#66 Building a Basketball IQ

The world is not limited by IQ. We are all limited by bravery and creativity. --Astro Teller

I'm sorry if these blog entries often ask you to be my very inexpensive psychotherapist, but I feel like I am usually venting to those who can relate to me as a coach, parent, present or former athlete or maybe just an aspiring one of those.  Any way, I appreciate that so many of you come back and listen and sometimes share your thoughts or own experiences.

I will paraphrase Matthew McConaughey from Dazed and Confused, but the older I get, the younger [my players] seem to get.

It is amazing to me how little basketball a group of young men aged 15-18 actually watch.  When I was their age, I knew every player, what college they went to, their stats, their height and weight, their favorite moves, etc.

I memorized the details because I wanted to be those guys playing D1 or in the NBA, so I would not only learn about them as people, but I would go outside and mimic every move I learned the night before.

I don't think I was born any different than the average Joe, but I worked terribly hard to soak-up every ounce of wisdom from any person I looked up to.  I don't know when that changed or if it changed, but of the 15 young men I coach day in and day out, I only see 1 of the 15 as having the desire to grow and engage with anyone older than them that may be able to steal something to make their future brighter.  This young man is not the fastest or quickest.  He is probably the worst athlete in our program.  However, he is far and away the one with the brightest basketball future with real potential to play on TV some day and make money dribbling, shooting and passing a basketball.

What makes this young man "special" you ask?

The answer is not what you would expect, but it is the thing I cannot get past:  "His eyes."

His eyes are so very humble.  Without saying a word to me, I know he is listening; he understands; he is hungry for more; and he is very much appreciative of the information the coaches have to share with him.  Isn't that amazing?

I have been coaching for over 25 years.  I have been a Head Coach at some capacity for that long, and this is the first time I have truly understood why a kid will thrive or won't thrive on the court.  Many kids have those eyes every once in a while, but this young man shows those same humble eyes whether I am chewing him out or praising him in front of his teammates.

The big question comes back to #14 Significance vs. Success.  How do we teach kids to grow or build their basketball IQ, so it truly becomes a part of who they are?

You may write me (and I hope you do) with a much different perspective, but I have boiled it down to 4 major components:

1.  EARLY FAILURE;  Too many of us parents don't make our kids try new things.  We don't challenge their self-worth and then allow them to fail.  If a kid fails enough at something, they begin to realize that the failure isn't the end of the world.  And, if they keep trying, they learn from their mistakes and begin turning those failures into successes.  If we don't learn to fail, we can never really learn to succeed.

2.  HUNGER:  The great Hall of Fame college basketball coach, Al McGuire, once said "If they have grass on their lawn, I don't want them."  He was referring to kids who didn't know when their next meal would be or if they would have a place to sleep next week.  He knew that kids who knew what it was like to be hungry would work harder than anyone else because they never wanted to be in that position again.  I have learned that philosophy does not need to be as extreme or absolute as Coach's perspective.  A hungry kid could just be one that has such a big dream that they don't see obstacles in their way of achieving it.  Those kids will do anything to get better and fight for the next opportunity that presents itself.  How do we create that?  If your child says that they really, really want something, show them how to earn it.  If you just give it to them, they won't find a way to earn it when they can just come back to you each time.  [See signs in the forest that read "Don't Feed the Animals"]

3.  OPPORTUNITY:  If you take a dry sponge and throw it in a sink of water, it will quickly fill up and ingest every ounce of that water it can take.  Kids need the same.  Put your kids in situations where they can ingest.  This happens not only by putting them on teams and in leagues, but by taking them to games (HS, college, pro).  Show them what the best looks like.  Give them a chance to be inspired.  Put them in front of people who have done what they want to do.  Teach them to ask questions and expect answers and fight for those answers.  Be a sponge!

4.  FEED THE FIRE:  If your child wants to go to the park or go outside and shoot baskets or play catch, find the time to do it.  You don't have to be an athlete yourself to go for a run or shoot some baskets or just sit down and watch a game together.  When there is a fire in your child, you must nurture it or find someone who will.  I see so many kids with that fire and they quickly see me as the gasoline for that fire, but I can't go home with them.  I can't be their fuel every day.  I wish I could, but my family likes to see me every once in a while (I don't know why, but they do.)  So, bend a little.  Break a bit, but do all you can to feed the fire...no matter how small the flame!

Coach Matt Rogers
Twitter:  @madcoachdiary
Email:  coachrogers12@gmail.com
Linkedin:  www.linkedin.com/in/rogersmatt16
Blog:  madcoachdiary.blogspot.com
Phone:  (312) 610-6045

Matt Rogers is a 20-year high school and college coach veteran.  He has led two teams to the NCAA National Tournament and one team to a High School State Championship.  His teams hold numerous school and one NCAA record. He has mentored and coached players at every level while serving as an athletics administrator at the high school and NCAA levels. He has helped numerous players continue their careers at the professional level. He currently is the Head National Scout/Recruiting Specialist for NCSA - Next College Student Athlete where he has helped thousands of young men and women from around the world achieve their dreams of playing at the college level.  Coach presently lives in the Denver, CO area with his wife of 19 years and his two children. 

To request Coach Rogers to speak at your school or event, you can reach him through any of his contact information above.

#65 Three Drills to Create Toughness

Mental toughness is spartanism with qualities of sacrifice, self-denial, dedication. It is fearlessness, and it is love. --Vince Lombardi

There is not a team that I have coached that I didn't love.  I don't have a former player who I don't look forward to our next conversation.  It makes my day every time one of them calls or writes. Although I am extremely proud of all my players, I have had very few kids over the years who came to our program who I would call naturally tough.  Toughness HAS to be taught.

So few kids are raised on farms anymore.  Even kids from the city with tough economic conditions aren't as tough as they used to be.  I can't tell you how many families I talk to who are struggling to pay next months rent, but the 15-year old in the family has an iPhone and a pair of Air Jordans.

Toughness has become how big of a bully we can be on Twitter.

For those of you who are in the same position I am where you are just trying to give those kids who have never been hungry; never been without; have never had to get on their knees and put a hard days work in, here are a couple of drills that I think will help.  I have split them into 3 categories:

WRESTLEMANIA

Have your kids partner up with a teammate who is similar in age, size and strength.  Let them pick their "opponent".  It will be good for you to see what they think is a good match for them.

Have one player hold a ball with their hands to the sides.  Have the other player hold the ball with their hands at the top and the bottom.

Blow your whistle or say "GO".  This is basically tug-of-war with two people and a basketball.  Do a best out of 7, and see who comes away with the possession the majority of the time.  The losers have to do 25 push-ups.

Once you say go, they can use their bodies and arms in anyway, as long as they don't kick, throw elbows, bite, etc.  Let them learn through repetition how to use their leverage to win that ball.

They will hate this drill, but they will learn to crave it.  Take 2-minutes and do it daily for a couple weeks.  You will find that you will stop losing all those loose rebounds and jump balls.

UNBROKEN

This is a great drill that Coach Shiomi taught me a few years back.  I cannot remember what she called it, but to me, the drill reminds me of the movie "Unbroken" because of the resilience it takes to win the drill.

Put one player in the paint as a post defender.  Line-up the rest of your roster at the top of the key.  The first offensive player runs into the paint and receives a post entry from a coach.  The play is then live 1 v 1.  The offensive player only gets 2 dribbles, but the play goes on until the offense scores or the defender gets a rebound or a steal or forces a turnover.

Once there is a score or a stop, the next offensive player dives to the post.  The defensive player stay on until they get 3 stops in a row.  The coach picks a new defender if there are 3 stops before the 10 minutes runs out.

CAUTION:  Start with your weakest kids on defense.  There will be tears.  There will be sympathy.  Don't let your offensive players take it easy on the exhausted kid who has had to play defense 10 times in a row.  Let that kid find their will and might and resilience.  They will get the job done if you let them.  I have done this drill numerous time for 10 minutes and only one player got to play defense the whole time.  They will be the saddest person in the gym, but they will NEVER let themselves be put in that position again.

300

Yes, another one of my favorite movies.  300 vs. 100,000.  Seems impossible.

This is a simple 3 v 3 half-court drills.  However, much like "Unbroken", the first 3 defenders must get 3 stops in a row.  If they foul, the count goes back to zero (same for Unbroken).  Make sure your offense attacks.  Once the defense gets a stop or the offense gets the score, the person closest to the ball must pass it out to the next offensive player at half court IMMEDIATELY, and those next three players IMMEDIATELY ATTACK the 3 defenders.  The offense can screen, cut, dribble, post, shoot however they want, but they must attack.

Once the 3 defenders get a stop, the coach picks 3 other defenders and you go again.  Coach Brase made us to do this at Coe the practice before every game, and I have used it ever since [I think Coach actually called the drill "Warrior"].  It is a great drill to build toughness, but it also builds teamwork.  The 3 defenders must work together or they will play defense for the full 10 minutes and be exhausted at the end.

Good luck with the last few weeks of the season!  I hope these three drills can help give you an edge your teams have been missing.  As always, please call with questions.

Coach Matt Rogers
Twitter:  @madcoachdiary
Email:  coachrogers12@gmail.com
Linkedin:  www.linkedin.com/in/rogersmatt16
Blog:  madcoachdiary.blogspot.com
Phone:  (312) 610-6045

Matt Rogers is a 20-year high school and college coach veteran.  He has led two teams to the NCAA National Tournament and one team to a High School State Championship.  His teams hold numerous school and one NCAA record. He has mentored and coached players at every level while serving as an athletics administrator at the high school and NCAA levels. He has helped numerous players continue their careers at the professional level. He currently is the Head National Scout/Recruiting Specialist for NCSA - Next College Student Athlete where he has helped thousands of young men and women from around the world achieve their dreams of playing at the college level.  Coach presently lives in the Denver, CO area with his wife of 19 years and his two children. 

To request Coach Rogers to speak at your school or event, you can reach him through any of his contact information above.