Coach Hueser's Blog

South Titan Basketball Highlights

2011-12-17T14:44:00.000-06:00

Papillion La Vista South High School Boys Varsity Basketball - Highlight Videos, Schedule & Roster - Hudl

15 Minute Weak Hand Development Series for Basketball

2011-10-27T05:55:00.001-05:00

Awesome video! A big thanks to Stronger Team Dot Com for making this available to so many players and coaches everywhere!!!

Going Up! IV

2011-09-28T06:18:00.001-05:00

Thomas Busbice going hard @Going Up!

Going Up! III

2011-09-28T06:18:00.000-05:00

Michael Herrmann and Thomas Busbice going hard @Going Up!

Going Up! II

2011-09-28T06:17:00.000-05:00

Deshawn Threatt going hard @Going Up!

Going Up! I

2011-09-28T06:16:00.000-05:00

Brent Kirsch going hard @Going Up!

2011 South Titan Basketball Camp

2011-07-11T09:15:00.000-05:00

Random highlights from 2011 South Titan Basketball Camps. A Special thanks to Jase Hueser for making this video!

2011 Contest Winners

2011-07-11T09:13:00.001-05:00

Papillion-LaVista South High School completed its final week of basketball camp last month. More than 200 campers in grades 3-12 participated under the supervision of Titan coaches: Joel Hueser, Jim Simpson, Joseph Cooley, Bubba Penas, Jerrid Johansen and Scott Morris; with special guest appearances from Grace University Coach Willie Williams, former Nebraska Basketball standout Brian Conklin; and current collegiate players Jalen Hueser (Midland) and Ryan Rolfzen (Wayne).

The following are a list of contest winners:

Division Contest Name
D-I Hotshot Michael Herrmann (162)
D-II Hotshot Mason Becker (133)
9th Grade Hotshot Aaron Rothermund (147)
8th Grade Hotshot Joshua Manchigiah (111)
7th Grade Hotshot Ryan Daugherty (95)
6th Grade Hotshot Tyler Nelson (133)
D-I Dribble Tag Nathan Huyser
D-II Dribble Tag Jacob Noffke
9th Grade Dribble Tag Zach Severson
8th Grade Dribble Tag Jimmy Nekola
7th Grade Dribble Tag Noah Barr
6th Grade Dribble Tag Caleb Feekin
D-I 1-on-1 Michael Herrmann
D-II 1-on-1 Nathan Nordbrock
9th Grade 1-on-1 Miles Whitlow
8th Grade 1-on-1 Joshua Manchigiah
7th Grade 1-on-1 Abram Ehrhorn
6th Grade 1-on-1 Caleb Feekin
High School Freethrow Lexi Williams
Middle School Freethrow Damien Burger
D-I Hotshot Isiah Martin (149)
D-II Hotshot Billy Greco (125)
9th Grade Hotshot Cole Wellman (119)
5th Grade Hotshot Mitchell Blum
4th Grade Hotshot Lucas Peterson
3rd Grade Hotshot Mason Burger
5th Grade Dribble Tag John Tencer
4th Grade Dribble Tag Jacob Williams
3rd Grade Dribble Tag Jack McKittrick
D-I 1-on-1 Nate Stoner
9th Grade 1-on-1 Cole Wellman
High School Freethrow Aaron Rothermund
Elementary Freethrow Hayden Bahl

Uncommon Men

2011-06-15T11:25:00.001-05:00

This can NOT be a team of common men because common men go nowhere. YOU have to be uncommon!
~Coach Herb Brooks

No Pain, No Gain!

2011-05-25T10:58:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Bob Starkey via Mike Neighbors for passing this Zig Ziglar writing on to me:

It’s the one thing every one of us is familiar with, the one thing we’re able to accomplish, and even the one thing we have done our whole life. Yet, when it comes to winning, many of us lose so much because of this one key ingredient. Amazingly, you’re doing it right now, but are you doing it to win?

If you study winners, over-achievers, the movers, the shakers, the top percentage in any class - regardless of gender, race, age, or religion, you will find a constant thread that’s so common it’s almost scary. And here’s where the really scary part comes in. The ones who are not part of the overachievers group are actually partaking in this common thread even more, yet they’re not reaping the benefits. Now that’s insulting, unfair, and downright cruel. But it’s all by choice, our choice!

The ingredient I’m speaking of is Managed Pain. Huh? Yes, let me explain. We’ve all heard “No Pain, No Gain,” but it’s interesting to note when you study the core differences between winning and losing you will not discover a lack of talent, knowledge, brilliance, hard work, or raw skill. What you will find is those who consistently win have learned how to manage the pain they face on the way.

I’m referring to pain as anything that’s not pleasurable, such as; inconvenience, change, effort, sweat, boredom, confusion, loneliness, fear, etc. Winners realize pain for the proper purpose is productive. You see, all of us will go through a lot of pain in life. Winners spend more of their time going through pain that aligns with their goals, their vision, or their purpose. Amazingly, those who aren’t winning are also dealing with pain and to make it really bad, the pain they’re in is often not for a proper purpose! Why is this? Lots of reasons: not knowing our purpose, not having written goals or visions, afraid, no system in place, or we simply give up on our inner capabilities. Regardless of why, those who miss out on the winning certainly don’t miss out on the pain. What a letdown. If we’re going to go through pain anyway, shouldn’t it be planned, managed, and on purpose as much as possible?

I spent many years running from pain. To put it simply, I’m a pleasure junky. But the more I ran from pain, the more pain I went through because there’s pain on all roads, even the detours. I’ve finally learned that pain is a major part of winning. It’s the pain from losing that makes the pleasure from winning so wonderful. Think about this: thirst is what makes water so valuable. Being cold is the only way we can ever appreciate and enjoy being warm, or vice versa.

Did you know when you grasp the idea that pain is part of the process you can instantly win more out of life than you’ve ever imagined? Your new perception will tell you recessions, layoffs, or other unforeseen adversities are part of the process. Instead of getting a bad attitude and immediately running from it you will stop, analyze the situation, check it against your goals or visions for life, and if it lines up you will go through the pain instead of take a detour!

Jalen Hueser To Play @ Midland

2011-04-26T15:16:00.001-05:00

Click Here

Senior Salute.wmv

2011-04-26T15:15:00.000-05:00

A special thanks to this year's seniors Brenden Buskirk, Alex Gerch, Jalen Hueser and Matt Milz!

T-BALL FOCUS 2011

2011-04-26T15:14:00.000-05:00

Final cut of T-BALL FOCUS for 2011!

The Association: Boston Celtics Part 1 (4 of 4)

2011-03-24T12:27:00.001-05:00

Finally...Part 4 of 4.

The Association: Boston Celtics Part 1 (3 of 4)

2011-02-22T22:05:00.002-06:00

Part 3 of 4. Enjoy...

The Association: Boston Celtics Part 2 (2 of 4)

2011-02-07T11:46:00.001-06:00

Part 2 of 4...

The Association: Boston Celtics Part 1 (1 of 4)

2011-02-04T12:23:00.001-06:00

Over the course of the next week or so we (T-BALL) will watch The Association: Boston Celtics. This is part 1 of 4. Enjoy...

The Road Ahead

2011-02-03T09:23:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I think the fates must grin as we denounce them and insist,
The only reason we can’t win is the fates themselves have missed.
Yet, there lives on the ancient claim - we win or lose within ourselves,
The shining trophies on our shelves can never win tomorrow’s game.

So you and I know deeper down there is a chance to win the crown,
But when we fail to give our best, we simply haven’t met the test
Of giving all and saving none until the game is really won.
Of showing what is meant by grit, of fighting on when others quit,

Of playing through not letting up, it’s bearing down that wins the cup.
Of taking it and taking more until we gain the winning score,
Of dreaming there’s a goal ahead, of hoping when our dreams are dead,
Of praying when our hopes have fled. Yet, losing, not afraid to fall,

If bravely we have given all, for who can ask more of a man
than giving all, it seems to me, is not so far from - Victory.
And so the fates are seldom wrong, no matter how they twist and wind,

It’s you and I who make our fates, we open up or close the gates,
On the Road Ahead or the Road Behind.

*According to Coach John Wooden, this poem was written by George Moriarty, a former major baseball umpire.

Michael Jordan "Failure" Nike Commercial

2011-01-25T11:37:00.001-06:00

Let's not forget the words of William Shakespeare, "Sweet are the uses of adversity!"

My Coach Sucks

2011-01-21T06:23:00.001-06:00

Funny stuff...

2010-11 Team Pictures

2011-01-18T15:18:00.005-06:00

Top: JV/Varsity
Bottom Left: Reserves
Bottom Right: Freshmen

What Will Matter

2011-01-17T06:50:00.002-06:00

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to do lists will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end. It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant. So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured? What will matter is not what you bought but what you built, not what you got but what you gave. What will matter is not your success but your significance. What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your competence but your character. What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when your gone. What will matter are not your memories but the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what. Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice. Choose to live a life that matters.

By Michael Josephson

Navy Seals Creed

2010-12-28T12:16:00.001-06:00

Navy Seals Creed

My loyalty to country and team is beyond reproach. I humbly serve as a guardian to my fellow Americans, always ready to defend those who are unable to defend themselves. I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions. I voluntarily accept the inherent hazards of my profession, placing the welfare and security of others before my own. I serve with honor on and off the battlefield. The ability to control my emotions and my actions, regardless of circumstance, sets me apart from other men. ... In the absence of orders I will take charge, lead my teammates and accomplish the mission. ... I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight.

Paraphrased for T-BALL

My loyalty to school and team is beyond reproach. I humbly serve as a guardian to my fellow Titans, always ready to defend those who are unable to defend themselves. I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions. I voluntarily accept the inherent hazards of my profession, placing the welfare and security of others before my own. I serve with honor on and off the court. The ability to control my emotions and my actions, regardless of circumstance, sets me apart from other students. ... In the absence of orders I will take charge, lead my teammates and accomplish the mission. ... I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my opponents. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight.

T-BALL FOCUS

2010-12-16T12:44:00.001-06:00

2010 South Titan Basketball Pre-Game Focus

Pipe dream becomes a reality for Beranek

2010-12-11T11:00:00.003-06:00

LINCOLN — Paul Beranek loves his son, and had coached him at Ravenna High School, but even he had to wonder.

Drake Beranek was leaving a sure thing at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where he averaged 20 points per game as one of the top players in Division II. He was walking on at Nebraska, where he’d have to sit out for a year and then see if he could make a one-season contribution as a senior playing in one of the best leagues in Division I.

“He had a hankering to be a Division I player, and it was his pipe dream,” Paul Beranek said. “As parents, you’re not going to stand in the way, because a kid ought to follow his dream. But as a coach, you’re a little more realistic … ‘I hope it works out. I’m rooting for you.’

“You wonder if maybe he’s just going to be a guy who would be a practice player there.”

It’s no secret any more, though. The young fella’s hankering had some foundation.

No longer the scoring star he was at UNK, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Beranek is nonetheless a solid off-the-bench contributor for a 6-2 Nebraska team that welcomes Alcorn State to the Devaney Center for a 7 p.m. game Wednesday.

In 13.8 minutes per game, Beranek averages 4.9 points and 1.6 rebounds while shooting 55.2 percent (16 of 29) from the field. He’s made 5 of 14 attempts from 3-point range.

If he wasn’t already sure when he arrived in Lincoln, he got a handle on what he might be able to do during practice last season.

“The year off really gave me a pretty good judgment of where I could be,” Beranek said. “The way practices were going, I felt like I had a pretty good shot of maybe seeing some playing time.”

Though the Division I phase of Beranek’s playing career is only eight games old, he’s long since earned the trust and confidence of coaches and teammates.

“Every time Drake is open, I make sure I get it to him, because I know he’s lights-out from 3,” point guard Lance Jeter said. “Getting open looks for him is going to help us even more. He left a good program to come help us and give us a chance.

“It would have been hard to sit out, practice and not play like that, but Drake had a great mind about it, a great energy about it. And that’s what you get in the real games — a senior who is going to step up. He’s a guy you can count on, and that’s how he’s been since he got here.”

Beranek showed in practices last season a strong work ethic and enough talent to get on the floor. He earned a scholarship for this season.

“He just brings positive energy,” Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said. “It’s going to take him some time (to hit his stride) — he sat out a whole year. But he brings energy and toughness — and we all know we could use somebody to step up and hit a shot sometimes. When he shoots the ball, you think it’s got a chance to go in.”

Beranek downplays the unusual route that has made him part of the Husker playing rotation.

“I think I’ve always had pretty good fundamentals, and that’s the one thing that doesn’t change when you go from one level to another,” he said. “The quickness, the speed, the athleticism ... those are all different, but the fundamentals stay the same. Put the ball in the hole, take care of the basketball and make smart plays ... that’s what I focus on.”

At UNK, Beranek certainly had the shooting and ballhandling ability required to play on the perimeter. Because of the nature of Division II — for the most part, players are smaller — he was more power forward than shooting guard. But playing strictly outside hasn’t been a major adjustment.

“Basketball is basketball, and I like playing it,” Beranek said. “It doesn’t matter which position I’m at. I’ll play 5, 1, 2 — it doesn’t matter. As long as I can throw my body around and maybe make a couple of shots, that’s fine. Scoring points isn’t a priority for me — I just want to win.”

There have been some adjustments. Matching up with players like lightning-quick, 5-8 USC point guard Maurice Jones, as he did for a while in a Nov. 27 Nebraska win, is a case in point.

“If I ever guarded anyone that small before, it was my little cousin,” Beranek said. “Now my little cousin is pretty good, but he’s a fifth-grader and he’s not quite as quick as that guy was.”

Improving his defensive work is just one part of the game on which Beranek has focused.

“If there’s one thing I’ve probably gotten a lot better at, it’s my on-ball defense,” he said. “You’ve got no choice down here ... you’ve got to defend or you ain’t playing.”

Before UNK, Beranek was a small-school star at Ravenna. He signed with UNK before his senior season. Maybe things would have been different if he’d waited.

“I don’t know if that was the right decision or not, but at the time it worked out pretty well for me and I owe a lot to the coaches there,” Beranek said of going to UNK. “I’m not going to go back and look at every choice I’ve made. … It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if I hadn’t signed.”

What does dad think about how things have turned out?

“The reality of it is, all those players are really, really good,” Paul Beranek said. “I’m pleasantly surprised at what he’s done.”

Great Energy!

2010-12-09T05:27:00.001-06:00

Good stuff...enjoy!

The Lonely Ember

2010-11-20T20:38:00.005-06:00

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going.

After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.

Guessing the reason for his pastor's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs.

After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination.
As the one lone ember's flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and "dead as a doornail."

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.

Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday."

by Dr John MacArthur

You can't fake the harvest

2010-11-03T12:47:00.004-05:00

TITAN HOOP SEASON is just around the bin!
2010-11 Returning Lettermen: Brenden Buskirk, Alex Gerch, Jalen Hueser & Matt Milz.

MAXING OUT THE HEART OF AN ATHLETE

2010-09-15T16:27:00.008-05:00

Message shared by Coach Joel Hueser at Shadow Lake Community Church, Sunday, September 5, 2010.

2010 South Titan Basketball Camp

2010-06-30T15:40:00.001-05:00

Good times at South Titan Basketball Camp

An excerpt from “Values of the Game” by Bill Bradley

2010-04-23T15:49:00.002-05:00

The need for discipline applies first to conditioning. It’s painful and grueling, but there’s no alternative. You can’t lead the fast break or tear down 20 rebounds a game if you can’t run and jump without fatigue. Getting into shape and pushing the body to new levels every day is a mental activity. When you believe that you can’t do another lap or another push-up or another abdominal crunch, your mind forces you to go ahead. When your wind is short and you have a pain in your side from running, only your mind can get you to withstand the pain and go on. As UCLA’s legendary coach John Wooden says, “Nothing will work unless you do.”

I used to hate getting into shape no matter which routines I followed- laps, line drills, playing one on one full court, running the floor while passing the ball back and forth with two teammates. After six weeks of agony, during which every part of my body ached so badly that many mornings I crawled from bed to bathroom to soak in a hot tub, the pain began to diminish and the muscles started to come around. When you train seriously for basketball, you learn the difference between getting into condition and getting into condition. In the lesser of those two states, you can run up and down the floor and do what you have to do without the interference of fatigue. But you’re not really in peak condition until you can cruise when others push. When your body is honed, you can run your opponents around and around, with little immediate purpose beyond tiring them out, making them angry, or distracting them from any defensive concentration. My toughest opponent, John Havlicek of the Boston Celtics, was a true genius when it came to using conditioning as a weapon. His goal was to get his opponent to give up, to stop overcoming fatigue, to stop pushing himself. Havlicek saw it as a matter of who gives up first. “You’ll pass out before you’re overworked, bust most people don’t know that,” he once told Orlando Magic senior executive vice president Pat Williams. “They think they’re overworked, so they stop. They could have kept going, but they didn’t. They weren’t beat physically; they were beat mentally.”

12 SIMPLE YET SIGNIFICANT DAILY TO DO'S FOR LEADERS

2010-04-22T14:46:00.003-05:00

1. Be the hardest worker at practice today.
*Without fail, one of the quickest ways to impact a team is with your own work ethic. Choose to be one of the hardest workers on your team today. Not only does it set the tone for the work ethic of your program, it is also one of the best and quickest ways to enhance your leadership credibility with your teammates and coaches.
2. Be a spark of energy and enthusiasm today.
*Let your passion for the sport shine through today. Spread a contagious energy and enthusiasm amongst your teammates. Think about how lucky you are to be able to play and compete. Remember back to when you were a young child and reconnect with the joy you played with back then. Make your sport fun again for yourself and your teammates.
3. Model mental toughness today.
*Because your teammates will look to you under pressure, adversity, and stress, be sure to model mental toughness today. Bounce back quickly after errors to show your teammates how to respond to negative situations. Maintain your poise and optimism despite any mistakes you might make so that your teammates can trust and rely on you to get them through the tough times.
4. Connect with a teammate today.
*Leadership is all about relationships. Invest the time to build and strengthen the relationships you have with each of your teammates. Inquire about their day, challenges, and goals. Make a special and ongoing effort to get to know every athlete on your team, not just your friends and classmates. The relationship building you do each day will pay off immeasurably down the road.
5. Compliment a teammate today.
*Be on the lookout for teammates who are contributing to your team. Call out a teammate for making a hustle play, pushing through a weight workout, recovering quickly from a mistake, getting an A on an exam, etc. Praise the actions and attitudes you want to see repeated. As Mother Teresa once said, "Kind words are short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless."
6. Challenge a teammate today.
*Challenge at least one of your teammates today. Positively push them and yourself to make the most of your workout. Make a friendly wager to see if they can be successful at least 4 out of 5 times in a drill. See if you both can improve your times in conditioning. Offer to stay after to help if there is anything they want to work on. Good leaders consistently invite, inspire, and sometimes implore others to greatness.
7. Support a teammate today.
*Odds are, at least one of your teammates is struggling with something today - it could be a performance slump, a rocky romantic relationship, a disagreement with a coach, an unglamorous role, struggling with a class, or a sick family member. Good leaders are consistently on the lookout for teammates who might be struggling and are ready to offer an ear to listen, an encouraging word, a pat on the back, or a shoulder to cry on.
8. Constructively confront negativity, pessimism, and laziness today.
*As a leader, have the courage to constructively confront the negativity, pessimism, and laziness that will crop up on your team from time to time. Instead of fueling the fire by joining in or silently standing by, be sure to refocus your teammates on solutions rather than dwelling on and complaining about the problems. Left unchecked, these problems can quickly grow to distract, divide, and destroy your team.
9. Build and bond your team today.
*Team chemistry naturally ebbs and flows throughout the course of the season. Take the time to monitor and maintain your team's chemistry. Let your reserves and support staff know how much you appreciate them. Stay connected and current with each of the natural sub-groups on your team. Douse any brush fires that might be occurring and continually remind team members about your common goal and common bond.
10. Check in with your coach today.
*Invest the time to check in with your coach today. Ask what you can do to best help the team this week. Find out what your coach wants to accomplish with today's practice. Also discuss if there is anything your coach is concerned about regarding your team. Discuss your collective insights on your team's chemistry, focus, and mindset. Work together to effectively co-lead your team.
11. Remind your team how today's work leads to tomorrow's dreams.
*It's easy to get bogged down during your season with monotonous drills, tiring conditioning, and demanding workouts. Remind your teammates how all the quality work you do today gives you a distinct advantage over your opponents. Help them see and even get excited about how today's hard work is a long-term investment in your team's goals, rather than just a short-term hardship or sacrifice.
12. Represent yourself and team with class and pride today.
*Leaders have the awesome privilege and responsibility of representing their teams. Take advantage of this opportunity by representing your team with class and pride today. Hold a door open for someone, sit in the front rows of class and actively engage in the discussion, say please and thank you, dress in respectful attire, etc. These tiny pushes represent you and your team with class and distinction. And they ultimately set you up for a lifetime of respect and success.

Team USA Gold Standards

2010-04-14T16:55:00.001-05:00

Developed by the players
1. No Excuses
a. We have what it takes to win
2. Great Defense
a. This is the key to winning the gold
b. We do the dirty work
3. Communication
a. We look each other in the eye
b. We tell each other the truth
4. Trust
a. We believe in each other
5. Collective Responsibility
a. We are committed to each other
b. We win together
6. Care
a. We have each other’s backs
b. We give aid to a teammate
7. Respect
a. We respect each other and our opponents
b. We’re always on time
c. We’re always prepared
8. Intelligence
a. We take good shots
b. We’re aware of team fouls
c. We know the scouting report
9. Poise
a. We show no weaknesses
10. Flexibility
a. We can handle any situation
b. We don’t complain
11. Unselfishness
a. We’re connected
b. We make the extra pass
c. Our value is not measured in playing time
12. Aggressiveness
a. We play hard every possession
13. Enthusiasm
a. This is fun
14. Performance
a. We’re hungry
b. We have no bad practices
15. Pride
a. We are the best team in the world and we represent the best country

T-BALL Records & Awards

2010-03-28T21:45:00.002-05:00

Baylor coach ready for Sweet 16 & a chance to share his faith

2010-03-26T16:31:00.002-05:00

HOUSTON (BP)--Scott Drew, Baylor University's arm-waving, ever-smiling, ever-positive head basketball coach, has led his Bears to heights unimaginable, but he says he isn't able to do the miraculous or the mundane without his faith in Jesus Christ.

In an interview with Baptist Press on the eve of the NCAA South Regional this weekend at Houston's Reliant Stadium, Drew said his bold and sometimes public faith has helped to propel Baylor to its first-ever Sweet 16 appearance.

"I wouldn't be in this spot without Him," Drew said as his team prepares to take on St. Mary's Friday night, needing only two wins for a Final Four berth.

"With all the attention this week and last, I know I need to stay in the Scripture and stay humble. I just want to deflect the light on myself or individual players to Whom it belongs, that is God."

As the coach of the nationally ranked team at Baptist-affiliated Baylor in Waco, Texas, Drew knows he has some unique opportunities to impact people for Christ via the nation's sports media.

"The Spirit works differently with different people, but I feel comfortable talking about my faith in public and what Jesus Christ has done in my life.

"When I sit home and watch people like [quarterbacks] Tim Tebow or Colt McCoy or [coach] Tony Dungy being a good role model on TV, it inspires me. You pray for those people to be successful so they can inspire and motivate others."

To help accomplish his spiritual mission at Baylor, Drew joined with his pastor, Mark Wible at Highland Baptist Church in Waco, in a partnership of faith and fellowship.

"I'm just so glad for Scott that the person you see on the sidelines on the weekends is the exact same person I see during the week or at church on Sunday," Wible said.

"He is fired up for his faith and fired up to share it with others."

Drew took the Baylor job in 2003 in the most disastrous of circumstances after one player had killed another on the team, while the school and its former head coach had covered up a drug scandal and NCAA violations.

But when Wible met Drew for the first time and mentioned he would be interested in helping out as the team chaplain, Drew sat straight up in his office chair and proceeded to tell him about his spiritual game plan for his new team.

"He said he wanted a Bible study for the players, a Bible study for the coaches, a regular chance to talk and minister to his players, so finally I had to tell him, 'Coach, this is a volunteer position, I have a full-time job at my church."

But since those humble beginnings, where Baylor wasn't even allowed to play non-conference games as part of its NCAA penalty, Drew has worked to accomplish God's purpose in his life and his team.

"I always want to be open to what the Lord wants me to say and do in my life and how I spread His Word. I prayed about coming here and I felt led to come. When He says 'Go,' you go.

"I know that at a private Christian university, you have a chance to help players keep their spiritual goals along with their goals as a player and a person."

That was clearly proven March 6 when Baylor had its senior day celebration after its game with the University of Texas. Drew added his own touch to the ceremonies, telling the sellout crowd about some of his players going to a recent Baptist basketball camp and seeing 21 people accept Jesus Christ into their hearts. Then Drew led the crowd in a prayer for the seniors that God would bless their lives and touch others in whatever they did.

"We all face challenges daily and we all sin, that's why you have to be daily in the Word and daily in prayer," Drew said about his motivation to publicly share his faith with others.

"We are all around non-Christians and others who may not believe, but your actions will always speak louder than your words."

Wible saw that when Drew called during basketball recruiting season one year and some top players were coming for a visit.

"He just wanted me to come out and meet the players they were recruiting and see if I could meet and interact with them, to help them with any problems they might have," Wible said.

"We always pray about it, but God knows who is going to come here," Drew added.

Drew, who is married with two kids, grew up in a basketball family in Indiana where his dad, Homer, was the head coach at Valparaiso University, the country's largest Lutheran school.

Scott Drew said growing up he was exposed to a faith in Jesus Christ through watching his parents, but joked he was familiar with a lot of denominations because "as a coach, you saw a lot of different churches because you're always being run out of one town and into another."

After one year of succeeding his father as head coach at Valpo, he took the Baylor job in the direst of circumstances, after seeing a vision about what his hard work and others' help could accomplish for God's glory.

"First and foremost I prayed about it, then I talked to the people at Baylor about what we could accomplish with elite sports, academic excellence and being a positive role model.

"We have a chance to do that each and every day now, and we also have a chance to serve."

But despite the fact Baylor could earn its first Final Four berth in more than 60 years and shock the college basketball world this weekend, Wible already knows what kind of coach he will see.

"I will always remember when we lost to Texas two years ago by a single point at home, just a devastating loss, and the next morning I'm walking past the nursery at church and there was Scott, on his knees, playing with the kids as a volunteer worker. Name me one other coach in America who would do that after a gut-wrenching loss.

"Finally, I had to ask him, 'Scott, what are you doing here?' He said, 'I signed up for this and I got responsibilities.'"

Art Stricklin is a Dallas-based sports correspondent for Baptist Press.

Camp Dates Announced!

2010-03-19T10:20:00.002-05:00

Dates for the South Titan Basketball Camp have been announced. Boys in grades 9-12 will meet for two weeks, June 8-11 and June 21-24, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Boys in grades 6-8 will meet June 8-11 from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m., and boys in grades 3-5 will meet June 21-24 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.

The aim of each camp, under the supervision of PL-South head coach Joel Hueser, is to teach and develop fundamental basketball skills, team play and motivation. Registration forms are available at Papillion-LaVista South High School or by clicking here.

Norfolk constantly shooting for a title

2010-03-13T12:00:00.002-06:00

NORFOLK, Neb. — Pull open the thick gymnasium doors, fix your eyes on the lone figure inside and start counting.

One, two, three ...

Two weeks ago, more than 2,000 people packed this gym two hours before tipoff to see their Norfolk Panthers, the No. 1 team in the state. But tonight, it's quiet. Tonight the loudest sound is leather passing through nylon.

Four, five, six ...

Swish, swish, swish. Every three seconds.

He's 5-foot-10, 150 pounds, scrawny by Class A basketball standards. His white T-shirt is soaked in sweat.

Official team practice finished with shooting drills an hour ago. Jalen Bradley is still shooting. He won't go home until he makes 1,000 jump shots. Alone.

Seven, eight, nine ...

His shots drop through the net and into a machine called “the gun,” which fires balls back to him on the right wing, just inside the 3-point line. The sophomore catches and reloads.

One day he made 255 straight free throws. Another day he made 105 straight jumpers from 17 feet. Another day he made 43 straight 3s.

“I don't try to go for consecutive shots,” said Bradley, who this season made 51 percent of his 3s and 42 of 43 free throws. “I just kind of let it happen.”

10, 11, 12 ...

Today, Jalen Bradley and Norfolk descend on the Devaney Center, where at 2 p.m. they'll face Grand Island and try for the Panthers' first state tournament win in 23 years.

The Panthers are unique in Class A, not only because of where they come from, but how they got here.

Juggernauts hail almost exclusively from Omaha and Lincoln.

But no team in Omaha or Lincoln shoots like Norfolk: 51 percent from the field, 44 percent from 3-point range, 78 percent from the free-throw line. (The latter two numbers would lead Division I college basketball.)

“They're the best-shooting team in the state, no doubt about it,” Bellevue West coach Doug Woodard said.

“Forty-four percent as a team is unheard of, especially when you shoot as many 3s as they shoot. And 78 percent from the line? They have so many kids that shoot the ball so well.”

13, 14, 15 ...

Not every Panther shoots as well or as much as Bradley. But most nights, you'll find a few staying 15 to 30 minutes after practice. This team and this town share a passion for fundamentals.

And that's Norfolk's edge.

Class A consists of 29 teams, but only six are outside the Omaha metro area and Lincoln. Towns like Fremont and North Platte and Columbus try to keep up. It's getting harder all the time.

From 1987 to 2002, “outstate” Class A teams collectively won 28 state tournament games. Grand Island won the state title in 2002. Since then, outstate teams have won just two games and no titles.

The biggest reason: Those schools are shrinking. Norfolk, 27th in Class A enrollment, has one boy for every two at Creighton Prep, one for every three at Omaha Central.

Yet over the past eight seasons, only five Class A teams have more wins than Norfolk. This year, no one does.

16, 17, 18 ...

Bradley's rituals resemble those performed by another sophomore 16 years ago, Ben Ries. He's now Norfolk's coach.

Ries is one of Nebraska's best-ever high school shooters — he made 88 percent of his career free throws — and one of five prep players since 1980 to garner first- or second-team All-Nebraska honors three straight years.

After he graduated in 1996, Norfolk hit a rough patch. One year, the Panthers went 1-19. Then Ries returned in 2002, the youngest head coach in Class A. He was 24.

He focused his reconstruction on one principle: Build from the bottom.

In Omaha, elementary and middle school kids rarely interact with high school coaches. A fourth-grader living at 60th and Center Streets might plan to go to South High. But by seventh grade, he's headed to Burke. By ninth grade, it's Central.

Often, a high school coach hasn't even met a player until he shows up freshman year.

But in Norfolk, a kid who attends an elementary school will probably go to Norfolk High. So Ries reaches out as soon as possible.

Most coaches run camps in the summer; Ries also orchestrates them in the fall, five Saturdays, first through eighth grade. His high school players instruct and rub elbows with 220 kids.

More unusual: Ries' staff directs club teams, sixth through eighth grade. Bradley's dad, a high school assistant, attends every club practice, where he leads fundamental drills the first hour.

Junior high kids learn the same techniques and concepts the high school varsity utilizes.

The goal is continuity.

“When I talk about ‘our program,' I mean the whole thing,” Ries said. “I mean Norfolk basketball, grades 1 through 12.”

The blueprint requires significant time and energy. But the payoff is consequential.

The sooner kids and parents identify with the basketball team, the more they care. It's no coincidence that Norfolk crowds, home and away, were consistently the largest in Class A this year.

Six years ago, Brady Lollman and Nathan Marsh executed Ries' drills at club team practices.

Dribble, pass, screen and cut.

Now they are Norfolk's two best players. Lollman hits 83 percent at the line, 43 percent from 3. Marsh, a big lefty, hits 58 percent from the floor.

Why so efficient? Repetition.

When the Panthers get a lead in the final minutes, they're tough to beat. They handle pressure, milk clock and hit free throws.

“They're one of the smartest teams I've seen in many years,” Bellevue West's Woodard said.

But will it be enough this week? Since winning Class A in 1987, Norfolk has lost six straight state tournament games.

To win it again, Norfolk must knock off city schools, including either Creighton Prep or Omaha Bryan in Friday's semifinals.

Metro teams don't expect much when they see Norfolk, Lollman said. Not much size or quickness on the Panthers' roster. And no player has dunked in a game in Ries' eight years.

“We'll play anybody in HORSE,” Ries said.

Ries' first few years, players often challenged him to a game. Coach never lost — not once.

Then one day he dueled a hot-shot seventh-grader. Ries buried a jumper, Bradley answered. On and on for about half an hour.

Finally, Ries spun the ball on his finger, bumped it off his head and into the hoop. A Pistol Pete shot, Bradley said. “I never practiced that one.”

H-O-R-S-E.

Ries exhaled, then retired.

“I remember telling myself I'd never play him again,” he said.

Five years ago, another shooting great, Kyle Korver, came to Norfolk and shared his wisdom.

Jalen Bradley listened, and every day since June 9, 2005, he's kept a running count of the jump shots he's made.

On this Monday night, he'll go home and write: 509,500.

But even Jalen misses. After he drains 19 straight from the right wing, the ball comes off his hand a hair too hard. It hits iron — and rattles out.

He doesn't flinch. The gun spits out another ball. Catch, release, leather hits nylon.

A new streak begins.

Beranek biding his time at Nebraska

2010-03-07T13:21:00.001-06:00

LINCOLN — Drake Beranek doesn't get to suit up for Nebraska men's basketball games this season. Or sit on the bench. Or travel.

But the transfer from the University of Nebraska at Kearney was required to take part in Wednesday's 5 a.m. practice after a loss to Colorado, and in Friday's 5:30 a.m. practice before the Huskers left for Saturday's regular-season finale at Oklahoma State.

Sound unfair?

Just try to get a complaint out of the senior from Ravenna, Neb., who says he is living a dream since forgoing a scholarship at UNK last summer to walk on with no promises at Nebraska.

“I heard a pretty good quote the other day — life is about minimizing regret,'' Beranek said Friday. “So far, this has been a good decision in minimizing regret.

“It was a tough decision. But things are good, and I hope they continue on into next season.''

Beranek sparkled in Division II basketball for three seasons at UNK. The 6-foot-4, 185-pounder was a three-time all-conference pick and two-time all-region. Last year, he was 11th nationally in scoring at 21.9 points.

Still, the lifelong Nebraska fan wondered how he might do as a Husker, so he got in touch with coach Doc Sadler.

“I didn't know anything about Drake when he showed up,'' Sadler said Friday. “Since he has been here, I've been nothing but impressed.

“He's probably the best thing that has happened to us all year.''

Sadler said Beranek's enthusiasm and ability have helped in practice during a long season at Nebraska (14-16, 2-13).

“He has worked extremely hard,'' Sadler said. “And with not many seniors next year, I'm not for sure he won't be a leader.

“Drake is a lot like Paul Velander. Not to put any pressure on him, but people seem to follow guys like that.''

Velander, a walk-on guard the previous five years, earned the Huskers' most valuable player award in 2008-09 for his 3-point shooting, his dirty work on defense, his smarts and his sunny disposition. He is still on campus taking graduate courses.

“I made a point to meet Paul Velander,'' Beranek said. “I have some buddies who are big Nebraska basketball followers, and I'd hear from them, ‘Man, Paul is stroking the 3 and taking all these charges.'

“That's something I hope I can bring to the team next year. I don't want to say I'm going to be Paul Velander Jr. But I wanted to meet him so I could see how he took those charges and where he got open 3s.''

Husker coaches say Beranek has more than held his own in practice this season.

“I've learned a lot from seeing how hard everybody works,'' Beranek said. “I had heard rumors about, ‘Hey, Doc's a crazy man in practice.'

“We had some pretty intense practices at Kearney, but this is a couple of notches up. That 5 a.m. practice Wednesday was tough, but it was needed. We got some toughness, and everybody responded well.''

Five years from KU, Wayne Simien answers another calling

2010-03-02T15:43:00.001-06:00

By J. BRADY McCOLLOUGH
The Kansas City Star

LAWRENCE | Thousands of college basketball players will be honored this week at Senior Night ceremonies across the country. They’ll pose for photos with proud parents, they’ll bask in the fast-fading ovations of fans, and some will be given the opportunity to make a speech.

Many of them will see the future more clearly than ever and believe they know exactly where they’re headed, but they should listen to this story before becoming too assured in their direction, because a lot can happen in five years.

Wayne Simien had been looking forward to his Senior Night at Kansas since he was a boy sitting high up near the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse. He wanted the adulation that came with helping to hang new banners there, and he had worked his whole life to have 16,300 people care enough about him to stick around for an hour after his last college home game to hear him speak.

Still, he never thought he would have so much to say. Of course, there were hundreds of people to thank and memories to relive. But Simien had undergone a personal transformation at KU that needed to be explained. He talked to his pastor, John McDermott, about what to say. How do you make something that happened to you feel real for others? McDermott told Simien to ask the Lord for help.

When Simien took the microphone that night in 2005, he held an entire state captive.

“There was some fear involved,” Simien says now, “because I knew not everyone had the same feelings or beliefs that I did.”

More than 20 minutes had lapsed when Simien finally segued into the real reason he was out there pacing across the court. He had one last thank you to give.

“My king, my heavenly father, and that’s Jesus Christ,” Simien said, “the person who sustains me every day. … He’s changing me from the inside out, giving me a purpose and a sense of destiny. …”

Radios crackled across Simien’s native Kansas, and maybe some turned their dials then. But others kept listening as Simien quoted from the Book of Jeremiah, chapter nine, verses 23 and 24:

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches,” Simien said, “but let he who glories glory in this: that he knows and understands me, that I am the Lord …”

Simien reflected on the scripture.

“Sum up all the victories here on this court, the championship banners, the one we hung tonight, the accolades,” Simien said, “the one thing I will glory in day in and day out is my relationship with the living God.

“My dream now as a Christian, as a man of God, is to see each and every one of you — all 16,000, everyone listening on the radio, everyone who may see this on TV — experience and have the same love and relationship with Jesus Christ that I do. I love you all.”

And, with that, Simien’s speech was over. All he had to do was live up to it.

•••

Wayne Simien’s first team meeting with the Miami Heat, which drafted him in the first round in 2005 with the 29th overall pick, gave him a pretty good indication of what life would be like in the NBA.

“I remember walking in,” says Simien, a 6-foot-9 power forward. “They were like ‘This dude’s a Christian. Give him two weeks until he’s on South Beach in a strip club with me, give him such and such amount of time until he meets Suzie in LA and does yada yada yada.’ They were taking bets on me, basically, cash-money bets right in front of me as far as how long it would take for me to have a hiccup or whatever.”

Simien was undaunted by the skepticism of veterans like Shaq, Alonzo Mourning and Gary Payton. He did not have the voice he had at Kansas, where he was a two-time All-Big 12 player and an All-American his senior year. So he would have to earn their respect through his actions.

Back in Lawrence, he had his doubters, too. After he had become a Christian on July 12, 2003, entering his junior year, there were plenty of folks who wanted the old Wayne back. They called him “Big Dub,” and he was once the life of the party.

“As soon as I stopped doing drugs, stopped drinking, stopped treating women badly, stopped playing selfishly on the court, that’s when people were like, ‘Hey Wayne, what’s wrong with you? What’s going on? I’m worried about you,’ ” Simien says. “Now you’re worried about me? After I stopped doing all these things?”

Yes, people looked at him differently after he became a Christian, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t living for them anymore.

“I was living a life of fear and insecurity,” says Simien, a Leavenworth native. “I was insecure about how I performed on the court, I was insecure about what people would say about me, what they’d write about me.”

Before long, Simien would join fellow Christian students and minister in the middle of campus at Wescoe Beach. Then, he leaned on a strong support group — made up of people like McDermott, the pastor at Morning Star Church, and former KU football player Dan Coke — and he would have no choice but to lean even harder on the people he trusted during his time with the Heat.

On road trips, to keep himself from going out on the town with his teammates, Simien would make sure he had good influences. When he was on the West Coast, former Lakers forward A.C. Green, known for being a devout Christian who practiced celibacy, would meet up with Simien. There were many others like Green that Simien sought out.

Simien once flew McDermott and his three little boys to meet him for back-to-back games in Chicago and Milwaukee.

“Not to demean them, but his teammates had other things going on,” McDermott says. “Here he was hanging out with me and three boys.”

During that first year in Miami, Simien would meet his wife, Katie, through some mutual friends who shared their beliefs. Wayne and Katie met in August 2005, began dating on New Year’s Eve, became in engaged in February and were married in July. In another statement about the way he was choosing to live, Wayne did not kiss Katie until their wedding day.

“I wasn’t a virgin when I got married,” Simien says, “so it was just another way of wanting to honor my wife, wanting to share that with not only her but also everybody that was at our wedding ceremony.”

Some of his Heat teammates, who along with Simien had just won the 2006 NBA championship, attended the wedding and were blown away that he hadn’t kissed Katie. It was just another reason to believe that Simien was walking the walk.

“They were asking me why I would do that,” Simien says. “Really being able to speak to those guys, to be able to touch an area in their lives that they really hadn’t considered before, I think there was a lot of respect gained from that.”

Certainly, no players had been able to collect on their bets.

After his rookie year, Simien’s NBA career began to fizzle. He missed his second year fighting salmonella and also suffered a knee injury. He was traded to the Timberwolves but never found any traction in Minnesota.

For a few years, he had felt that basketball was becoming second to his faith, but he would make one more go at it playing in Spain. Simien averaged 18 points and eight rebounds during the 2008-09 season and could have signed for more money. It was clear he had at least four to five good years left in him, and there was a chance he could play his way back to the NBA. But that wasn’t his dream anymore.

Simien, surprising even his friends who knew he wanted to be a minister more than a player, decided it was time to retire at the age of 26.

“When you get more excited about helping people, serving others, reading your Bible and preaching than you do dunking on somebody,” Simien says, “it’s probably time to go towards what you’re passionate about.”

•••

In the weeks after Simien’s Senior Night speech, copies were made and sent out to religious organizations all over the state and the country. A first-team All-American’s choice to speak about God resonated with believers and nonbelievers.

“He was just being honest about what he believed,” McDermott says. “That’s what was so powerful about it.”

These days, the speech means even more to those who see Simien every day, practicing what he preached. Last spring, Simien moved from Spain to Lawrence with his young family, which now includes daughters Selah, Rael and newborn son Simon.

Simien is now working full time with his nonprofit organization, Called To Greatness, which holds basketball camps and sports leagues for children and teaches the games from a Biblical perspective. Simien says that last year 614 people participated in CTG events, 211 through scholarships. The goal is to make sure every kid who wants to play sports, regardless of talent, gets the chance.

“He’s coaching three fifth-grade basketball teams,” McDermott says, “and without Wayne taking it upon himself, those 22 kids probably wouldn’t have played basketball this year.”

Simien also takes the time to speak to the current KU team once a week about faith and meets individually with players Tyrel Reed and Jordan Juenemann. On Wednesday night when Sherron Collins delivers his Senior Night speech, Simien will be in the designated team chaplain’s seat behind the KU bench. He is there for anybody who wants to explore his or her spirituality.

Simien hasn’t cashed a check for himself since leaving Spain. He often points out the irony that he “decided to shut it down in the middle of a recession.” But Simien says he doesn’t need the money right now. He is the same guy he was when he left Lawrence five years ago, the guy he professed to be on Senior Night.

“I’m a Kansan,” Simien says. “I’ve got a Ford pickup truck, not a Mercedes. I’ve got a basic house. You don’t see any diamonds or tattoos or any elaborate clothing. That’s just a part of it. Faith and trust in God. If there’s something you’re really passionate about, you can do it for free. That’s what I’ve been doing, and hopefully we’ll be able to do that for a long time.”

Most Important Day of Your Life

2010-01-28T11:00:00.000-06:00

"I always say to my guys, 'The most important day of your life is today. This very minute is the most important of you life. You must win this minute. You must win this day. And tomorrow will take care of itself.'"

-Coach John Chaney
From "How to Succeed in the Game of Life" by Christian Klemash

2009-2010 Titan Varsity Basketball Team

2010-01-06T18:43:00.001-06:00

Purpose & Passion

2010-01-06T18:21:00.002-06:00

From Coach Kevin Eastman:

Another great exercise for players is to read up on players at the next level. Not only will it (hopefully) inspire them, but if they search well enough, they’ll get some guidance as to what it takes to get where they want to go. If players search enough and do their research on the best in the business, they’ll find that two words can sum up what these players are all about: (1) passion, and (2) purpose.

The best in any field have a true purpose as to why they are out there. It’s never about what they can do for themselves. It’s always about what they can do for the team. They know their purpose. They know what they have to do to get the team to win. They know that their personal success must come after their team contribution. This is how the great ones operate.

Once they have a firm grasp of their purpose, they then separate themselves from others by their passion. It’s a passion that’s with them at game time, in the weight room, on the track, and in practice. The best never leave their passion in their lockers.

I am fortunate in that I get see passion displayed on a daily basis by one of the best to ever play the game — Kevin Garnett. He has worked on his skills to hone them to the level of a true talent, but what puts him in a category of his own is his passion for the game. He brings it every time he gets into a basketball setting, from practice to pregame preparation.

Every player needs to evaluate himself in these two key areas. The results will tell if that players has a chance to reach the levels he seeks!

(Thanks to Coach Cooley for originally posting this article on his blog!)

40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes

2009-12-02T09:38:00.001-06:00

It's that time of year...get excited!!!

The Florida Gators 2009 FedEx BCS National Champions. Tebow's Promise

2009-09-18T13:13:00.001-05:00

Can you say heart? Passion? And leadership? Tebow lives it!!!

UNO Shooting

2009-09-12T10:41:00.001-05:00

Be a practice player first. This video is a great reminder how important it is to go hard and train at a game speed.

Football: Helu, Hagg no longer up in arms

2009-08-23T00:00:00.002-05:00

LINCOLN — Roy Helu and Eric Hagg hadn’t talked much that summer after joining the Nebraska football program, but they were sure talking now. And not in a friendly way.

Some freshman pranks had gotten out of hand. Some irritation was coming to a head. They already had almost gotten into it on the ride over.

And now Hagg was staring at Helu.

“I said we could go outside,” Helu said. “And he’s like, ‘Yeah, we can go outside.’

“We’re about to fight again, and then the older guys at the Bible study told us to break it up.’’

The ashamed look on Helu’s face confirms that he and Hagg now understand that Bible study is no place for fisticuffs. Nor is the home of NU team chaplain Matt Penland, which is where they happened to be.

“I think it’s through God’s grace that we’ve changed,’’ Helu said.

“Changed’’ can’t begin to describe the relationship two years later between two of the Huskers’ budding stars — Helu, a junior I-back from Danville, Calif., and Hagg, a junior defensive back from Peoria, Ariz.

After a month of tension started to wear off, Penland pulled the two together. A friendship slowly developed, and it’s grown stronger since last season.

“Matt helped us squash that, and from there it’s just been building and building,’’ Hagg said. “It’s kind of weird the way things happened.’’

Helu calls Hagg “my brother,’’ a term they also use for a close circle of friends that includes Prince Amukamara, Will Henry, Marcus Mendoza, Austin Jones, Kyler Reed and several others.

Bible study and Fellowship of Christian Athletes meetings became regular stops as both players inched forward in their faith.

“Circumstances came up where I wanted to know how to trust in Christ, and he wasn’t at that level yet,’’ Helu said. “But it was funny, because in God’s timing, a couple months later, he started becoming more committed.

“Us, Will Henry, Prince Amukamara ... all of us started seeking a greater power. Not coincidentally — there was a purpose to it, obviously. That’s when we started becoming friends.’’

Amukamara said you could start to see a big change in Helu after his freshman year. He became more of a leader on and off the field, and his NU football career took off in his sophomore year with 803 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

Hagg, who helped seal the Gator Bowl win over Clemson with a late pass breakup and sack, says he’s quiet by nature. Once he gets to know somebody, he’ll start to talk a little more.

That’s what happened when Helu and Hagg returned to NU after taking time off after the Gator Bowl. Each had bad experiences back home, Helu said, although neither would elaborate.

“It was just stuff we struggled with in the past, old habits, some of that— and we were kind of sick of them,’’ Helu said. “We came back and we were both like, ‘Man, we don’t want to live like this anymore.’ So we both came back and we kind of made an agreement.’’

Helu and Hagg set out to get as big and fast as they could in winter conditioning. At the same time, Helu said, they planned “the biggest and fastest learning curve’’ for the spiritual side of their lives.

“We couldn’t keep on doing our thing and His thing at the same time, because it’s like a lukewarm Christian,’’ Hagg said. “It was just like we’ve got to get ourselves out of the way and follow what Christ has in store for us, or we’ll always be confused living both lives at the same time.’’

Helu is always over at Hagg’s house, which he shares with Henry and former Husker center Brett Byford. They eschew some of the normal college nightlife in favor of hanging out, playing video games or just going to movies.

It’s not all stiff-collar stuff, though.

Helu every now and again likes to put on a pair of short shorts and match it with a long T-shirt pulled way down.

“And he’ll go out in public,’’ Hagg said, shaking his head.

They try to rap and dance. They have fun on community visits. Helu shares the Tongan candy his mom brings. They agree that Amukamara is the jokester of the bunch.

In fact, the junior cornerback may or may not have been involved in the prank that started Helu and Hagg off on the wrong foot two summers ago. “They didn’t blame it on me?’’ Amukamara said. “Oh, OK.”

But now, Amukumara said, Helu and Hagg realize they have a lot in common. “Their faith. They like to compete. They hang out. The biggest part of it for all of us is just our faith.’’

But there’s still a natural question: What would have happened a couple of years ago had they taken it out back?

“I don’t know, that’s a toss-up,’’ Hagg said. “He’s pretty big. You know, I’ll just say he would have won because I don’t know if I would have actually thrown a punch or anything.’’

Michael Conley: Keep the Ball on a String

2009-08-19T20:24:00.001-05:00

Great fall idea to improve!

Worlds of Fun

2009-08-15T16:28:00.001-05:00

Just a little family and friends get away to Worlds of Fun...enjoy!

Crusaders 2009 Vegas Trip

2009-08-01T08:55:00.001-05:00

Las Vegas Highlights...enjoy!

South Titan Basketball Camp Barbeque

2009-07-02T14:12:00.001-05:00

Ravenna Bluejays invade the Hueser's for the annual 3-on-3 Driveway Shootout!

South Titan Basketball Camp '09

2009-07-02T14:09:00.001-05:00

Random Highlights from 2009 South Titan Basketball Camp

12 Lessons in Leadership

2009-05-08T15:49:00.001-05:00

1. Good values attract good people
2. Love is the most powerful four-letter word
3. Call yourself a teacher
4. Emotion is your enemy
5. It takes 10 hands to make a basket
6. Little things make big things happen
7. Make each day your masterpiece
8. The carrot is mightier than the stick
9. Make greatness attainable by all
10. Seek significant change
11. Don’t look at the scoreboard
12. Adversity is your asset

Example of Persistence

2009-05-05T10:20:00.002-05:00

1831-Failed in business.
1832-Defeated for Legislature.
1833-Second failure in business.
1836-Suffered nervous breakdown.
1838-Defeated for Speaker.
1840-Defeated for Elector.
1843-Defeated for Congress.
1848-Defeated for Congress.
1855-Defeated for Senate.
1856-Defeated for Vice President.
1858-Defeated for Senate.
1860-Elected President!
Abraham Lincoln could have quit many times – but he didn't and because he didn't quit – he became one of the greatest Presidents.

Persistence

2009-04-30T06:16:00.001-05:00

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
~Calvin Coolidge

Every Morning in Africa

2009-04-30T06:06:00.000-05:00

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning, the lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up, you’d better be running!

Senior Tribute

2009-03-30T13:25:00.004-05:00

South Titan Basketball tribute to this year's seniors Michael Burrus, Joshua Harnisch and Steve Plourde.

Camp Dates Announced!

2009-03-17T15:57:00.002-05:00

Dates for the South Titan Basketball Camp have been announced. Boys in grades 9-12 will meet for two weeks, June 8-11 and June 15-18, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Boys in grades 6-8 will meet June 8-11 from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m., and boys in grades 3-5 will meet June 15-18 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.

The aim of each camp, under the supervision of PL-South head coach Joel Hueser, is to teach and develop fundamental basketball skills, team play and motivation. Registration forms are available at Papillion-LaVista South High School or by clicking here.

Ravenna takes charges seriously

2009-03-14T11:26:00.002-05:00

Great article about Adam Mingus and his ability to take charges. As we've emphasized all year long- TOUGHNESS WINS!!!

There were a lot of offensive charges taken during the opening two rounds of the Class C-2 state tournament, but nobody has more than Ravenna guard Adam Mingus.

Mingus had taken a school-record 20 charges entering the tournament. He took two more in a win against Sutherland on Thursday and three against Axtell Friday.

Mingus loves the intensity taking a charge can bring the team.

“It gets our offense going, our defense going and our crowd and student section pumped,” he said.

Ravenna’s Sean Payne also took a charge in the third quarter Friday. Coach Paul Beranek has never had a team take charges like this one.

“People ask me about what drills we do,” Beranek said. “We don’t do any. We got one kid that’s on a mission to do that. The thing that helps the rest of our team is that he gets on them if they don’t take them.”

Gus's Story

2009-03-09T22:28:00.004-05:00

A good friend of ours, Ron "Gus" Gustafson, was gracious enough to share his incredible life story at FCA Sunday night. Here is a brief video of Gus at the Hueser home with the Titans!:)

Bilas: Defining toughness in college hoops

2009-03-05T16:58:00.002-06:00

Bilas: Defining toughness in college hoops

Posted using ShareThis

26 Winning Basketball Principles

2009-03-04T07:49:00.000-06:00

Success in basketball is dependent upon 26 principles. These winning principles are fundamentally sound, simple to teach, easy to remember, and apply to any style of play or age group.

1. Protect the ball. Bad passes and low-percentage shots are the trademarks of a poor team.

2. Be careful on a lay-up. More games are won on lay-up shots than on any other, and more games are lost because of poor lay-up shots than by any other shot.

3. Basketball is a game in motion. Motion on the court is vital. Too many players stand still and beg for the ball. Players should always pass and move. This action will take their defenders away from the ball and open up the court for a teammate.

4. Always fake direction. Faking is important because it tricks opponents into making mistakes.

5. Move to meet the pass. Moving and meeting the pass is the stamp of a good ballplayer. Players who move and meet passes make it easy for teammates to get them the ball.

6. When in trouble, make a V-cut (i.e., "clear out"). A player in the wrong position on the floor should make a V-cut. This will open up the floor.

7. Don't think for the opponents -- be yourself. Play your game and do not spend time trying to figure out what your opponents are thinking.

8. One player cuts at a time. Always remember -- only one cutter at a time. Two players cutting at the same time allows the defense to be in a position to either double-team the ball or stop the play.

9. Grab it -- don't tap it. Effective rebounders grab and secure the ball rather than tapping it.

10. Never force a shot. Never shoot a shot if closely defended. Before attempting a shot, make sure that you have teammates in rebounding positions.

11. Dribbling is an emergency measure. Nine out of 10 players dribble or bounce the ball before they do anything else. This is a bad habit because it limits a player's opportunities.

12. Talk to your teammates. Talking on offense and defense builds team play. Talking encourages teammates. Talking on defense is vital when picking up loose opponents.

13. Never turn your head on defense. Players should never turn their heads to watch the ball when playing man-to-man defense. When players change from offense to defense, they should backpedal so that they can locate their personal opponent or help in case of a fast break.

14. Don't cross your feet on defense. Successful defensive players move their feet in short steps when playing defense.

15. Hands up on defense. Tight-rope walkers use their hands for defense, and the good defensive player does likewise. Movement of the hands and feet discourages passing and shooting and shows that the defensive player is on the ball.

16. Watch your opponent's belly-button. We like our defensive players to keep their eyes glued to a part of the offensive ball-player that can't fool them -- the belly-button.

17. Pick up the first man. When you are back or coming down the floor ahead of the rest of your teammates, pick up the first offensive player down the court, whether it's your assigned player or not.

18. Don't leave your feet on defense. Good defensive players keep their head up and their feet on the ground.

19. Get position for rebounds. Instinct and sensing the direction of the shot and the angle of the rebound enables players to move into the correct rebounding position.

20. If you can't rebound, you can't win. Good rebounding limits the opponents' shots and this is the key to winning basketball games.

21. The first fast-break pass must be perfect. The fast break must get started with a quick outlet pass. If the first pass is a good one, the fast break is underway. After it's started, it's hard to stop.

22. You must make 70 percent of your free throws. There is no excuse for being a poor free-throw shooter. Practice, confidence, and the proper technique are the keys.

23. Keep the defense busy. If all five offensive players keep moving, their opponents cannot afford to sag or float. Moving with or without the ball forces the defense into making mistakes.

24. Don't cross the backboard to shoot. A player should learn to shoot from both sides of the basket and with both hands.

25. Never underrate an opponent. Be ready to play every game. Overconfidence can affect a team's play. It is wise to remember that it is only the underdog who can do the upsetting.

26. Practice does not always make perfect -- if you practice the wrong thing. Players often work long and hard and make little progress because they are practicing incorrectly.

By Alvin Julian

Hall of Fame coach Alvin "Doggie" Julian led Holy Cross to the 1947 NCAA Championship.

During his 41-year coaching career, he also coached the Celtics and at Dartmouth, where he won three Ivy League titles.

Twist of fate rewrote Dotzler's dream script

2009-02-27T13:21:00.004-06:00

Great article here about Josh Dotzler and his life lessons:

Call him a survivor. Dotzler's senior day at Creighton arrives on Saturday. It's been a long career, a good one in many ways, but not the one he or anyone else dreamed of four years ago.

Somebody lost the Hollywood script. Dotzler had it all in front of him back then. He had committed to Creighton as a sophomore at Bellevue West. His team won the state title his senior year. He was a two-time Nebraska Player of the Year. Big-time schools were starting to look at him. But he was going to Creighton.

He matched the hype as a freshman. Dotzler ranked high among Missouri Valley guards in steals and assists and assist/turnover margin. He had a jumper. He could guard. He was on the road to becoming one of the best players ever to wear a Bluejay uniform, certainly one of the most popular. This was the Omaha hoops dream.

Doctors repair knees, not dreams.

Dotzler suffered a torn PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) in his right knee. It's rare, almost fluky. Players can come back from ACL tears. But PCL injuries are different. They are ruthless. They rob potential. They gut dreams.

"I really haven't thought about it, except when people ask," Dotzler said. "I truly believe things happen for a reason, so you can learn from all experiences. There's no sense in thinking about what might have been, because it's not going to happen."

Josh said, "There were times when I thought, should I even be playing? Am I good enough to play on this team? Am I good enough to play on this level? I went through some tough times. I never dealt with injuries before, never sat out. I didn't know if my body would respond."

Dotzler did not fall apart. He comes from a large family, a good family. He's married. He's mature. He's extremely grounded and classy. He has more than basketball to fall back on, even as he continues to dive for loose balls. And he has been a mentor to freshman point guard Antoine Young, who grew up watching Dotzler at Bellevue West. The torch is being passed with care.

"I've learned a lot from Josh," Young said. "I've watched him as a leader, watched how he conducts himself every day. I admired his toughness. He's taught me a lot about toughness, about leadership."

People sometimes wonder why Dotzler plays over Young. One man doesn't. There have been times Dotzler was the only player on the floor playing defense, the only guy doing the things Altman preached. He has been a poster boy for this program.

"Josh has brought so many good qualities to the program," Altman said. "His assist-to-turnover ratio (3.0, top five in the nation) is outstanding. He's a good defender. And he's been a leader. He comes to practice every day trying to get the other guys to play hard. Before games he'll be trying to get them going. That's draining. He's had to carry that load."

Colin Powell's Rules

2009-02-22T11:35:00.004-06:00

More from Coach Tressel's book, THE WINNER'S MANUAL:

Colin Powell’s Rules
1) It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning
2) Get mad, then get over it
3) Avoid having our ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it
4) It can be done!
5) Be careful what you choose. You may get it
6) Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision
7) You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours.
8) Check small things
9) Share credit
10) Remain calm. Be kind
11) Have vision. Be demanding
12) Don’t take the counsel of your fears or naysayers
13) Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier

Additional Thoughts:

Humility precedes honor.
~Proverbs 18:12
If we were humble, nothing would change us- neither praise nor discouragement.
~Mother Teresa

The Global Village

2009-02-18T09:39:00.001-06:00

From Coach Tressel's book, THE WINNER'S MANUAL:

If we could shrink the earth’s population to a village of precisely one hundred people, with all the existing human rations remaining the same, the village would include..
60 Asians
12 Europeans
15 from the Western Hemisphere (9 Latin Americans, 5 North Americans, and 1 Oceanian), and 13 Africans.

Of those one hundred people…
50 would be female
50 would be male
80 would be nonwhite
20 would be white
67 would be non-Christian
33 would be Christian
20 would earn 89 percent of wealth
25 would live in substandard housing
17 would be unable to read
13 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would die within the year
2 would give birth within the year
2 would have a college education, and
4 would own a computer

From there, it’s only a short jump to apply the same principle to our everyday lives. Sure, the guy at the next locker has a better car, or he’s a starter on the team, or there are scouts looking at him; but in the big picture we are all blessed, and we need to recognize that and let it work its way into our lives

To determine whether people are living a grateful life, we can look in the classroom or the home or wherever they spend their time. If they’re not committed to becoming the best students in the classroom of the best sons or daughters at home, that’s a huge warning sing. I think the person who has a right attitude is able to say, “Man, am I lucky to be here! I need to study- I really don’t like this class, but I’m so thankful I’m here that I’m going to study hard. Practice is hard, but I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity I have.” Constant reminders of how fortunate we are can help us to keep things in proper perspective.

Final Score

2009-02-16T10:35:00.003-06:00

"The only awards I've ever cherished have been team awards. Most of the time when you get an award, you say 'I want to thank my teammates for helping me.' But I want to thank my teammates for letting me help them because my agenda was to win games, nothing else. And my teammates allowed me to let them do their best. So this award is for the affirmation of team play."
~Bill Russell, Boston Celtics, 5-Time MVP

Tough Teams Talk

2009-02-13T18:06:00.005-06:00

Talking to teammates - helping each other verbally - is one of the most obvious differences between good, tough players and soft, mediocre ones. Just getting in the habit of calling out your man and the ball each time on defense; and getting your teammates to do the same will end up saving baskets over the course of a game and season. Talking your teammates through screens, telling them when you are in good help-position ready to take a charge, motioning for them to clear out or cut through the lane, alerting them to cutters or players trying to sneak behind your defense – all of these and many more situations happen often in games. If you are not now in the habit of constantly talking during the action of the game, you may be surprised at how often your mere words can help your teammates make a play.

When you play on the road, you need men

2009-02-06T10:27:00.003-06:00

Great blog from Coach Emuss...

In the words of Muhammad Ali:

"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road - long before I dance under those lights."

At 19-4, winners of six of their last seven, Mizzou has already won three more games than all of last season. According to this story in today's St. Louis paper, increased intensity in practice is one reason for the Tigers' turnaround.

"Coach Mike Anderson is a strong believer that road games are pretty much won by toughness," said junior guard Zaire Taylor. "He always says, 'When you go on the road, we need men,' and that is pretty much the mentality we've been taking in practices.

The reason we've won our last two games is because of our practices. Ever since we lost at Kansas State, our practices have been like wars. We've been taking (hard work) that we've been bringing in practices and we're bringing that same energy into games. The practices have taken a step up.

When I go home from practice now, I feel more bruised than I do after games. The competitive atmosphere is real high. You wouldn't know we are teammates by the way we get after each other."

Do NOT Quit

2009-02-01T14:34:00.000-06:00

"When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but do not quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-
It's when things go wrong that you must not quit."
~Unknown

"IF" by Rudyard Kipling

2009-01-25T12:03:00.003-06:00

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

By Rudyard Kipling

A player whose agenda is to make his teammates better

2009-01-21T06:19:00.002-06:00

The following blog is from Eric Musselman's Basketball Notebook. Good stuff...

Doc Rivers on PHX guard Steve Nash's role and what third-year BOS guard Rajon Rondo can learn from Nash, who is in his 13th NBA season:

"Every night Steve's agenda is to make his teammates better. And he does it every night. He does it some nights by scoring and passing. Other nights he decides to be a ball mover and does it. But that's what Nash does every single night. He always does that.

The one thing that Rondo can learn from Nash is Nash may not play well every night, but he doesn't have an off night. He has a great mental focus every single night. He does it every night. I've never seen him play in a game where he has no focus or low focus. Young players, in general, are up and down in that."

Are You Going to Finish Strong?

2009-01-18T15:03:00.001-06:00

"When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at this rock perhaps 100 times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the 101st blow, it will split in two and I know it was not that blow that did it. But all that had gone before." ~Jacob Riis

Senior Spotlight: Joshua Harnisch

2009-01-12T21:01:00.006-06:00

Player: Double-J, #32

Birthday: May 28, 1990

Favorite TV show: Everybody Loves Raymond

What’s on my iPod: Anything Rihanna sings

My car or truck: Ford Ranger

Favorite movies: Gladiator, Slumdog Millionaire, We Were Soldiers

Favorite computer bookmarks: ESPN, Facebook, Drudge Report

Love to trade places with for one day...(and why): Clay Anderson. He's the first Nebraskan to go to space, and he's getting to do it again.

Favorite food: Pizza

My hero: Neil Armstrong

My favorite sports team(s): THE Boston Red Sox

My favorite sports memory (so far): Making it to State Cross Country as a junior.

"Coach's Corner"

2009-01-08T22:30:00.006-06:00

Another memory being made- this time Coach Bubba, Hueser and Simpson enjoy another tall tale from Coach Cooley!

Titans vs. Lincoln Southwest

2009-01-08T19:29:00.004-06:00

Live Webcast Friday night vs. #2 Ranked Lincoln Southwest

Click Here!

Subbing (Player's Handbook Chapter)

2009-01-07T21:05:00.005-06:00

It takes a special player to come off the bench and help his team. It is a role many players do not enjoy, but a very important role, in some cases more important than a starter. The following questions should be contemplated to help prepare for such a situation.

Whom am I going in for?
*What was his assignment?
*Whom will I guard?
*What are his strengths and weaknesses?
*What are his physical attributes?
*Does he have a dominant hand?
*Does he go hard to the boards?
*Is he a good defender?
*Is he a good ball handler?
*Does he go for head and ball fakes?
*What side of the floor does he prefer to play on?
*Is he a shooter?
*If so, from where?
*Does he shoot better off the dribble or pass?
*Does he use head and ball fakes?
*Is he a good free throw shooter?

How are the officials calling the game?
*Is it being called close or are they letting us play?

What is the official's "favorite" call?
*Traveling?
*Moving screens?
*Three-seconds?
*Palming?

What is the tempo of the game?
*Are we attempting to score from transition?
*Have we given up any lay-ups?
*How is our halfcourt game?
*Are we executing?
*Why am I going into the game?
*To rebound?
*To score?
*To assert myself defensively?
*To rest a teammate?
*To ignite my teammates?

What defense are we playing?
*Are we playing man-to-man?
*Can we afford to guard tight or do we need to sag off?
*Who are their "zone busters"?
*Do they have a dominant center you should help cover down?
*Have we pressed?
*Do you expect us to be pressing soon?

What offense are we running?
*What has worked the best so far?

What else should I know?
*How many time-outs do we have left?
*Are we in the bonus?
*What is the score?
*How much time is remaining?

Are you a LEADER?

2009-01-06T11:53:00.003-06:00

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
~John Quincy Adams (1825-1829); 6th US President

Also: Go to Coach Cooley's blog for a great article on "CONSISTENT LEADERSHIP"!

You're Never As Good As You Think, Nor As Bad As You Think

2009-01-03T08:42:00.008-06:00

It's ironic that the following article was just posted on Coach Musselman's blog. As you recall, we (Titans) just addressed this topic after our loss to Creighton Prep and the importance of communication and problem solving following a poor performance (game or practice). I shared a Kearney State memory from back in the day when the Lopers lost the first playoff game to Hastings in a best of three series. On the van ride home the team (without the coaches) talked in depth about what needed to be corrected. This impressed me and I was only the ballboy at the time!:) Needless to say, Kearney came back to win the next two games and advance to the National Tournament. Check out the story below and see for yourself how important it is for all teams to "talk their game"!

WHEN YOU'RE BAD, YOU'RE NOT THAT FAR FROM BEING GOOD

When most teams lose, they try to put it behind them as quickly as possible. "Forget it and move on" is a common thought.

Not in Boston.

According to an article in the Boston Globe yesterday, "The Celtics' Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce have been having postgame powwows to go over wins and losses since joining forces last season. When things are good, 'The Big Three' have quick postgame talks. But on the rare occasion when things are bad, like Tuesday, Allen, Garnett, and Pierce are the last three players to leave the locker room."

"That's kind of like the meetings of the minds," Allen said. "When you're frustrated, you have to just find a way to make sure we talk it out. We just try to understand by bouncing [things] off of each other. What are we doing? What's going on? How did we talk? Every game we go in there and sit back and say, 'What do you guys see? What's going on?'"

When you win, you don't even have to talk about the game," Allen said. "You just go in the back and you relax. You're chillin' after spending a hard day's work and having a little something to eat. But when you lose, that's what we do, we sit back and talk it out.

Any time we've lost it's the same because we take losing hard. When we talk about what went wrong, we can talk about the same thing every conversation. Any team that loses, loses the same way. Teams win the same way every time. It's the same stuff.

Experience tells you that you're not as good as you think you are. You're not that far from being bad. But when you're bad, you're not that far from being good. You just have to find a way to improve on the things you've been doing."

For The Love Of The Game

2009-01-02T16:23:00.004-06:00

Wow! This is a very interesting story about Elena Delle Donne. At one time, Elena was said to be the "future face of women's basketball" only to call it quits due to burn out. All the more reason to maintain proper balance in all that we do. See what you think!:)

Attitude, Effort & Preparation

2009-01-01T07:38:00.002-06:00

"With Larry Bird, it was always about the joy of TEAM. It was always about the joy of WINNING...Here's a guy not blessed with a terrific body, a guy who was not fast, a guy who couldn't jump high. Yet, he was a phenomenal offensive player and an incredible team defensive player...Two things separate Larry- how smart he is and how hard he works."
~Bill Walton

"I always thought I played the game at the level that I was pleased with. I always tried to play as hard as I possibly could and I always prepared myself to play."
~Larry Bird

Team Christmas Party

2008-12-29T07:16:00.001-06:00

Coach Bubba has once again raised the bar...enjoy!

Hardest Worker

2008-12-27T09:10:00.004-06:00

Coach Bob Starkey of Hoop Thoughts recently posted this blog, and I thought it was worth posting as well:

Coach Don Meyer always talks about the fact that "if you best player is also your hardest worker, you have a chance to be a good team."

The following, from Pat William's book, "How To Be Like Mike," lends credibility to his statement.

"The first Bulls practice after Jordan made his comeback to basketball in 1995 ended with Michael walking to the baseline, on his own, and running windsprints. Without a word, all eleven of his teammates joined him."

T-BALL Favorite

2008-12-24T10:39:00.004-06:00

3-on-3 Team Shell Defense

Staff Christmas Party

2008-12-23T16:56:00.001-06:00

On the lighter side of life, Coach Cooley is shown here modeling his "White Elephant" Christmas gift- a dickie! As you can see he was the hit of the party and the center of attention!!!

The Role of Parents In Athletics by Bruce Brown

2008-12-21T18:20:00.002-06:00

-Attend as many games as possible.
-Do everything possible to make the athletic experience positive for your child and others.
-View the game with team goals in mind.
-Attempt to relieve competitive pressure, not increase it.
-Encourage multi-sport participation.
-Release your child to the coach and the team.
-Look upon opponents as friends involved with the same experience.
-Accept the judgment of the officials and coaches; remain in control.
-Accept the results of each game; do not make excuses.
-Demonstrate winning and losing with dignity.
-Dignify mistakes made by athletes who are giving their best effort and concentration.
-Encourage athletes to keep their perspective in both victory and defeat.
-Be a good listener.
-Accept the goals, roles and achievements of your child.

By Bruce Brown

Talking To Teammates

2008-12-18T05:59:00.001-06:00

Talking to teammates, helping each other verbally, is one of the most obvious differences between good players and mediocre ones. Just getting in the habit of calling out your man each time on defense and getting your teammates to do the same will end up saving baskets over the course of a game and season. Talking your teammates through screens, telling them when you are in good help-position ready to pick up their men, motioning for them to clear out or cut through the lane, alerting them to cutters or players trying to sneak behind your defense – all of these and many more situations happen often in games. If you are not now in the habit of constantly talking during the action of the game, you may be surprised at how often your mere words can help your teammates make a play.

Good Coaching Focuses on Process, Not End Result

2008-12-15T09:33:00.008-06:00

Below is an excerpt from Coach Terry Pettit's new book, "Talent and the Secret Life of Teams". I think it is very good and has many valid arguments. Enjoy:

I have a friend who tells me that in 1953 he could fix about anything on a Chevy with a combination wrench. Those days are gone.

So are the days when organized sport meant the kids in the neighborhood gathering at the end of the block, without their parents or other adults, to negotiate who would play on which team, who would be chosen last, and who would play right field.

Some people argue that in moving to a culture of spontaneous play to a culture of organized sport, we have improved the technical skills of our kids, while stunting the growth of other skills, such as negotiation, initiative, communication, and the ability to solve problems without adult intervention.

To put it bluntly, we are over-organizing our kids' play and in doing so delaying their ability to develop the skills that will help them the most as adults.

The more our culture relies on organized sport to teach our children how to play and compete, the more expectations parents have for the coaches who work with our kids.

We want the coach to teach our kid how to play.

We want our kid to play shortstop when she's not pitching.

If our kid gets really good, we want her to be on an elite team where she can travel to other places and develop at a faster pace.

And, most importantly, we want the coach to make the experience painless. We do not want our children to suffer the indignity of being a substitute, a role player, or approach any scenario that might be interpreted as failure.

We want all this for our children despite the fact that success in our adult lives is mostly about developing the skills to deal with bad hops, missed promotions, delayed gratification, and the occasional bounce of good luck.

This is a lot to ask of someone who has been trained as a history teacher, pipe fitter, surgeon or someone who is volunteering to coach because nobody else would. It would be a lot to ask of a professional coach with a master's degree in sports psychology.

Given the fact that most of the people who coach our kids are not trained in coaching, it might be helpful to identify some characteristics of great coaching that are available to everyone regardless of experience.

Here are some behaviors you might bring forth if you are asked to coach a team, and you might look for these same qualities in evaluating someone as a potential coach for your son or daughter. These characteristics are just as important if you're coaching the Little Bears as they are if you're coaching the Huskers.

• All great coaching begins with hope. Great coaching is communicating through posture, language, chalk talks, and intimate conversations the ultimate belief that good things are going to happen.

• Great coaching is being able to communicate to an athlete that she already has the "right stuff" to get the job done. We may need to improve her fundamentals. We may need to work harder. We may need to make some adjustments, but we don't need a heart transplant. We already have DNA that, combined with hard work, will allow us to be great.

• Great coaching is more concerned with the process and less concerned with the outcome (parents take note). Are we committed to behaviors that will lay the foundation for success? Are we on time? Do we look each other in the eye when we speak? Do we give great effort? Do we maintain the sacredness of the group by not voicing our frustrations outside the team? Do we encourage our teammates even when we are on the sidelines? Are we passionate about our commitment?

Committing to new behaviors is as important to a team's success as a solid foundation is to a new house. It's quiet and it doesn't get much press, but nothing else can move forward without it.

• Great coaching understands the necessity for risk and the value of failure. There is no growth without pain. The surest way to not win a championship is to try to protect your success. If you are in the presence of great coaching, the coach is going to ask you to become a little bit more uncomfortable than you want to be as you risk new roles, new techniques and new expectations.

• All performance, whether individual or team, is based on trust. Athletes have the best chance for performing well when they trust themselves. Teams have the best chance for success when coaches and parents create a climate where athletes feel the adult's care for them is not based upon performance. The support is unconditional. Athletes have the best chance to learn what trust is all about if they see it modeled by their parents and coaches.

The days of '53 Chevys and pickup games are gone and they are not likely to return unless our culture begins to place more value on neighborhood play and less dependence on mini-vans and organized sport.

In the meantime, my wish would be that everyone's son or daughter has the opportunity to play for a coach who is hopeful about the team's future, who believes your kid has the right stuff to get the job done, who encourages your son or daughter to commit to behaviors that will give her the best chance for success, and who creates an environment where kids have the opportunity to risk, rise, fall, and risk again. Then again, these characteristics would make for great parenting as well.

To purchase a copy of "Talent and the Secret Life of Teams" go to www.terrypettit.com

Titan Huddle vs. Northwest

2008-12-13T07:00:00.005-06:00

Papio South defeated the Huskies 79-54.

Next Play

2008-12-12T22:42:00.002-06:00

"In basketball and in life, I have always maintained the philosophy of 'next play.' Essentially, what it means is that whatever you have just done is not nearly as important as what you are doing right now. The 'next play' philosophy emphasizes the fact that the most important play of the game or life moment on which you should always focus is the next one. It is not about the turnover I committed last time down the court, it's not even about the three-pointer I hit to tie the game, it is about what's next. To waste time lamenting a mistake or celebrating a success is distracting and can leave you and your team unprepared for what you are about to face. It robs you of the ability to do your best at that moment and to give your full concentration. It's why I love basketball. Plays happen with rapidity and there may be no stop-action. Basketball is a game that favors the quick thinker and the person who can go on to the next play the fastest."

From "Beyond Basketball: Coach K's Keywords For Success"
By Mike Krzyzewski with Jamie K. Spatola

Great Big Men

2008-12-11T14:47:00.000-06:00

1. Great big men can finish in traffic with at least one go-to move and one counter move.
*Tall or small, big or quick, this player simply has automated his scoring skills to the point he just knows he can score when given the ball at a moment of opportunity.
2. Great big men practice the 3 C’s.
*They make it a point to always catch, chin and check.
3. Great big men establish position with a Doleac stance.
*This stance gets as wide and low as necessary to take up as much space in the paint to create the best possible angle and target.
4. Great big men can convert from a low-wide power position to a quick, vertical jump.
*This is especially important late in the game when the legs become heavy and fatigue has set in.
5. Great big men are hard-to-guard.
*They stay active and force their defender to respect and defend each position on the court – low post and/or high post – as a possible scoring threat.
6. Great big men are neither a “black hole” nor an automatic “toss-back machine”.
*They have the ability to read the defense take a high percentage shot, but also recognize a pass back out might lead to an even better scoring play.
7. Great big men can step outside and knock down the 15’ jump shot.
*The best can even step behind the arc and make the sagging defense pay for their lack of respect.
8. Great big men have good court vision.
*Even as they begin to initiate a post move, many teams will double down; an alert post player will recognize this and pass to the open cutter.
9. Great big men are extremely active on the offensive boards.
*They are relentless in pursuit of the ball. They may have to tip the ball two, three, four times just to keep it alive – their perseverance often times dictates the outcome of the game.
10. Great big men use the glass.
*They are able to create higher percentage shots and reduce the effectiveness of a great shot blocker by using the backboard.
11. Great big men can defend.
*They stay very active and keep themselves between the basket and the ball. Rarely do they leave their feet to give up a foul or position. This positioning also allows them to defensively rebound the ball to death!
12. Great big men talk.
*They are excellent communicators. With their back to the basket most of the time, they often have the best vantage point to call out screens and/or potential scoring threats.
13. Great big run the floor.
*Possession after possession, they sprint from block to block and beat their man down the floor. Though they may not always touch the ball, they will always position themselves to do so.
14. Great big men are quick outlets.
*They know the value of making a quick outlet pass (2-seconds or less). They might also utilize a “bust-out” dribble or two.
15. Great big men contest shots.
*They have the ability to block and/or alter shots without fouling. Blocking the shot and keeping it in play is their signature rather than swatting it into the bleachers. They play smart.

So what if they’re tall, we’ll play big!

E:60 Feature Walk-on

2008-12-07T15:40:00.000-06:00

Can you say "Toughness Wins"?

Great Point Guards (Player's Handbook Chapter)

2008-12-06T23:49:00.002-06:00

1. Great point guards know their team’s optimal tempo.
*On offense, defense, and in transition, they know when to speed up the tempo or slow it down.
2. Great point guards know who's hot and who's not.
*They know how to get the ball to the hot perimeter shooter and/or when to get the ball inside.
3. Great point guards are "energy" for their team.
*No matter what the circumstances, good or bad, they play with great enthusiasm for the game.
4. Great point guards communicate constantly.
*For 32 minutes, these guys never shut-up. They are the coach's voice on the floor.
5. Great point guards level off the ball.
*They see to it the ball is stopped and contained. Dribble penetration does not happen! Period.
6. Great point guards involve everybody.
*They know how to get their best scorers the ball on a consistent basis, but are always on the lookout for ways to create high percentage scoring opportunities for other teammates as well.
7. Great point guards can feel the team's "pulse".
*In practice and games, they know when to fire up and/or calm down certain teammates.
8. Great point guards quickly recognize "Charlies".
*They look for and find mismatches as soon as they occur.
9. Great point guards "run the show"!
*Quickly and clearly, they communicate play calls and/or changes in the open court and during dead ball situations. They also have the ability to organize a team after an offensive breakdown.
10. Great point guards "guard"!
*They keep constant pressure on the ball. Not allowing the passer adequate vision as well as forcing the dribbler away from his desired path of attack.
11. Great point guards advance the ball.
*From key to key, they are can advance the ball in 3-4 dribbles easy. They also pass ahead to a teammate who is open down the court.
12. Great point guards value the ball!
*Rarely do they turn the ball over. Likewise, when they deliver a pass it is on the money and away from the defense – allowing for their teammate to catch the ball in optimal scoring position.
13. Great point guards do not shoot every time.
*However, they can knock the open shot any time they are open. They can also create a shot for the benefit of the team.
14. Great point guards have an intense will to win!
*They absolutely refuse to lose. This is an intangible attribute developed over the many hours in the gym pursuing excellence in all phases of the game!
15. Great point guards are an extension of the coach on the floor.
*They thoroughly understand everything that's expected of them as well as their teammates. They understand it's impossible to win if all the oarsmen are not rowing in the same direction.

Champions choose to live as champions!

Conduit or Cul-de-sac?

2008-12-02T05:47:00.000-06:00

There are only two types of people - conduits or cul-de-sacs. Conduits exist to pass on power to others - whether it be an encouraging word, a kind act or a bear hug. Cul-de-sacs are folks who are dead ends - no matter how much kindness you pour into them, it ends up in a black hole. So which are you? Do people feel empowered being around you or tapped out?

Go Hard with Roy Helu

2008-11-30T08:21:00.003-06:00

Good Stuff...eNjoy:)

Goals (Player's Handbook Chapter)

2008-11-28T22:19:00.001-06:00

“A goal not written down is just a wish.”
~Author Unknown

If we were to run on to the floor for our season opener and find that the baskets were gone, I'm quite sure we wouldn't even attempt to play the game. We know without goals we cannot score. The same is true for us individually and as a team. We need to set goals.

As an individual, you must set short-term and long-term goals. These short-term goals should be easily attainable, because your long-term success is the result of small victories you accumulate every day. They add up and help you to form good habits. For example, if one of your goals this year is to set the school rebounding record, you'll need to establish a goal of so many rebounds per game. Furthermore, you'll also need to set specific practice goals and goals in the weight room (i.e. blocking out your man on every shot, pursuing every missed shot, perfect weight room attendance, etc). When you accomplish these daily successes, day in and day out, eventually you'll develop very positive habits pertaining to your long-term goals. One day, you just might be the rebound record holder. Just make sure your personal goals build up the team, and do not tear it down. Always remember: This team is not about you!

As a team, we too need to establish goals. Rick Pitino summed it up best when he said dreams are where we want to end up and goals are how we get there. If our dream is to win the state championship, then we need to build within us championship principles. A wise teacher once said your thoughts overflow into action…action develops habits…habits produce character…and your character reveals your destiny. Therefore, if it is our destiny to play at the championship level, we must govern our thoughts and training habits accordingly.

People are divided into three groups: 1) Those that make things happen. These people dream, set goals and work hard to attain their goals. 2) Those who watch things happen. Often these people are dreamers, but fail to make a plan and stick to it. 3) And those who wonder what happened. Obviously, these people lack the industriousness to even dream. Which one are you?

Self-Confidence (Player's Handbook Chapter)

2008-11-22T21:04:00.001-06:00

“Confidence comes from being prepared and demonstrated ability.”
~John Wooden

You are who you are for a reason. You have value and purpose. We believe this and you should too. It is always our goal to discipline and demand without being demeaning. With that said, you also have a responsibility to yourself and this team to be coachable and establish a solid work ethic. It’s impossible to “coach” confidence without these two cornerstones. Self-confidence begins only when you objectively identify your talents, become organized, have discipline in your life, and take action. It’s not just about the coaching staff blurting out positive affirmations each time down the court. If we “chew you out”, consider it a compliment because we believe you have the ability to overcome and correct your mistake. The following Vince Lombardi story exemplifies this point perfectly:

During a practice session for the Green Bay Packers, things were not going well for Lombardi's team. Lombardi singled out one big guard for not going hard, “Son, you are a lousy football player. You're not blocking, you're not tackling, and you’re not going hard. As a matter of fact, it's all over for you today, go take a shower.” The big guard dropped his head and walked into the locker room. Forty-five minutes later, when Lombardi walked in, he saw the big guard bowed and he was sobbing quietly. He walked over to his football player and put his arm around his shoulder. “Son,” he said, “I told you the truth. You are a lousy football player. You're not doing what we ask of you. However, in all fairness to you, I should have finished the story. Inside of you, son, there is a great football player and I'm going to stick by your side until the great football player inside of you has a chance to come out and assert himself.” With these words, Jerry Kramer straightened up and felt a great deal better. He felt so much better he went on to become one of the all-time greats in football and was voted the all-time best guard in the first 50 years of professional football.

We often see things in you that you seldom see in yourself. It is our job to inspire you to maximize your God-given abilities. How this is done is often a reflection of the coach, player and situation. It is your job to rise up and answer the challenge. And when we get tough on a player, we are looking for a positive response complimented by hard work and great enthusiasm. Good players will always recognize their mistakes, admit their mistakes, learn from their mistakes, and forget their mistakes. We refer to these four action steps as “Next Play!” mentality.

Hard Work (Player's Handbook Chapter)

2008-11-15T22:42:00.002-06:00

I am the most desirable thing in life. Without me no one can be healthy, happy, or useful...without me, the hidden wealth and vast resources of this earth would have no value. Men and women who try to get along without me are characterless, selfish, undeveloped, useless, and unprofitable members of society. I am behind every fortune, every art and science, every achievement, every triumph of man. Rich men and poor men alike often try to find substitutes for me, hoping thereby to secure a larger measure of happiness, peace and satisfaction, but they are always bitterly disappointed. Instead of gain, every substitute for me brings them loss. As the creator is greater than the created, so I am greater than wealth, power, fame, learning, or any other acquired possession or quality of man, because I am the source from which he acquired them. I am work.

John Wooden also believes in work. He says hard work is the cornerstone of success. There is no substitute for hard work. Furthermore, author Zig Ziglar illustrates this with a humorous story:

Many years ago a wise king called all his wise men together and gave them a commission. He asked them to compile the “Wisdom of the Ages”. The wise men went to work and came back with twelve volumes of wisdom. The king said he was sure this would not be read because it was too long. They went back to work and condensed it to one volume. Again he said it was too long. Finally they returned with one sentence that read, “There ain't no free lunch”. The wise old king said this is truly the “Wisdom of the Ages”.

It is true. There is no substitute for hard work. However, I see too many young players mistake activity for achievement. Hard work is a daily journey throughout your entire life that requires tremendous self-discipline. Mentally you need to develop confidence in yourself, coaches, and teammates. Physically you need to be in shape, eat right, and treat your body in a manner that prepares you to release your maximum potential.

The hard worker stands up and stands out from the crowd. He's a cut above the rest. He's the first one in the gym and the last one to leave. Once you've created this work ethic, second to none, you begin to feel good about yourself. Your confidence soars and success is just around the corner. However, many high school athletes succumb to peer pressure and settle for mediocre effort. They end up making excuses and passing the buck. You are called to be different!

Attitude (Player's Handbook Chapter)

2008-11-11T21:56:00.001-06:00

I am sure you have heard a coach say, “He has a bad attitude.” So what is a good attitude? Most of us find it easy to have a good attitude when everything is going our way, but what happens when the chips are down? It’s a known fact you will face adversity at least three times this season. What will be your attitude when you do not get in the game, when the official makes a poor call, when you can hardly walk you are so run down, or when you are getting chewed out for something you don't think you did?

A good attitude is doing your best at all times, respecting your coach's decisions, respecting your teammates, reaching down and going a little bit harder, accepting criticism, and not blaming someone else. Are you prepared to have such an attitude? David did…

Goliath, the nine-foot 400-lb. giant, challenged the soldiers of Israel. David, a 17-year-old shepherd, demanded to know why they were not accepting his challenge. They explained to David that Goliath would destroy them. David did not agree because he compared the size of Goliath to the size of God. As you know, David won. He did not allow the conditions to control his attitude; his attitude controlled the conditions.

I hope you can step onto the basketball court with the same attitude David had when he stepped onto the battlefield with Goliath. Be positive and do not let your mistakes handle you; rather, you handle your mistakes.

In closing, Chuck Swindoll echoes these sentiments by saying:

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a team. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.”

Team Spirit (Player's Handbook Chapter)

2008-11-07T23:05:00.002-06:00

This team is not about you. The late Jim Valvano, former North Carolina State coach said, “A person really doesn’t become whole until he becomes a part of something that’s bigger than himself.” Thus, being a part of this team is about being a great teammate and losing your “me attitude” in our “team attitude”! I have a good story that illustrates this team concept, and I hope it means as much to you as it does to me:

A man was given a tour of both Heaven and Hell so he could select his final destination. In Hell, all the occupants were seated at a banquet table loaded with every food imaginable, but the people were skin and bones. Each person had a four-foot fork and knife strapped to each hand that made it impossible to eat. Next he entered Heaven. The scene was almost identical, except all the people sitting around the banquet table were healthy and happy. The man was bewildered. Then he saw the answer. Each person in Hell had been trying to feed himself. Four-foot forks and knives made this impossible. Each person in Heaven was feeding the one across the table.

Life is like an echo. We must treat people the way we would want to be treated. Your teammates' and coaches' welfare should be very important to you on and off the court. On the court you will often hear me say if you get someone else open, you will get open. The same principle applies to life. Great teammates make themselves available to serve. They pay attention to the needs of others. Great teammates do the best with what they have. They don’t make excuses, procrastinate, or wait for better circumstances. Great teammates do every task with equal dedication. Great opportunities often disguise themselves in small tasks. Great teammates are faithful. They don’t leave a job half undone, and they don’t quit when they get discouraged. And great teammates maintain a low profile. Self-promotion and being a great teammate just don’t mix.

With all this said, everything we do is team. That is why we do not ever want one-on-one spectacles, but moments when individual skills contribute to the team as a whole. We value the man who makes the pass that leads to an assist. We appreciate the man who busts himself to get another teammate open. We value the man who takes pride in defensive help and takes a charge. We appreciate the practice player who does not see much playing time, but pushes his teammates day in and day out. This team attitude applies off the court as well. That is why we emphasize not to do anything that will bring unusual attention to yourself; such as your hair, language, dress, and actions.

More on Wooden by Maxwell

2008-11-03T20:45:00.001-06:00

The following comes from the email newsletter put out by John Maxwell and Invoy.com each month.

Lessons from Basketball's Greatest Coach by Dr. John C. Maxwell

At 97 years of age, John Wooden is a legend in the coaching profession. In 1999, ESPN named him The Greatest Coach of the 20th Century.

The list of honors garnered by Coach Wooden during his coaching career is unrivaled. Over the course of twelve years, his UCLA Bruins basketball teams won ten NCAA Championships, including an astonishing seven in a row from 1967 to 1973. For comparison's sake, no other men's coach has won more than 4 NCAA titles. He led his teams to four undefeated seasons; no other coach has had more than one undefeated season. His teams set a record by winning 88 games in a row, including 38 in a row in the NCAA Tournament.

Winning: More than the score

After glancing at Coach Wooden's record, a person may be misled into thinking Coach Wooden was a man preoccupied with winning. However, nothing could be further from the truth. For Coach Wooden, competition was never about comparing his team to the opposing squad. Despite all of the victories, trophies, and championships, Coach Wooden never spoke to his team about winning.

John Wooden was college basketball's greatest coach because he kept score differently than any other coach. Rather than measuring success in terms of wins and losses, he focused relentlessly on potential and improvement. Coach Wooden would grow livid if his players loafed when the team was ahead by 20 points, and he could be thrilled with his team's performance - even when they lost by 20 points.

Leadership Application: When businesses focus exclusively on market share or the bottom line, they run the risk of overlooking or undervaluing the people, processes, and systems that drive results.

Practice: Not perfection, but preparation

When questioned by reporters about missing team practices, current NBA star Allen Iverson gave a disdainful tirade on the pettiness of practice. "We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're talking about practice. I mean, listen, we're sitting here talking about practice, not a game... how silly is that?"

For many sports fans, Iverson's comments were emblematic of the arrogance and me-first attitude of an athlete in the National Basketball Association. If nothing else, his words revealed his underlying attitude: I'm an NBA superstar; I've arrived; I'm good enough to skip practice; practice doesn't matter, it's my performance on game day that counts.

To John Wooden, such an attitude would have been reprehensible. Coach Wooden's style was best noted for his keen attention to detail and the rigors of his practice regimen. In his words, "If you prepare properly, you may be outscored but you will never lose. You always win when you make the full effort to do the best of which you're capable."

For Coach Wooden, winning happened when the stands were empty and the spectators absent. He loved the day-by-day discipline of practice. By convincing his team to give their best effort at practice, he coached them to perform at a higher level than opponents. As a result, he enjoyed unprecedented success when games were played and championships were on the line.

Leadership Application: Challenge your people to give top effort every day, and prepare to the point of excess. If you don't tolerate sloppiness when the team prepares, then they will perform better in pressure situations.

Peak Performers: More than Talent

John Wooden gained an advantage over other coaches because he had a superior method of selecting players. While most recruiters scoured high school gyms solely in search of talent and athleticism, Coach Wooden began his search from a different vantage point.

When selecting players, Coach Wooden's primary consideration was the student's transcript. For him, a student's discipline in the classroom spoke volumes about the young man's priorities. Coach Wooden wanted players who recognized their primary responsibility was to earn a college degree rather than excel on the court.

When evaluating potential recruits, John Wooden's second criterion was the student's family life. Did the student respect his parents or guardians? Did the student treat his siblings kindly? By looking into a potential player's family life, Coach Wooden measured the player's ability to build healthy relationships. He knew relational skills were essential for establishing teamwork and camaraderie.

John Wooden's third consideration when selecting talent was the composite evaluation of six coaches. He was leery of basing his analysis on a single performance. By diligently consulting the opinion of six coaches, Coach Wooden measured consistency. He wanted to avoid selecting players who gave top effort one night only to withhold it on another evening.

Coach Wooden's final criteria for selecting players were quickness and talent. He wasn't naïve. He knew speed and natural ability were uncoachable and irreplaceable. Even so, he refused to select a player until he felt comfortable with the young man's priorities, relationships, and track record of consistent performance.

Leadership Application: By looking blindly at talent, leaders end up with malcontents who place personal gain above team spirit or talent-rich sluggards who rarely give their best effort. When hiring, consider an interviewee's life priorities, relational history, and career accomplishments. Don't discount talent, but never elevate it as the sole quality in a prospective teammate.

Wooden: On Doing Your Best

2008-10-28T21:02:00.001-05:00

"A coach can only do his best, nothing more, but he does owe that, not only to himself, but to the people who employ him and to the youngsters under his supervision. If you truly do your best, and only you will really know, then you are successful and the actual score is immaterial whether it was favorable or unfavorable. However, when you fail to do your best, you have failed, even thought the score might been to your liking.

This does not mean that you should not coach to win. You must teach your players to play to win and do everything in your power that is ethical and honest to win.

I am rather thoroughly convinced that those who have the self-satisfaction of knowing they have done their best will also be on the most desirable end of the score as much, and perhaps more, than their natural ability might indicate."

From "Practical Modern Basketball"
By John Wooden