| Why Summer Matters |
Posted 5/15/2013 by Lyndsey |
The average basketball player spends 2-3 additional hours per week during the school year on his or her development. This does not include practice or game time. That number isn't very high for a few reasons: lack of commitment, court space, available pre/post school hours. The beauty of summer-time is there are endless hours that can be devoted to honing your skills.
If you are a SERIOUS player, you've already outlined a summer plan that includes development camps, a training schedule, and at least 1 day per week of rest and recovery time. Summer matters because the opportunity to improve is much greater than during the school year. Over the past few days, I've begun to review athletes' summer schedules and the one thing that's missing is the extra 30 minutes - 1 hour of training. Remember in training, it's QUALITY over QUANTITY.
One of my favorite weeks of the yearly training calendar is the last week before school starts. It's very evident who invested the time vs. who wasted the extra time.
Droppin' Dimes,
Lyndsey
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| Back to the Basics, Daily Routine |
Posted 4/11/2013 by Lyndsey |
One of the biggest problems in our youth basketball development is the desire to put a ball in a young athlete's hands as quickly as possible. There are great studies available that expound on when and why this process should happen based on body development. I was blessed to have great skill trainers growing up who always started with the basics. I have been doing some research on other skill trainers the past few months, learning how and what they do. One was teaching what he referred to as 'NBA moves' to 4th graders. These little tikes could hardly dribble, let alone complete a complex 4-move drill. As our game develops and improves, returning back to the basics is key so we grow our games with thoughtful intention not just random, great moves we saw on YouTube.
I want to give credit to Lindsay Strothers who from 6th - HS had me do this routine every day regardless of what I had (holiday, tournaments, practice):
- 200 jump rope
- 100 push ups
- 200 core exercises
- 50 fire hydrants
And you don't have to do them all at once. Wake up and knock out 10 push ups. Brush your teeth and get in another 10. Eat breakfast, do another 10, and you're at 30.
As we develop our games, we have to develop our bodies in the process through a consistent, daily routine.
Droppin' Dimes,
Lyndsey |
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| March Madness |
Posted 3/20/2013 by Lyndsey |
Watch the Madness as a STUDENT of the game vs. an Average Fan by highlighting the following:
- Watch the SHOT SELECTION, as this can often be the difference between winning and losing games
- Observe end of game situation and TIME MANAGEMENT
- Look at the teams who win the most HUSTLE PLAYS
- See if you can pick up on the TEMPO and what team controls it for most of the game
- Notice who has UN-RUFFLE-ABILITY through adverse moments
- Pick players who exude PASSION, ENERGY, COMMUNICATION, LEADERSHIP and emulate them in your upcoming practices and games!
Oh, and ballers. Do me a favor. Put your phone down when you watch
games. Have your journal out. Listen for key phrases or good teaching
points. And let this month INSPIRE you to want to take part in one of
the greatest sporting events of the year!
Droppin' Dimes,
Lyndsey |
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| The End of a Season |
Posted 2/20/2013 by Lyndsey |
Only so many teams, players, and coaches can end a season with a win. Many average players continue to stress and think about their final loss. That loss won't ever be changed. I reminded a player yesterday to 'End the day at midnight'. It can still burn, hurt, and make you cry but it's also important to move on because depending where you are in your career, there are many more moments ahead.
Here are some things you can do at the end of each season:
- Write your Coach a sincere 'thank you' note (all assistants too)
- Tell each Teammate what you appreciated about them
- Identify Key People (Janitors, Stat Crew, Announcer, Athletic Director) and be sure to thank them for their efforts to make each practice and game a reality
- Grab some Game Film so you can study areas of your game that need to improve
- Write out 2-3 Key Skills that need refinement and build a plan to work on them
What else would be helpful for players to know once a season has ended?
Droppin' Dimes,
Lyndsey |
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| Champion Mindset |
Posted 1/23/2013 by Lyndsey |
Think there's a difference between how Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant trained? No question. There's probably also a big difference on how they THINK.
(one of my favorite pictures of all time)
A Champion Mindset includes thoughts like these:
- You sleep. I train.
- You complain. I gain.
- You want it to happen. I make it happen.
- You hate the grind. I love the grind required to make success possible.
- You think impossible. I know possible.
- You think missed shot. I think made shot.
Is what's between the ears hindering your success? Change your thoughts and you can change your LIFE!
Droppin' Dimes,
Lyndsey
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| Rocky + Rudy |
Posted 1/11/2013 by Lyndsey |
Mental Toughness. Either you have it or you don't.
Someone asked me this weekend, 'Where do I get IT from?' I don't know what IT is. And I surely am no where near where I want to be as a Wife, Coach, Trainer, Sister, Daughter, or Friend. I've got many ways to grow like my athletes do. I will admit to having an Intestinal Fortitude unlike many. Following my miscarriage this fall, I've been motivated more than ever to make as great an impact many young peoples' lives since we didn't have the chance to have our own, yet.
It began with my parents, my siblings, my extended family, many great mentors and coaches, and friends. I'm a sponge and try to learn from everything, everyone, and everyday. Yet, I'm challenged by the Messages clouding many young people with who they follow on Twitter or the reality TV available to them at the touch of a finger. So it got me to thinking what did I do in my free time as a teenager when I couldn't fall asleep at night. This man gave me
Powerful Messaging and Simple Motivation
I would watch Rocky videos (at the time, there were 5 movies in the series) when my parents thought I was sleeping. I saw myself as him, fighting through fatigue, defeat, and critics. I would imagine 'Mick' (his trainer) would be my coaches as I grew to achieve new heights in my career. I knew one day I'd find my 'Adrian' in a husband and a life partner who would stop at nothing to fuel my dreams, and we'd make a great life together. I always respected and learned from my greatest competitors, the same way Rocky valued his friendship with 'Apollo'.
I'm not encouraging you to ignore your parents when they ask you to go to bed. Sleep is a critical part of maintaining a healthy life. But when you can't fall asleep at night, what are the messages that you are sending to your mind? Is your Twitter timeline guiding your pre-bed thoughts? Is your phone somehow sending you last minute motivation or do you find resources (ie: the Rocky series) to inspire and ignite a fire in your life?
There are countless great sports movies out there, and I pity the young people who haven't even heard of characters like Rocky or Rudy. Let's make sure they watch the movies and know the stories because there's another Rocky or Rudy out there, and it's our job to keep that flame lit to find 'em!
Droppin' Dimes,
Lyndsey
PS - I reached out to my network and asked them to provide some other great sports movies, and here's a great list of a TON of awesome, inspirational sports movies (in no particular order):
Glory Road / Coach Carter / Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner / Chariots of Fire / Mighty Macs / Miracle / Pride of the Yankees / Love & Basketball / ESPN 30 for 30 Documentaries / Hoosiers / For the Love of the Game / Hoop Dreams / Running Brave / Bull Durham / Blue Chip / Space Jam / Blind Side / Remember the Titans / Facing the Giants / Little Giants Finding Forrester / Sandlot / The Heart of the Game / Invincible / Original Brian's Song / A League of Their Own / Hurricane Season / American Flyer / Any Given Sunday
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| Why Not? Approach to Dreams |
Posted 1/7/2013 by Lyndsey |
This past weekend I attended an event that taught me a TON, especially related to Nutrition and Sports Performance. But more importantly, I listened and learned to leaders. While I challenge my athletes to grow DAILY, I must do it myself as well. It felt great for 8 hours just to sit back, fill a notebook, and GROW. And this thought kept coming back to me:
WHY NOT SHOOT FOR THE MOON BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T GET THERE, AT LEAST YOU'RE UP THERE AMONG THE STARS?
As a culture, Fear is our #1 Motivator. We fail to share our dreams often because we are afraid of not achieving, not being good enough, falling short. Many of my athletes want to be collegiate basketball players, or successful doctors, or an accomplished lawyer. And I say, WHY NOT?!
The challenge lies in understanding what it takes to get there. Being willing to say 'no' to FUN, and 'yes' to WORK. So I humbly state my dream: To Change The World.
And if I fall short of that, I know I'll change a few lives in the process. Dream big. Work like crazy. Make it happen.
Droppin' Dimes,
lyndsey
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| Push vs. Provide |
Posted 12/27/2012 by Lyndsey |
Did I do these things on my way to the gym at some point in my junior high and high school years:
- Cried?
- Slammed the door upon arriving?
- Scolded my parents for MAKING me train with some of the best coaches on the West Coast?
- Rolled my eyes when knew a workout would replace a Friday night movie with friends?
- Belligerently got into the car after hearing it was time to go?
YEP TO ALL OF THEM.
Now, don't get me wrong. 95% of the time, I loved each and every minute of training. I had amazing coaches, who were mentors and friends. I developed a basketball IQ that was rarely matched by the average high school player. And more importantly, I was taught a game through life skills that have served me long after my playing career ended. But I had my moments listed above.
As a teenager, we want to do what everyone else is doing. Movies on Friday? Yep, the whole town's going. And when my parents told me it was basketball time on Friday and Saturday evenings, I sometimes fought them. However, looking back, I wish I would've thanked them more each time they sacrificed 2 hours in a car ONE WAY to allow me to complete a 1 hour training session. No question I played at the collegiate and professional level because of that extra investment of time, money, and energy.
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