Wednesday, October 23, 2013

NEW vs OLD

New is often exciting, whether it's a new car, new house, new clothes, new phone. However, there is something about old that is familiar, and most of the time just better. That's how I feel about the game of basketball. When it comes to drills, plays, defenses, etc. the more familiar you are with the objective, the better performance you will see when it comes to retention and execution. I always say the less a player has to think, the better. Hopefully along the course of an entire season, she becomes better and better at making reads and the right decisions when put in familiar situations over and over again. It is challenging, however, to sustain focus and motivation throughout the lengthy season. It's an easy solution, however. Sign athletes who love to be in the gym, are competitive and who take pride in striving for perfection. There is a responsibilty of each athlete to bring their passion and love for the game to the table each and every day in order to get better. If you are trying to keep your athletes motivated with new drills and plays, your team's ability to grow will be nearly impossible. So don't throw away the old if it's working as you may find that is your best strength after all. Coach Bin

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Eyes, Ears, Calm Bodies

Taken from the words of my daughter, "eyes, ears, and calm bodies" are great words of advice for the pre schoolers at the Child Development Center at Montana State University. Brooklyn tells me that's how you pay attention and listen to your teacher's instruction. I wonder how my players will respond today when I ask that of them in practice? Coach Bin

Friday, October 11, 2013

Transition Defense

Action matters! Have you ever watched a player on the court and tried to judge their personality off the court and been completely wrong? That's because the game requires you tap into parts of your personality that may or may not be natural, to perform at an elite level. Transition defense, for example, REQUIRES all five players to talk, act, be urgent, and assertive with one another. Tough, aggressive action and immediate response is all necessary to be an effective defensive unit. Very different than when I'm playing Lego's with my children! Go cats! Coach Bin