Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Inching toward, but miles away.
Two practices down and alot has been accomplished. That is the good news. The bad news is that every day I think of a hundred more things that need to be accomplished. Fortunately we have a great work ethic and good internal leadership to help us get better every day. I appreciate the effort our ladies are putting into every possession and every practice drill so far. Let's keep it going!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Christmas in September
Today is the first day of practice and I find myself not able to sleep. Indeed, for me personally today is better than Christmas. I absolutely enjoy my family time and watching the joy of my children in opening their gifts. However, I would rather practice than do just about anything else. So when Day One comes along, it is very special.
Everything is ahead of schedule right now in terms of how plans have taken shape. I think the coachability of my team is excellent and the talent level is much higher than I anticipated in year one. That makes it even more exciting to start tomorrow. It will be the beginning of the journey. Conditioning is behind us. Gut Week was conquered and is behind us. We really came together this last weekend at our team retreat and that is behind us. It is now time to focus on fundamentals, offense, defense, transition, shooting, skill development, all of the things that coaches really enjoy.
Continue to pray for the development of our team and that today is the first practice toward a championship program at Faulkner University.
Blessings,
Coach S
Everything is ahead of schedule right now in terms of how plans have taken shape. I think the coachability of my team is excellent and the talent level is much higher than I anticipated in year one. That makes it even more exciting to start tomorrow. It will be the beginning of the journey. Conditioning is behind us. Gut Week was conquered and is behind us. We really came together this last weekend at our team retreat and that is behind us. It is now time to focus on fundamentals, offense, defense, transition, shooting, skill development, all of the things that coaches really enjoy.
Continue to pray for the development of our team and that today is the first practice toward a championship program at Faulkner University.
Blessings,
Coach S
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Gut Week Update
So far we are making it through ok. There are 4 sessions down. We have 3 more sessions left. Tomorrow is "Hump Day". It is called that because it is Wednesday and falls in the middle of the week. Once you make it past Wednesday it is all down hill. That is the truth for our team during Gut Week as well.
The four sessions we have had were:
Monday AM - 2 hour session that include stretching, Indian Mile, Vertimax, Ab work, Sprints on the floor, closeouts/one on one full court defense, and a changing direction drill (did you know that if a player plays all 40 minutes of a college game they will change directions on the floor close to 700 times?)
Monday PM - A 1.9 mile jog in dowtown jog that started at the Cramton Bowl and ended on the top of the stairs of the Capitol Building. That last 1/2 mile up Dexter Avenue is a beast but it is full of rich history including civil rights marches and the home of Dexter Ave Baptist Church (where MLK Jr. was Pastor). Our kids did a great job and decided that they want to conquer the capitol city and be the best program in the river region.
Tuesday AM - A 2 hour session that included stretching, Indian Mile, Ab work, 2 ball full court ballhandling, and a great fast break drill that we used to run at Westbury Christian that really helped us defensively.
Tuesday PM - We took some time and dusted and wiped down every seat in the upper level of the gym. These seats were used and put in hastily and they were very dusty. We wanted to take some pride in the appearance of our facility so we cleaned up the seats, swept, and hand wiped down the aisle steps and front row flooring. This should make it more comfortable for our fans and for the general student population and faculty wo have had to sit on dusty seats for the last week of chapel.
Tomorrow is Hump Day. A 2 hour morning session and then the grand daddy of them all..."Touch Em All" at the Cramton Bowl. I have been told it seats 30,000...that may be a preachers count. Still...not easy at all.
Our last session will be 6-7:30 am on Thursday. Then we will leave that evening for a retreat in Childersburg, AL.
What a great week so far!!
God Bless,
Coach S
The four sessions we have had were:
Monday AM - 2 hour session that include stretching, Indian Mile, Vertimax, Ab work, Sprints on the floor, closeouts/one on one full court defense, and a changing direction drill (did you know that if a player plays all 40 minutes of a college game they will change directions on the floor close to 700 times?)
Monday PM - A 1.9 mile jog in dowtown jog that started at the Cramton Bowl and ended on the top of the stairs of the Capitol Building. That last 1/2 mile up Dexter Avenue is a beast but it is full of rich history including civil rights marches and the home of Dexter Ave Baptist Church (where MLK Jr. was Pastor). Our kids did a great job and decided that they want to conquer the capitol city and be the best program in the river region.
Tuesday AM - A 2 hour session that included stretching, Indian Mile, Ab work, 2 ball full court ballhandling, and a great fast break drill that we used to run at Westbury Christian that really helped us defensively.
Tuesday PM - We took some time and dusted and wiped down every seat in the upper level of the gym. These seats were used and put in hastily and they were very dusty. We wanted to take some pride in the appearance of our facility so we cleaned up the seats, swept, and hand wiped down the aisle steps and front row flooring. This should make it more comfortable for our fans and for the general student population and faculty wo have had to sit on dusty seats for the last week of chapel.
Tomorrow is Hump Day. A 2 hour morning session and then the grand daddy of them all..."Touch Em All" at the Cramton Bowl. I have been told it seats 30,000...that may be a preachers count. Still...not easy at all.
Our last session will be 6-7:30 am on Thursday. Then we will leave that evening for a retreat in Childersburg, AL.
What a great week so far!!
God Bless,
Coach S
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Gut Week...It's What's For Breakfast
Gut Week...it's whats for breakfast. That is my new tagline for next week's early morning conditioning sessions.
It is fun to se how hard our girls are working and they step up to every challenge we give them. This morning they did 2 sets of 8 reps of 120 yard intervals (sprint 20 yds then jog 10, repeat) throw in some abs and pushups...then top it off with 8 100 yd dashes. This of course was after dynamic stretching and a 1.2 mile Indian run (not politically correct for which I apologize). An Indian run is where the team jogs in a single file line and the last person sprints to the front while everyone is still jogging. Once they get to the front, then they call for the next person to go, and so on. The point is that our players our really working hard and putting themselves in a sacrificial state with their effort. I cannot confirm the origin of the name Indian Run. They are investing in each other and encouraging each other even when it gets hard to do so. I don't know if we will win a game this year but there isn't a group that I would rather compete with than this first group.
The History of Gut Week.
I believe it was my second year at Westbury Christian and I was an assistant coach under Greg Glenn with the boy's team and we were coming off a year where we had lost in the state championship game and had a sour taste in our mouths. My assistant coaching counterpart was Casey Farris. Casey is a Faulkner graduate and was a student assistant here when he was in school. He is now the Elementary Principal at WCS and is doing a great job coaching in a different manner. I will always maintain that he is one of the best coaches I have ever been a around. He was always thinking ahead about his primary responsibility which was strength and conditioning. With our head coach's blessing, Casey decided to impart two major changes to the boy's basketball program. The first was that he was taking our State Runner-Up plaque and he was nailing it up above the mirror in the weight room so that every time our guys lifted, they were reminded of that bitter loss. Last I checked, the plaque was still there. I think everyone was afraid to touch it as it may be jinxed. The second major change was Gut Week.
Gut Week is the title for the week of conditioning that precedes the first day of practice. By it very name, you can tell what it is designed to do...see who has the "guts" to make it through and succeed. Those who finish every aspect of Gut Week walk away from it with an exclusive t-shirt and the pride in knowing that they were a more mentally well-conditioned team than any possible future opponent. That is it's origin and we have stolen the concept and brought it to Montgomery. It is the beginnings of a legend that will become an annual rite of passage for the players in our program to be allowed in to practice. People who win championships have to be "Uncommon". They have to be willing to sacrfice in ways that ordinary people don't. The greatest part of that is in knowing that you earned your championship or that you overachieved if the talent was not there to win. In either of those scenarios, the end result is satisfying and there are no regrets.
Thanks to Coach Glenn and Coach Farris for the Gut Week concept. I thank you. Our players hate you....but they will thank you later.
Blessings,
Coach S
I Cor 9:27
It is fun to se how hard our girls are working and they step up to every challenge we give them. This morning they did 2 sets of 8 reps of 120 yard intervals (sprint 20 yds then jog 10, repeat) throw in some abs and pushups...then top it off with 8 100 yd dashes. This of course was after dynamic stretching and a 1.2 mile Indian run (not politically correct for which I apologize). An Indian run is where the team jogs in a single file line and the last person sprints to the front while everyone is still jogging. Once they get to the front, then they call for the next person to go, and so on. The point is that our players our really working hard and putting themselves in a sacrificial state with their effort. I cannot confirm the origin of the name Indian Run. They are investing in each other and encouraging each other even when it gets hard to do so. I don't know if we will win a game this year but there isn't a group that I would rather compete with than this first group.
The History of Gut Week.
I believe it was my second year at Westbury Christian and I was an assistant coach under Greg Glenn with the boy's team and we were coming off a year where we had lost in the state championship game and had a sour taste in our mouths. My assistant coaching counterpart was Casey Farris. Casey is a Faulkner graduate and was a student assistant here when he was in school. He is now the Elementary Principal at WCS and is doing a great job coaching in a different manner. I will always maintain that he is one of the best coaches I have ever been a around. He was always thinking ahead about his primary responsibility which was strength and conditioning. With our head coach's blessing, Casey decided to impart two major changes to the boy's basketball program. The first was that he was taking our State Runner-Up plaque and he was nailing it up above the mirror in the weight room so that every time our guys lifted, they were reminded of that bitter loss. Last I checked, the plaque was still there. I think everyone was afraid to touch it as it may be jinxed. The second major change was Gut Week.
Gut Week is the title for the week of conditioning that precedes the first day of practice. By it very name, you can tell what it is designed to do...see who has the "guts" to make it through and succeed. Those who finish every aspect of Gut Week walk away from it with an exclusive t-shirt and the pride in knowing that they were a more mentally well-conditioned team than any possible future opponent. That is it's origin and we have stolen the concept and brought it to Montgomery. It is the beginnings of a legend that will become an annual rite of passage for the players in our program to be allowed in to practice. People who win championships have to be "Uncommon". They have to be willing to sacrfice in ways that ordinary people don't. The greatest part of that is in knowing that you earned your championship or that you overachieved if the talent was not there to win. In either of those scenarios, the end result is satisfying and there are no regrets.
Thanks to Coach Glenn and Coach Farris for the Gut Week concept. I thank you. Our players hate you....but they will thank you later.
Blessings,
Coach S
I Cor 9:27
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Give Me Jesus
Here is a youtube link to a great song that I discovered recently. You can click on the title to connect to it or use the link below. It is a very simple song, but the most powerful songs usually are...enjoy
Blessings,
Coach S
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnfOMvYd1oE
Blessings,
Coach S
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnfOMvYd1oE
Friday, September 03, 2010
Deep Breath
I am excited about this weekend for a myriad of reasons.
The first is that it is Labor Day which ironically means we don't work.
I have given our players the weekend off which started after their classes let out yesterday. I did a couple of class checks to make sure no one left early and I am happy to report that we were in class in the first two rows like we were supposed to be.
The second reason I am excited is that we finished our first phase of conditioning on a high note. We ended up doing 56 40-yard dashes in 7 seconds or less. Our players did a great job encouraging each other and staying mentally tough. I am already thinking ahead to the next phase of conditioning with eager anticipation and a bar that has been raised to a higher level of excellence.
The most important reason is that this holiday comes at a great time to just stop and take a deep breath. It helps slow the whirlwind of new players, new program, new assistants, new home, new schools for kids, new culture and new churches. It gives a moment to pause for reflection and then for planning the next segment of recruiting and pre-practice conditioning.
This deep breath will allow me to catch up with my wife and kids, to spend some much desired time with them even if it is just watching movies or taking naps on an adjacent couch, floor, or chair...just to be with them.
This deep breath will also allow us to focus on narrowing our search for a church home that is a good fit for us. The good news about Montgomery is that there are alot of church options. The bad news is that there are alot of church options.
This deep breath will allow my assistants to get away from the demands of being around me for any length of time and hearing me say, "What do you think about...(fill in blank)?" They need some rest and alone time.
This deep breath will allow the majority of our players to go home for a long weekend and be pampered by their mommas and spoiled by their daddies, to reload on supplies, and to reflect on what they have accomplished so far.
Jesus, in the midst of the demands of life, always found a way to get away and rejuvenate through prayer and time away. I hope that we all have a great respite and the battery is recharged next Tuesday.
Blessings,
Coach S
Deep Breath
Written By - Ty Waller
I take a deep breath to pause my sacred life and to regain a sense of peace in my life.
I take deep breaths to feel alive and accepted, but sometimes my breath is cut short.
My sense of peace gets lost, and I don't know if I can regain it again.
I inhale hatred and issues and I exhale peace and tranquility as some people try to cut my peace short, but I continue my deep breath.
I take deep breath after deep breath after deep breath, but it doesn't seem to work.
I can't regain my peace and tranquility wondering what's going on, because I'm still breathing in hatred and issues, but nothing is coming out.
It seems like I'm getting madder by the second wondering why I'm subconsciously bottling up my emotions one by one, as they keep going through my mind.
My mind is thinking peace and tranquility but it stops at the heart. So maybe my heart is trying to tell my mind something and my mind won't listen?
But what could it be? I think my heart wants me to come to this realization that my emotions need to be set free.
Because all this time I have been thinking that I was breathing out peace and tranquility, but I was really breathing out nothing.
Why? Because I was bottling it up inside and maybe with one last deep breath I can set it all free but it will be the longest breath of my life.
I inhale a sense of purity, peace and tranquility. I exhale a cosmic Farris wheel of emotions all at once, and it felt like it was draining me.
I was happy, sad, mad and furious at the same time and for a moment I went blind seeing nothing but darkness. But then I came into the light and a few seconds later I fell unto the ground still exhaling the devils curse.
So therefore, the last thing I remember is peace, love and tranquility.
The first is that it is Labor Day which ironically means we don't work.
I have given our players the weekend off which started after their classes let out yesterday. I did a couple of class checks to make sure no one left early and I am happy to report that we were in class in the first two rows like we were supposed to be.
The second reason I am excited is that we finished our first phase of conditioning on a high note. We ended up doing 56 40-yard dashes in 7 seconds or less. Our players did a great job encouraging each other and staying mentally tough. I am already thinking ahead to the next phase of conditioning with eager anticipation and a bar that has been raised to a higher level of excellence.
The most important reason is that this holiday comes at a great time to just stop and take a deep breath. It helps slow the whirlwind of new players, new program, new assistants, new home, new schools for kids, new culture and new churches. It gives a moment to pause for reflection and then for planning the next segment of recruiting and pre-practice conditioning.
This deep breath will allow me to catch up with my wife and kids, to spend some much desired time with them even if it is just watching movies or taking naps on an adjacent couch, floor, or chair...just to be with them.
This deep breath will also allow us to focus on narrowing our search for a church home that is a good fit for us. The good news about Montgomery is that there are alot of church options. The bad news is that there are alot of church options.
This deep breath will allow my assistants to get away from the demands of being around me for any length of time and hearing me say, "What do you think about...(fill in blank)?" They need some rest and alone time.
This deep breath will allow the majority of our players to go home for a long weekend and be pampered by their mommas and spoiled by their daddies, to reload on supplies, and to reflect on what they have accomplished so far.
Jesus, in the midst of the demands of life, always found a way to get away and rejuvenate through prayer and time away. I hope that we all have a great respite and the battery is recharged next Tuesday.
Blessings,
Coach S
Deep Breath
Written By - Ty Waller
I take a deep breath to pause my sacred life and to regain a sense of peace in my life.
I take deep breaths to feel alive and accepted, but sometimes my breath is cut short.
My sense of peace gets lost, and I don't know if I can regain it again.
I inhale hatred and issues and I exhale peace and tranquility as some people try to cut my peace short, but I continue my deep breath.
I take deep breath after deep breath after deep breath, but it doesn't seem to work.
I can't regain my peace and tranquility wondering what's going on, because I'm still breathing in hatred and issues, but nothing is coming out.
It seems like I'm getting madder by the second wondering why I'm subconsciously bottling up my emotions one by one, as they keep going through my mind.
My mind is thinking peace and tranquility but it stops at the heart. So maybe my heart is trying to tell my mind something and my mind won't listen?
But what could it be? I think my heart wants me to come to this realization that my emotions need to be set free.
Because all this time I have been thinking that I was breathing out peace and tranquility, but I was really breathing out nothing.
Why? Because I was bottling it up inside and maybe with one last deep breath I can set it all free but it will be the longest breath of my life.
I inhale a sense of purity, peace and tranquility. I exhale a cosmic Farris wheel of emotions all at once, and it felt like it was draining me.
I was happy, sad, mad and furious at the same time and for a moment I went blind seeing nothing but darkness. But then I came into the light and a few seconds later I fell unto the ground still exhaling the devils curse.
So therefore, the last thing I remember is peace, love and tranquility.
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