how many times you get up.

How To Prepare

So you want to be a baller, eh? Take a look at my comprehensive approach on how to best prepare yourself for the next level.

Step#1

Give yourself a thorough and honest assessment that includes the following:

Physical Attributes utilizing a Standardized Basketball Testing Protocol. Record your height, weight, speed, agility and conditioning. This should also include a review of your nutritional intake as it affects your body and your performance. This is where you ask me about providing a SPARQ Testing Assessment for your team!

Step #2 

Utilize Video Analysis to identify weaknesses in your game. If you can actually watch your mistakes and see them for yourself, you will probably be less likely to repeat your mistakes.

Step #3

Based on your physical assessment and video analysis what is your plan? What do you need to do to get better and how will you do that? If I asked to see what you were doing would you feel uncomfortable? 

I'm not going to tell you what to do unless you ask me, if you do ask me be prepared to follow...or don't bother asking. If you were to ask me I would approach things like this:

In the Off-Season increase strengh and work load, minimize conditioning and focus on teaching and improving movement skills including lateral movement, change of direction and linear acceleration. Really focus on developing weak parts of your game through repetition. Shooting, ball-handling with weak hand, etc.

In the Pre-Season decrease strength training, focus on power 2x per week with Olympic Lifts, Kettlebells, Med Balls, etc. Increase conditioning through high intensity drill work and interval running. Stay away from long distance running to build endurance because it engages the catabolic process which breaks down the muscle you have worked so hard to attain in the weight room. During the Pre-Season all skills and drills must be performed at game speed in order to be effective. 

Let me show you what I mean:

Then again you could always use this technique....but remember Hoosiers was a movie and not real life!!

WOW

Lot's of Wow this week. Let me get the first couple out of my system:

OK now on to basketball. It's February and that means you're season is heating up or you're season is about to be over because you won't be competing in post-season play. Well look on the bright side, you can start training early. A lot of you have been calling and e-mailing regarding scheduling and we will be releasing the schedule soon, I promise. Also this summer I hope to be able to offer you a revolutionary new approach to off-season training. It will only work if you're willing to commit to it and get out of it what you put into it. Of course you could always do what you did last off-season, but look where that got you? Stay tuned for more details and remember to get SPARQ Tested before you start training so you can benchmark yourself and identify your weaknesses. Once you have identified your weaknesses you can set up your training schedule and program in a way that will turn your weaknesses into your strengths.

New York New York

So if you're looking to boost your scoring average play a game in Madison Square Garden. Based on this week's results word is getting around that this is the place to be if you want to boost your scoring average. For what it's worth I am more impressed with LeBron's 52 10 and 11 over Kobe's 61 0 and 3. Can you guess the last person in the NBA to record a Triple Double while scoring 50 points? For those of you old enough to remember go here. Hey you can judge for yourself on Sunday when Kobe and LeBron meet head to head. Here are some memorable MSG scoring outbursts just for old time's sake:









After Practice

Here are a few things you can do after practice if you want to be better than the rest.....

Start on the baseline roll the ball straight out to the right elbow jump stop and pivot facing the basket make 10 successful shots using the following moves:

1. Sweep One Dribble Lay-Up
2. Jab Step and Jump Shot
3. Shot Fake 1 Dribble Right Lay-Up
4. Shot Fake 1 Dribble Pull-Up R/L
5. Shot Fake 1 Dribble Right Between the Legs Finish with Left Hand Lay-Up 

Repeat this series on the Left Hand Side making sure you utilize the correct pivot foot. 

Here's a little cheat sheet I dug up from my archives...
Plyos and Jumpers


After you finish those make 10 free throws and get out of my gym!!

Victory Without Honor

Greetings Earthlings:

Before I get started.....Here We Go Steelers Here We Go!!!

Has everyone returned safely from DC, or were you a mere mortal who had to watch from your office via CNN/Facebook? In a society that seems to be trying to get back to core values and principles of honor and integrity we have found a few that aren't down with the program, shame on you.

Full Story and Details Here

I return to positivity. Is it me or is this basketball season flying by.....I can't believe it's almost February. Many of you are starting to get banged up and bruised up for a myriad of reasons. If you're feeling a little tired and worn down might I suggest the following:




I don't necessarily condone the junk food and excessive video games, but he's in the league and I'm not so go figure...

It's About Time

For years I have advocated testing, training and drill work in lieu of meaningless games and baby-sitting camps disguised as instruction. Many have looked at me and laughed as they went off to play in more meaningless games. Well, well, well it looks as if the basketball higher ups agree with me. Hopefully now when I say things people will be more willing to listen. I'm just saying.....

NBA to overhaul predraft camp
by Geoffrey C. Arnold, The Oregonian
Friday November 21, 2008, 10:47 AM

With the start of the college basketball season, NBA scouting departments shift into high gear. This season, the player-evaluation process will have a different conclusion.

The NBA told general managers this month that the league has decided to overhaul its predraft camp to try to encourage more top players to attend its showcase player-evaluation event.

The biggest change is the league's plan to no longer conduct the official games and workouts during the four-day camp, which is scheduled to begin in late May. Player agents in recent years encouraged their clients to skip those competitions.


"If a player knows he's definitely one of the top picks, there was no point in taking any risks (at the camp)," said Bernie Bickerstaff, an assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls.

To ensure greater participation of the players, the NBA is going to experiment with changing the look of the predraft camp to more closely resemble the National Football League's combine camp: no competitive games, just drills, skill evaluation, physicals and interviews. It's an attempt to increase the likelihood that all players, from lottery selections to free-agent candidates, will face the same evaluation conditions and criteria.

"The more access we can get to players, the better it's going to be for us," said Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard . "We will be able to make better decisions.

As recently as a few years ago, only a handful of players -- normally potentially high draft picks -- would skip competing in games at the camp. But last year, just two (George Hill, 26th pick, and J.R. Giddens, 30th) of the 64 players who competed in games during the 2008 predraft camp were first round selections in the 2008 draft.

With most top picks skipping competition and choosing only to participate in drills and interviews, the games served only to evaluate players who were likely second round picks or not drafted at all. "These days, most of the guys who did play were guys who might not have been in the draft and were trying to raise their stock so they might get drafted," Bickerstaff said.

Individual workouts have supplanted the predraft camp in terms of importance. These team-sponsored workouts allowed players to compete in a much more controlled environment, reducing the risk of a poor performance that could hurt a player's draft position.

"All we see is the individual workouts, and people are judging players on that," Bickerstaff said. "That's not really a good barometer."

Having a combinelike camp could give league executives more opportunities for evaluation and greater knowledge of players.

"We try to get as much information as possible," Pritchard said. "The more information, the better."

Also, the camp will return to Chicago after being held the past two years in Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Fla. No final decision has been made on where the camp will be held, but speculation is focusing on training guru Tim Grover's Attack Athletics training facility, instead of the Moody Bible Institute, where the four-day camp was held before moving to Orlando. Chicago is regarded as more centrally located and accessible for NBA personnel than Orlando.

"Both markets are good, but they're just looking at results and decided to go back to Chicago," said Maureen Coyle, the NBA's vice president of communications.

Bickerstaff said regardless of where and how the predraft camp would be conducted in 2009, nothing will change in how league executives evaluate players. Any final decisions on whom to draft -- particularly lottery picks -- are unlikely to be made during the predraft camp.

"It doesn't get down to those four or five days at the camp. You should be very familiar with the players you're interested in long before the camp," Bickerstaff said. "If you're doing your job and done your due diligence, you've seen them play in situations where their team was supposed to win to see how they play. You've seen them play in pressure situations where they were underdogs. You're in a position where you have seen them play in all kinds of situations.

"The bottom line in those situations in that you have to have done your homework. So that one week shouldn't make or break your decision."

My All Character Team:












RIP

We lost a legend in Women's Coaching on Saturday and I just wanted to take a moment to recognize Kay Yow for all her efforts and contributions to the game of basketball. She touched many lives and was a positive inspiration to so many young women. Her hard work and efforts were not in vain. May she rest comfortably and peacefully.

Smart Kids

This isn't about basketball, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to mention Myron Rolle. For those of you who don't know about Myron Rolle...Florida State safety Myron Rolle has chosen to opt out of the possibility to ink a hefty professional football contract, and will study at Oxford instead of entering this year’s NFL draft. Rolle plans to seek a one-year master’s degree in medical anthropology and take full advantage of a Rhodes scholarship he was awarded in November, The New York Times reported Monday in an entry on its college football blog. “I’m very excited to go,” Rolle wrote in a text message to the newspaper. Rolle, projected to be an early round pick, said he plans to enter the 2010 NFL draft. Rolle, from Galloway, N.J., got his undergraduate degree in pre-med after two and a half years, and has been taking graduate courses at Florida State this year, reports USAToday.com. Very Inspirational to say the least....




Records are Made To Be Broken

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- From today forward, children across the state of Kentucky will be demanding hash browns and scrambled eggs from their parents before they head off to school.

It's the new breakfast of Big Blue champions. Specifically, it is the game-day breakfast ritual of Kentucky Wildcat Jodie Meeks. Who puts the shoot in shooting guard. Who stroked smoke out of the nets in Thompson-Boling Arena. Who merely rewrote the annals of the winningest program in college basketball history. On Tuesday morning, Meeks had eggs and hash browns at the Knoxville Marriott. Same as he did when he scored 46 points against Appalachian State last month. Same as he has before every game during his breakout junior season. On Tuesday night, he turned Thompson-Boling into Studio 54. Meeks danced his way to a school-record 54 points as Kentucky thrashed Tennessee 90-72. Made a school-record 10 3-point shots in 15 attempts. Made all 14 free throws. Made five other two-point shots, too. The 54 points broke the 39-year-old school record of Dan Issel, who scored 53 against Mississippi. It should be noted that Kentucky scored 120 points that day, which means Issel scored 44 percent of the Wildcats' total. Meeks racked up a ridiculous 60 percent of Kentucky's points here -- an extraordinary display of shooting and stamina stretched over 39 jaw-dropping minutes. When you say Issel's name aloud in the commonwealth of Kentucky, a heavenly chorus follows and those within earshot bow their heads. It's a state law. He is the greatest scorer in the history of a program that has won 1,979 games, and its most revered player. So when you break a Dan Issel scoring record, you have done something. When you do it on the road in front of 20,474 fans and the defending SEC champion, you have really done something. You have etched your name in Kentucky lore.

"To be in the same sentence as guys like Dan Issel and other Kentucky legends, it means a lot," the muscular, 6-foot-4 guard said. "It's kind of mind-boggling to me." Consider everyone's mind boggled, Jodie. "It was the most unbelievable thing I've ever seen," said his coach, Billy Gillispie.

Meeks wears No. 23. And seriously, has that number looked this good in action since Michael Jordan hung it up? He finished one point shy of Jordan's famous double-nickel game against the New York Knicks.

Incredible Hops

Want incredible hops? Try this explosive routine and watch your vertical jump soar Do this routine once per week and you'll be flying in no time.

• Front Squats x 8
• Viper Jumps x 8
• Rest
• Front Squat x 8
• Viper Jumps x 8
• Rest
• Front Squat x 8
• Viper Jumps x 8
• Rest
• Tuck Jumps x 5

10 Things

2009 is here in full swing. I can't believe it's been 20 years since I won my first Conference Championship, went to my first NCAA Tournament and experienced first hand what March Madness is all about. Hopefully all of you are out there preparing for your own March Madness in about 50 or 60 days. Now that we have all of the cupcake opponents and Holiday Tournaments out of the way its time for the meat of our schedule and those tough conference opponents that are capable of upset at any time. Last night was a prime example as the heavily favored Celtics and Cavs both went down to less talented teams. Bring it every night. Did you catch the 4 O.T. thriller between Portland State and Northern Arizona? How about BC taking care of UNC? It can happen prepare yourself and your team and it can be done. In case you missed them:

10 Ways I Will Help You Become a Better Player:

1. You can't compound mistakes, miss a shot get back don't foul the rebounder or the guard bringing the ball up-court.
2. If it's asked you can do it, you might not want to but the great ones always do things they don't like to do. It's what separates them from the rest.
3. Play Hard No Matter What!!
4. Focus and effort make up for your deficiencies.
5. Stop them from scoring, high percentage shots and no turnovers leads to victory.
6. Dominate a game without scoring or do other things when your shot isn't falling.
7. Quitting is not an option. Don't grab your knee when you get beat on defense or walk back because you thought you got fouled. Keep playing hard when you aren't playing well or when a call doesn't go your way. It's a long game.
8. Get to the foul line. I know how you hard you competed by how many times you get to the line. No FTA's means you weren't being aggressive offensively or defensively.
9. Set screens for other people and you will be the beneficiary of open looks.
10. Know your role and know your personnel. Don't take shots or force plays you're not supposed to and don't rely on your teammates to make plays you know they're not capable of. Guards don't give the ball to the 5 man on the wing in transition. 5 man don't try to dribble the ball against pressure.

Post these 10 things in your locker or in your locker room and tell me if they don't lead to more victories!!

Having A Ball On The Road

You're on the road, you can't get access to a high-end gym and you're dead tired. If you're lucky and there's a stability ball handy you can get a good workout in. It won't take much time or equipment but it will be effective. These core exercises on the ball help strengthen core muscles including the hard-to-get-to muscles. They also improve balance and overall coordination. Some of these moves are advanced exercises that require previous experience with an exercise ball.

1. Push-Up Progression start with hips on the Ball, progress to toe stability on the Ball
2. Pike or Knee Tuck on the Ball
3. Hamstring Curls on the Ball lift hips and point toes, start with heels on the Ball
4. One-Leg Squat on the Ball
5. Alternating Superman (Opposite Arm, Opposite Leg) Laying Prone on the Ball
6. 3 Point Hypers Prone with feet on the floor
7. Abdominal Crunches on the Ball
8. Reverse Crunch with Ball between hamstrings and heels
9. Push-Ups with 2 Hands on the Ball and 2 Feet on the ground
10. Plank with 2 Hands on the ground and 2 Feet on the Ball, progress to 2 Toes and eventually 1 Foot off the Ball

This is not an exercise routine, but a sample of exercises. Be sure you have a spotter and always consult a physician before starting an exercise routine.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone!

I'm blogging live from Myrtle Beach South Carolina. Wish I would have brought my golf clubs, but oh well maybe next time. I love traveling except the part where my diet and my workout routine gets interrupted. I hope everyone had a safe Holiday and if you are a basketball junkie the words Holiday Tournament have been spoken once or twice over the past 10 days. I'm down at the Battle of the Beach one of the many highly competitive High School Tournaments around the country. My hotel is right on the beach and I keep hoping to see the dolphins in the water at dawn but so far no such luck. What I have seen is way too much ESPN in my hotel room, interestingly enough I was watching a very fascinating piece on "Outside the Lines" and I felt compelled to share this with you guys. I know these are the things that many people are in denial about, but hey I have to keep it authentic and if mainstream media is echoing my sentiments........ Check out this story and let me know what you think:

Before

After:



My take from this is that young people need to become more well rounded and pursue many passions and interests so that you can become grounded and have other positive outlets that can help you avoid burnout. Just my opinion, not the gospel.


D-TRAINED Alumni:





Prince leads No. 14 Rutgers past Army, 59-38
Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008
By DOUG FEINBERG - AP Sports Writer


NEW YORK -- Epiphanny Prince scored 25 points and Kia Vaughn added a season-high 12 to help No. 14 Rutgers beat Army 59-38 in the first game of the Maggie Dixon Classic at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
Rutgers (6-2) had struggled to win its last three games, averaging 22 turnovers in the victories. They also hadn't been getting much from Vaughn, who was only averaging 8.1 points. The senior center, who went to high school a block from the Garden, was even benched in a victory over Georgia.
On Sunday, Rutgers made an effort to get Vaughn involved early. She scored eight of the team's first 10 points as the Scarlet Knights jumped out to a 19-4 lead. Prince and Vaughn combined for 15 of the 19.


James, Baron lead URI to near upset of Blue Devils
By CCT Staff | November 17, 2008
“One of those February games in November.”
“A game that completely captures you.”
“The best game played so far in college basketball.”
- Mike Krzyzewski
Yesterday, in a game where oddsmakers tabbed the hometown Duke Blue Devils as twenty-plus point favorites, Rhode Island led fifth ranked Duke for thirty-seven of forty minutes before falling at Cameron Indoor Stadium - their fate not sealed until a desperation heave by Jimmy Baron missed wide right.
“The last five minutes, I thought we did everything right,” Krzyzewski remarked. “They didn’t do anything wrong, they just missed a couple of shots.”In the end, it was those perfect five minutes from Duke that subdued the stubborn Rams in a game which required every ounce of energy the Cameron Crazies possessed to help will their team to victory.
From the very beginning, it was evident that the Rams didn’t show up in Durham intimidated. Importantly, young Ram guards Marquis Jones and Stevie Mejia held their own in a hostile environment against the Duke pressure, an early key to Rhode Island’s ability to compete with the Devils. While Rhode Island showed tremendous poise as a unit, Delroy James (21 points, 8 rebounds) carried them throughout the first half, where they built a lead as high as twelve points (34-22). The Rams continually frustrated the Blue Devils with their length and limited the Devils to one shot opportunity on nearly every possession. Offensively, James (9-12 field goals for the game) attacked the Duke forwards off the dribble. He got to the rim, pulled up for an assortment of mid-range jumpers, and connected on his only three point attempt.
“James really got them started off,” said Krzyzewski. In the first half, he really wore us out. At the end of clocks… we’d just rush and do something at the end of the clock… and they’d take advantage of it. A big part of it was James’ ability to break you down from the four spot.” Duke’s Gerald Henderson agreed. “I played against him in high school… a lot of AAU… He played a heck of a game. He hit some tough shots. I thought we played some pretty good defense on him. He’s a heck of a player.”At the 3:33 mark of the first half, Rhode Island owned a 34-22 advantage. But Duke charged back, orchestrating an 11-0 run behind Scheyer (23 points, 13-13 from the free-throw line) and Singler (21 points, 5 rebounds), to close within one at the break. While it was the Rams inspired team play, paced by James, which carried them in their solid first half effort

Just Because They're Gone But Not Forgotten