BUILD YOUR CULTURE

It's been a fantastic week hanging out in San Antonio with the San Antonio Stars and Head Coach, Dan Hughes, the two time WNBA Coach of the year. Dan coached me in Cleveland when the Rockers won the Eastern Conference Championship and continues to mold champions every single day here in Texas. It's important for all coaches to continue to learn, tweak, invest, and grow their programs in every way, and the off season is a terrific time to do this. I am so blessed to have mentors who are so open. June Daughtery, the Head Coach at WSU, is another great mentor of mine who ironically I've been on the phone with for the last half hour. What impressed me so much with the Stars program was the transparancy from the coaches, support staff, throughout the players themselves. They were all so friendly, engaging, complimentary of one another, while being able to nearly kill each other on the court. What a skill that is to be a team first, pursue the highest bar, while not allowing anyone else around you to lower it. Dan has built an exceptional program where its culture is sustained by the people involved. I am so thankful that we have these same quality people here at Montana State. I've come away with simple pieces that can help us improve our efficiency as a program. I think Dan is a master at teaching the game from so many angles to cover all learners & we will carry these into our program. He is so gifted in putting each athlete in their strengths & communicating what's desired out of their performance. A big thank you to the San Antonio Stars, Head Coach Dan Hughes, his fantastic assistant coaches, trainer, strength coach, and players. I am rooting for you tomorrow against the Mercury, and as a former teammate will also being cheering for Penny Taylor. So good luck Penny, but Go Stars! Coach Bin

INFLUENCE

The off season is one of our most valuable opportunities to grow individually. What an opportunity to look around and grab ahold of all the factors that can be a great influence on our personal development. Take advantage of your location. Growing up in Colorado was one of the best things that could have happened to me as a kid since Carbondale was over 6,000 feet in elevation. My game was based on speed and endurance and I think that impacted my sustainability in my playing career. Look at Katie Bussey, former Bobcat, who plays like the Energizer Bunny but grew up in Alamosa, Colorado which is even higher at over 7500 feet. Coaches watch prospects for what they CAN do. Just think if you could make your best move, crash the glass, sprint the floo, defend at your highest intestity EVERY possession. Wow, that would be fun! Take advantage of your support, find someone better to compete against. Being the youngest of three I would say I took advantage of playing against my brother ALL the time. Some of the greatest improvements are based upon the toughest competition. I ran the 400 in high school and my fastest split is when I ran it in a relay because I had to "catch" the opponent in front of me. Jasmine Hommes had a break out year for the CATS and she also competed against Rachel Semansky the last two years. Take advantage of your resources. One of my favorite sports movies is "Rocky" especially when the theme song "Eye of the Tiger" comes on and you know Rocky is now going to get to work. I think it's Rocky IV when he goes to Russia and doesn't have a gym to train in so he uses everything in the barn out to the foothills and snow. If you are an opportunist, a competitor, you will find what's around you and make it work for you to get better. This past spring we took our team to the climbing wall to strengthen our bodies in a totally different way. Sometimes changing it up can be a great motivator. Take some time this week and make a list of people you know that can provide great wisdom as well as the resources you have at your fingertips that you can utilize to get better. Today is an opportunity and one we all should take advantage of to move forward. Coach Bin

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to my mom and dad who have been married for 50 years. I am so thankful for my parents, the role models they are, and to be a part of their celebration. We learn so much from our parents and for me I take so much away from each of them. My dad is one of the most optimistic and positive people I have ever known. I think a great family movie "Meatballs" that describes my dad's aspect on life's curve balls is that "it just doesn't matter." I think my outlook in every challenge that I have ever faced has had a lot to do with his influence on me. My mom is known as the fighter. Any challenge that she has been faced with she has taken it head on. There is no one tougher than my mom. Enjoy a wonderful celebration & thank you to all of our parents for their love, mentoring, wisdom, and example they bring to each of us. In this case, your daughter, and yet still Coach Bin

Defense

There are many ways to defend as the Big Sky Conference has shown this year. 1) Man Defense-Run & Jump, Face Guard Denial, Saggy, Switching, Over/Under, Trapping Ball Screens, Shadowing Ball Screens, etc. 2) Zone Defense-2-2-1, 1-2-1-1, 2-1-2, 3-2, 1-3-1, Box & One I was at my son's YMCA basketball game a few weeks back and he was guarding his player like a box out with his back to him the entire time. Guess what, it worked and completely annoyed his opponent. Not one touch, shot, rebound. If you see our team guarding with our backs turned tomorrow, you'll know where it came from but I think it might even be a rebounding advantage since we've already boxed out! Go Cats!

VISUALIZATION

I would anticipate that our Olympians are some of the best when it comes to preparing for an event mentally before you do anything physically. The amount of pressure they are under for one moment after four years of committment is truly amazing. The question for all athletes is how important is it to you? Whatever your answer is I will tell you your answer is how much time you put into it and then you can get a better answer. Your edge is in your mind when it comes to performance when you are able to step out there "in the zone" without distraction, without tensing up, and without worry of the outcome. Be in the moment, enjoy the present, be confident in your preparation, and rise to the opportunity. Oh, and one more thing, YOU GET TO DO THIS!! Coach Bin

February

The month of February is a very important month and I am not just talking about Valentine's Day. This is the month where teams separate due to their motivation and commitment to the process. If you are going to be successful and finish as a champion, how you practice, how you think today has 100% affect on your ultimate outcome. Questions to ask 1) What did you think about before practice? Champion Answer-Goals for practice, how am I going to get better, how can I make my team better, I am going to win this drill Second Place Answer-I hope practice is short or easy or we don't have that drill or I can't wait to do this after practice 2) What is your motivation today? (Not at the beginning of season, but the immediate) Champion Answer-To get better at...., To win ....., To get more playing time..... Second Place Answer-Hard to come up with an answer? Champions are process driven. They do not get detoured or burned out by the process or adversity of what is happening in their season. They believe they are the solution and don't blame others as the problem. They have energy, find ways to put in more than what is currently asked, and they are still 100% committed to making themselves and the team better. They are not satisfied but they are also not defeated. Go be a champion today and then repeat it again as if it was the first day you ever stepped onto the court. GO CATS! Coach Bin

Big Sky Conference - No. 10 #BigSky25 Greatest Moment "Spotlight on the Broncos and Lady Griz"

Big Sky Conference - No. 10 #BigSky25 Greatest Moment "Spotlight on the Broncos and Lady Griz"



The 1993-94 women's basketball season was one for the record books for both Boise State and Montana.

Both teams were ranked in the Associated Press Division I Top 25 when they met in the Big Sky Conference Championship game. The game ranks 10th on the Big Sky Conference's list of "25 Greatest Women's Moments.''

The regular season came to a close with Montana and Boise State tied for first in the conference with 12-2 records. Both were named co-regular season champions, but a host had to be decided for the Big Sky Conference Championship.

"I was also blessed to be a part of the co-Big Sky Championship Team," said Montana State head coach Tricia Binford, who was a junior on the Boise State team and went by Tricia Bader. "I knew we had something special by how competitive our practices, open gyms, and every workouts were. We also had a unique chemistry that couldn't be matched, and I feel so fortunate to have gone on this ride with such an amazing group."