Hello Team,
Great efforts today! We won the 15-18 year old game and in spirit, we won the 11-12 year old game. I say that because, we faced a giant team and literally almost won the game. I’m proud of both of the teams and thankful for the help of our parents. Thanks for the snacks from Janeen, Gail, and Aaron, it’s much appreciated. Below are some takeaways from the games today, please make sure the players read this and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
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Inspiration….
The first thing I want to tell you is that you guys are improving in a very great way.I have seen you step up, communicate more effectively, and grow as a team.Every one of you are getting better every time we watch you play.Whether we win or lose, the most important thing is that we win in our attitude, win in our personal skills development, and win in our overall team improvement each game.To me, it’s not perfection that matters, it’s constant improvement.If you continue to listen and improve, you will become near perfect at some point.
1. See the big picture. Remember that it’s not just about winning, its about getting better. Don’t let your performance from today, dictate how you feel for the rest of the week. When you go out on the court, remember that you are playing for your family and friends. You are playing to make connections and learn how to be a team player. If you have a bad game or a good game, be sure that you will have the opposite experience in the future. So see the big picture and look at how you are helping bring joy to the community.
2. Become the feeder first. Some of you are worried about how many points your going to score and this may make you nervous and cause you to mess up more than you normally would. When you play the game, the first thing you should be thinking about is, how am I going to help my teammates to score, how will I get them involved in the game today. If you think about feeding your teammates first you will have less pressure to perform and you will start getting open shots for yourself. The game will be fun and you won’t be as stressed when you play.
3. Shoot your shot. Don’t forget to shoot the ball. If you have been practicing your shot, why wait to shoot the ball when you’re in the game. Too often, I have seen some of you wait 5 seconds before shooting. I have seen you dribble around in circles. Just shoot the ball when your open and if you’re not open pass it and wait for the open shot again. Whatever you do, don’t be afraid to shoot and stop hesitating.
4. Encourage your teammates. When your teammates are discouraged, encourage them. It doesn’t matter what mistakes they made, encourage them. Encouraging them will get the doubt out of their minds and help us to give our best effort. Tell them to shoot the ball. Tell them to drive. Tell them they can do it.
5. Be respectful to the refs. I know the refs made very bad calls today, but don’t forget that they are adults, they have families, and they are taking out their time to make this game possible for us to play. If they make bad calls, just brush it off and let us coaches and parents remind them. If you badger the refs they will only get frustrated and turn against us even more. Besides, we should not win games based on the referee. If we shoot the ball well, our games should not be close. We should win by skill, knowledge, and giving our best hustle.
Thanks for reading this. I look forward to our practice on Monday, we have a few things to work on. Players are welcome to both practices. Also, some parents have asked about AAU, please text me at 609-500-1039 and let me know if you are interested. With AAU there is a significant commitment and we will have to set it up properly for everyone to enjoy the experience. Also, I would like to begin doing a zoom conference call with the players to talk about leadership and respect. If you want your son to be a part of it, please text me on this also. Thanks again for your support! I will see you soon. Coach G.