First Day of School

First Team Meeting Tonight-Mission Statement

"Put your university, your team, and yourself in every possible situation to be successful and persevere in those situations."

Sounds simple right?

Our mission statement breaks into three categories:

1) Preparation: education, good decision making, time management

2) Practice: Repetition, good habits, consistency

3) Perseverance: focus on what is in your control, strive for goals in spite of difficulties, pride in all we do

Well, the 2010-2011 season is off! Now we know what our mission statement means. It's time to start implementing it.

Coach Bin

6 Days Until the First Day of School!

Needless to say it's getting busier. My staff has been meeting this week to cover preseason goals, fine tune our offensive and defensive philosophy, and complete our fall schedule for our student athletes.

As anxious as my staff is to get started and see the improvement of our players over the summer, our athletes seem to be just as excited.

Let me tell you a few things you may not know about our student athletes off the court.

Ally loves the movie Transformers and likes to slip and slide. Yes, she is a good baby sitter.

Ausha learned how to fly fish this summer in class. I wish I would have gotten to take that class.

Lyndi writes with her right hand and may be the next American Idol (JK-we have video)

Katie is one of the best "groundskeeper's" in Bozeman. The manager at Valley View Golf course told me.

Chelsea is our tallest player at 6'4 but the most afraid of the Flathead Monster "getting" her.

Tish drives a red Monte Carlo, and her favorite conditioning workout is anything BUT the pool.

Kelsey always wears a side pony tail. I still can't remember which side but it's always the same.

Sarah is now Sarah Balian and had to make a freethrow before her dad would dance with her at her wedding. Congrats to Sarah and her husband Aaron.

Rachel replaced Lyndi for most gullable on the team and will inherit the earliest wrinkles on the team for her scoul impressions during workouts.

Kate benches more as a freshman than I did in my pro career. (At least she told me. We'll see next week,lol)
Emily may be the first MSU Women's Basketball player to graduate in comedy. Just watch the video.

The Aussies also wanted me to tell you that a few words here are different:

ketchup = sauce
truck = ute
sweatshirt = jumper
mosquito = mozzy
Buff = tank

INJURY REHAB

Was your first reaction negative?

My husband just had knee surgery that requires him to be on a machine for six hours a day and use crutches for six weeks.  Anyone that has gone through a surgery understands the rehab is the hardest part. Did you know your attitude may be the biggest factor in your recovery?

I am not suggesting you jump up and down to celebrate you GET to rehab. Besides you probably shouldn't be jumping right now anyway. I can just picture Todd slapping me high five in the morning saying "I can't wait to be on the machine again!."

We can, however, change our thought process on the transition back. Here are a few suggestions from someone that has been through three knee surgeries, one shoulder surgery, and many other injuries that didn't require a knife.

1. Don't think about, focus, mark, or even talk about the recovery date the doctor has given you.  Why? Many reasons. a) It's a deadline that could be far away and make it difficult to have positive thoughts. b) It's a date that can influence improper rehab and influence another injury if you push too fast in order to meet that deadline c) It's a date that you may be cleared for, but that doesn't mean you are back to 100%. You still need to work your way back.
2. Focus on the short term goals, daily and weekly. It's a lot easier to stay positive when you shorten your focus. For some of us, that's as far as our attention goes anyway.
3. Write down the good things that can result from this. I have Todd's list. a) Watch Tricia empty out the grass from the lawn mower, hysterical! b) breakfast in bed c) can't chase Brooklyn to get the chalk out of her mouth d) play the Wii with Justin.   For those of you working back for your sport a) learn the game by watching other's decisions b) get stronger physically and nutritionally c) gain a whole new motivation and love for a game that has been taken away. I still don't know if I would have played professionally for seven years if I hadn't had double knee surgery the year before. I felt rejuvinated.
4. Find out who you are with this passion removed. This is the hardest one to go through I think. Exercising has always been my release, and when I couldn't bounce a ball, run, bike, or anything I felt depressed, confused, isolated. Yet, it was only an injury that was going to heal. What I did have was time which is something we all tend to rush. For me, prayer, reading the Bible, talking with my family more, having conversations with friends more than just the surface really changed me in a big way.

Each one of us goes through obstacles. Our perspective is what makes it big or small. If you are one of those icing a limb right now, questioning whether you will get back to where you were, then you need to go to step 5.     Sometimes you have to take a few steps back to move forward.

I didn't say your short term goals had to end. Focus on the short term goals and you WILL get back to 100%. Now it's time to set some new goals!

By the way, I didn't ever say I practiced these to perfection. I had my bad days too. Just channel those days at In N Out Burger. Did I mention something about nutrition?

Coach Bin

Why is Food So Important?

If you are an avid reader of the Bin Blogs then you already know my love for food.

This past week I was able to confirm this same passion runs through my six year old. On Monday, Justin's first day of basketball camp I joined him for lunch in the Fieldhouse. He had already been through ball handling, shooting, passing, and defensive drills. Yet, when I asked him his favorite thing of camp so far, he replied "my sandwich."

Today I took Justin to the golf course to try out his new clubs from Papa. He hit off each tee box, grabbed his ball, then dropped it on the green and putted the ball in. In between, he enjoyed cleaning the golf balls and raking the sandtraps.

At the end of nine holes, and his best shot of the day I asked him what was his favorite part. His response, "the oreos at the snack bar."

And I thought hitting his best shot of the day on the last hole was going to bring him back.

Coach Bin

It's a Wrap

July evaluations are done! Here is how I know.

• Amy Starr went RUNNING with her husband to workout off the In N Out Burgers she consumed. She holds the record on staff for most In N Out Burger visits
• Justin Scanson BROUGHT his lunch to the office today. No more Chipolte visits.
• Mandy Close is NOT wearing her sparkly Blue and Gold t-shirt that was a summer favorite by fellow coaches.
• Coach Binford has turned off the GPS, but more importantly my back just feels better.

I love watching prospects develop throughout the summer, but I really love coming back home to our current student athletes who are all training together in Bozeman. Working toward the future, making the most on the present, and then picking my son up from his first basketball camp today!

What a great summer!

Coach Bin