Thursday, December 09, 2010
Great Link for Parents and Coaches
http://www.ganonbakerbasketball.com/blog/lesson-for-grass-root-coaches-tell-the-truth/
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Validation
I am sitting in the first row behind the bus driver and the Lady Eagles are on our way home from an incredible road trip to Florida. I am grateful for wireless internet access on the bus. We are inching closer to the Alabama border and I am looking forward to getting home and sleeping in my own bed...although the beds at the Lake Wales Holiday Inn Express were very comfortable (especially once Katelyn fell asleep and cuddled up next me).
Reality set in about 15 minutes ago.
We were at a rest area and I was daydreaming out the window while the ladies were inside. I was thinking about an 8 minute segment in the second half of today's game where I thought we played very poorly defensively. I was thinking about which set of drills we should perform on Monday in practice to be more toward the ball when we are one pass away so that we can deter the dribble drive. I felt that we got away from that late in today's game and there was some slippage and we fouled and put Webber on the Free Throw line. We were up 40 points at the time and I thought we played to the scoreboard instead of doing what we do. I was thinking about how if the game had been close, those fouls and easy drives could have been costly.
As I was thinking about this, my assistant Kat climbed up the steps, got my attention, put ourther hand for a high five and said, "Coach, we are 3-0 and beat an established NAIA program by 38 on their home floor today." It was almost as if she read my mind and knew it needed redirected. Indeed she was right. I hadn't really stopped to think about it. We had a great weekend. It is a really outstanding accomplishment to be a first year program and win our first three games. Granted, this wasn't the toughest stretch of our schedule, but beating ANY team in our first year should be celebrated.
Kat was right. All of the hard work that our ladies have put in to this point and all of the investments our University has put into Women's Basketball seem validated to some degree after this weekend. Our recruiting, conditioning, offensive, and defensive philosophies were all on display in a very naked fashion this weekend for the world to see...and at least for the moment they worked. God has seen fit to bless our players with outcomes that match their input. As Emily Galloway put it in our post game prayer, "We are grateful to You (God) and give You all of the glory".
I will never forget the excitement in the voice of Dr. Billy Hilyer, Faulkner University President, when he called me moments after our inaugural game to congratulate me and our players for the win. I hope that Dr. Hilyer, Vice President Joey Wiginton, Brent Barker and our athletic administration and support staff, my coaching staff, our Lady Eagle families, and most importantly the 15 players that decided to come together at Faulkner and buy in to the vision of a championship program will look back on this historical weekend at Faulkner with fond memories and a tremendous sense of pride.
I know I will.
Blessings,
Coach S
Reality set in about 15 minutes ago.
We were at a rest area and I was daydreaming out the window while the ladies were inside. I was thinking about an 8 minute segment in the second half of today's game where I thought we played very poorly defensively. I was thinking about which set of drills we should perform on Monday in practice to be more toward the ball when we are one pass away so that we can deter the dribble drive. I felt that we got away from that late in today's game and there was some slippage and we fouled and put Webber on the Free Throw line. We were up 40 points at the time and I thought we played to the scoreboard instead of doing what we do. I was thinking about how if the game had been close, those fouls and easy drives could have been costly.
As I was thinking about this, my assistant Kat climbed up the steps, got my attention, put ourther hand for a high five and said, "Coach, we are 3-0 and beat an established NAIA program by 38 on their home floor today." It was almost as if she read my mind and knew it needed redirected. Indeed she was right. I hadn't really stopped to think about it. We had a great weekend. It is a really outstanding accomplishment to be a first year program and win our first three games. Granted, this wasn't the toughest stretch of our schedule, but beating ANY team in our first year should be celebrated.
Kat was right. All of the hard work that our ladies have put in to this point and all of the investments our University has put into Women's Basketball seem validated to some degree after this weekend. Our recruiting, conditioning, offensive, and defensive philosophies were all on display in a very naked fashion this weekend for the world to see...and at least for the moment they worked. God has seen fit to bless our players with outcomes that match their input. As Emily Galloway put it in our post game prayer, "We are grateful to You (God) and give You all of the glory".
I will never forget the excitement in the voice of Dr. Billy Hilyer, Faulkner University President, when he called me moments after our inaugural game to congratulate me and our players for the win. I hope that Dr. Hilyer, Vice President Joey Wiginton, Brent Barker and our athletic administration and support staff, my coaching staff, our Lady Eagle families, and most importantly the 15 players that decided to come together at Faulkner and buy in to the vision of a championship program will look back on this historical weekend at Faulkner with fond memories and a tremendous sense of pride.
I know I will.
Blessings,
Coach S
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Update on the Lady Eagles
There are alot of exciting things happening with the team. The bad news is that we are fighting some nagging injuries with some key players. The good news is that we won our scrimmage last Friday anyways by the score of 99-54 over Enterprise State Community College.
In the scrimmage, we had 8 players score between 8 and 18 points. We were led by Freshman MC Bell with 18. As a team, we were 30/35 from the FT line. Our two point guards, Vittoria Poole and Sonja Vuong, had 21 points and 14 assists between them. It was a good start.
Next up is a scrimmage on Saturday night at 8 PM against some Intramural Men's players, then an official scrimmage next Thursday at Tuskegee University at 6:30 PM.
Stay up with us on Facebook! Type in Faulkner Womens Basketball in your search and there you go!!
Blessings,
Coach S
In the scrimmage, we had 8 players score between 8 and 18 points. We were led by Freshman MC Bell with 18. As a team, we were 30/35 from the FT line. Our two point guards, Vittoria Poole and Sonja Vuong, had 21 points and 14 assists between them. It was a good start.
Next up is a scrimmage on Saturday night at 8 PM against some Intramural Men's players, then an official scrimmage next Thursday at Tuskegee University at 6:30 PM.
Stay up with us on Facebook! Type in Faulkner Womens Basketball in your search and there you go!!
Blessings,
Coach S
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.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Coach...you're late.
On Friday I walked into the gym to see my players doing some static stretching on their own. I heard one of my players say, "Coach, you're late!" I looked around and all of my players were accounted for and waiting for me to arrive to begin. My heart rate raced as I have a tremendous fear of letting down the team by not being ready for a workout or practice. Then I looked at my watch and it said 5:47 am. I set my watch ahead so I am not late to anything. So the time was actually 5:42 or 5:43. That means that I was really 17 or 18 minutes early for our 6 AM workout. The great thing was that our players were really early and they were ready to start...so we started.
It was just like every other day we have had so far this fall. I have been charting it and we have been starting an average of 12 minutes early every morning. That is a credit to our players who have made it a priority to be early. In our first team meeting in program history our players were all sitting in their seats 25 minutes early. I called our AD, who was our first speaker, and told him we were ready to start and his only response was, "Wow, OK, I am on my way."
That is exactly why these young ladies were recruited to this first team. I felt that they would establish all of the traditions that we wanted started and handle the little things among themselves so that I could concentrate on coaching.
We are off to a great start...and they are going to have to be earlier on Monday to beat me there!
Blessings,
Coach S
"Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." Matthew 24:44 (ESV)
It was just like every other day we have had so far this fall. I have been charting it and we have been starting an average of 12 minutes early every morning. That is a credit to our players who have made it a priority to be early. In our first team meeting in program history our players were all sitting in their seats 25 minutes early. I called our AD, who was our first speaker, and told him we were ready to start and his only response was, "Wow, OK, I am on my way."
That is exactly why these young ladies were recruited to this first team. I felt that they would establish all of the traditions that we wanted started and handle the little things among themselves so that I could concentrate on coaching.
We are off to a great start...and they are going to have to be earlier on Monday to beat me there!
Blessings,
Coach S
"Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." Matthew 24:44 (ESV)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
New School
Our girls, Marisa and Kylie, have just transferred to Prattville Christian School. Click on the title link above to go to an article about the spiritual development of their football program....just awesome! God is Good!
Blessings,
Coach S
Blessings,
Coach S
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Finding Balance
My family attended Landmark Church of Christ in Montgomery this morning with 10 members of my team. The preacher, Buddy Bell, had a great message about balance in life. I think alot can be learned for a team and it's individuals from the following point he made in that sermon:
Balance requires three elements;
1. A reference point - where am I right now? honest evaluation of status quo.
2. A clear objective - where do I see myself at a fixed point in the future?
3. Constant correction - How am I going to navigate the distance in between
Great stuff! Thanks, Buddy
Blessings,
Coach S
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Balance requires three elements;
1. A reference point - where am I right now? honest evaluation of status quo.
2. A clear objective - where do I see myself at a fixed point in the future?
3. Constant correction - How am I going to navigate the distance in between
Great stuff! Thanks, Buddy
Blessings,
Coach S
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Magical Eagle Powers
There is something special about this team. Everyone is now enrolled and locked in. 15 young ladies that chose to become Lady Eagles on the first ever team here at Faulkner University. As I write, I am in my office that overlooks the gym. It is 5:17 am and I am waiting to see the ladies and encourage the ones who show up at 6am for a voluntary workout. They are going to jog a one mile course mapped out by Graduate Assistant, Amanda Pence. Then they will do some ab work and the gym will be open for them to shoot some shots. It is voluntary, but I have a feeling everyone will be there.
I have felt very good about the basketball talent coming in with our first recruiting class, but I have felt even better about the calibur of human being in this class. On Monday night, we had our first team meeting scheduled at 8 PM. Everyone was putting their notebooks together, in their seat, and waiting on me to begin at 7:40 PM. There is a spirit about our young ladies that suggests that they are ready to go. I initially intended to wait and give them a little bit of time to settle in before beginning workouts, but they are ready so I must be ready and that is why we have the voluntary work out this morning.
In our meeting we discussed all of those things that coaches talk about when they want to set the tone. We discussed our philosophy and some of our academic expectations like sitting in the front row in class and the lower level of the gym for chapels. We laid the foundation for our meeting this next Sunday night on the standards that our players wish to establish and hold each other accountable for. However, the thing that motivated me the most was sharing a verse that I believe God put in front of me before the meeting specifically for the team. It is Romans 15:5-7.
I was sitting in my office the afternoon before the meeting reading out of a devotional book for female athletes called, In Him. It is written by a good coaching friend, Vicki Benson. Coach Benson coached at a school in Austin, Texas called Hyde Park Baptist. We played them in a Bi-District game two years ago and struck a friendship. She is now at Georgetown High School as an assistant coach in one of the traditional girl's basketball powerhouses in Texas. Her devotional focused on Unity. I was trying to find something that could help convey my desire that they glorify God in everything they do as valuable pieces in our basketball puzzle. I am going to close the blog with this section scripture and you can put together the value of this passage for a brand new collection of eclectic personalities as they start the process of becoming a team.
Blessings,
Coach
"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."
Romans 15:5-7 (NIV)
I have felt very good about the basketball talent coming in with our first recruiting class, but I have felt even better about the calibur of human being in this class. On Monday night, we had our first team meeting scheduled at 8 PM. Everyone was putting their notebooks together, in their seat, and waiting on me to begin at 7:40 PM. There is a spirit about our young ladies that suggests that they are ready to go. I initially intended to wait and give them a little bit of time to settle in before beginning workouts, but they are ready so I must be ready and that is why we have the voluntary work out this morning.
In our meeting we discussed all of those things that coaches talk about when they want to set the tone. We discussed our philosophy and some of our academic expectations like sitting in the front row in class and the lower level of the gym for chapels. We laid the foundation for our meeting this next Sunday night on the standards that our players wish to establish and hold each other accountable for. However, the thing that motivated me the most was sharing a verse that I believe God put in front of me before the meeting specifically for the team. It is Romans 15:5-7.
I was sitting in my office the afternoon before the meeting reading out of a devotional book for female athletes called, In Him. It is written by a good coaching friend, Vicki Benson. Coach Benson coached at a school in Austin, Texas called Hyde Park Baptist. We played them in a Bi-District game two years ago and struck a friendship. She is now at Georgetown High School as an assistant coach in one of the traditional girl's basketball powerhouses in Texas. Her devotional focused on Unity. I was trying to find something that could help convey my desire that they glorify God in everything they do as valuable pieces in our basketball puzzle. I am going to close the blog with this section scripture and you can put together the value of this passage for a brand new collection of eclectic personalities as they start the process of becoming a team.
Blessings,
Coach
"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."
Romans 15:5-7 (NIV)
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Future Lady Eagle?
I had a great workout tonight. Probably because it was at the 8th grade level. My daughter Kylie is committing herself to making the Middle School team this year and I am committed to helping her get there. My rule of thumb with my kids is that I am not going to push them into anything, but if they say "Dad let's go the gym, or workout, or to the golf course", I drop everything and take them.
Tonight was Kylie and I's first workout. We started in the fitness center at our apartment complex with some walk, jog, ab work, and very low weight bench press (so we don't crack her little twigs in half!).
Regardless of the player, whether it is my child or not, it is always fun to coach someone who is self-motivated and makes working out a "want to" and not a "got to".
My prayer is that our players at Faulkner are "want to" players and not "got to" players. They were recruited because I determined that they loved the game and had a great work ethic...I hope I was right? We will know soon now that our freshmen are on campus and our transfers will be here this weekend.
I am excited about our first meeting on Monday night.
Maybe one day Kylie will get to be in that meeting?
Blessings,
Coach S
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men"
Colossians 3:23
The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.
Tonight was Kylie and I's first workout. We started in the fitness center at our apartment complex with some walk, jog, ab work, and very low weight bench press (so we don't crack her little twigs in half!).
Regardless of the player, whether it is my child or not, it is always fun to coach someone who is self-motivated and makes working out a "want to" and not a "got to".
My prayer is that our players at Faulkner are "want to" players and not "got to" players. They were recruited because I determined that they loved the game and had a great work ethic...I hope I was right? We will know soon now that our freshmen are on campus and our transfers will be here this weekend.
I am excited about our first meeting on Monday night.
Maybe one day Kylie will get to be in that meeting?
Blessings,
Coach S
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men"
Colossians 3:23
The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.
Friday, August 06, 2010
The Path
Coach Kat and I along with the rest our coaches and Faulkner and some local friends of the University had the great opportunity to visit with Brad McCoy for a luncheon today. For those of you who don't know him, Brad is the father of Colt McCoy who is the prolific quarterback from the University of Texas who hurt himself in the national championship game this last season against the Tide.
Admittedly, most of his speech was a commercial for the group he now works with, Flippen. However, he did have a great comment about coaching and parenting that I think is very relevant. He said that good teachers and parents "prepare their kids for the path, not the path for their kids".
This is a great point. Many parents and coaches try to manipulate the road that their kids are on to make the journey easier and painless. This tends to cripple their children when they are faced with true adversity. The preparation in a kids life needs to be relational in terms of how to prepare their minds and bodies for a bumpy path. They need to be taught persistence and resilience to navigate whatever trails are in front of them.
This is a great lesson in coaching. I have always tried to prepare my teams in special situations so they are not surprised by anything and have poise in the face of adversity. I need to be better at doing this with my children for the adversity they will have in their life.
Blessings,
Coach S
Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."
Admittedly, most of his speech was a commercial for the group he now works with, Flippen. However, he did have a great comment about coaching and parenting that I think is very relevant. He said that good teachers and parents "prepare their kids for the path, not the path for their kids".
This is a great point. Many parents and coaches try to manipulate the road that their kids are on to make the journey easier and painless. This tends to cripple their children when they are faced with true adversity. The preparation in a kids life needs to be relational in terms of how to prepare their minds and bodies for a bumpy path. They need to be taught persistence and resilience to navigate whatever trails are in front of them.
This is a great lesson in coaching. I have always tried to prepare my teams in special situations so they are not surprised by anything and have poise in the face of adversity. I need to be better at doing this with my children for the adversity they will have in their life.
Blessings,
Coach S
Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Wetumpka?
It has been a full time job moving into a new apartment. I remember hating the moving process when it was just Darla and I as an energetic, young, married couple. It is excruciating now that there are 6 of us and two are at an age where for every two things you put away, one ends back out on the living room floor. I am eternally grateful for the guys from Westbury Christian School who helped us load the big moving truck and the guys from University Church of Christ who helped us unload it.
I am in the process of changing our address with the myriad of entities that it is necessary to change it with. I got a great email this morning from my good friend, Chris Barbee. Chris is with alumni relations at my alma mater, Grand Valley State University. His comment when he replied to my address change request was, "I can honestly say that I have never met anyone from Wetumpka, Alabama". He now has that claim to fame as we moved to the great town of Wetumpka. Don't ask me how to properly pronounce it, because I don't know.
There is alot to like about Wetumpka. It is a small town of just a few thousand people, but it has a Walmart and all the fast food places necessary for a life on the go (except Krystal). It is nestle in the hills and rivers north of Montgomery and the people seem very friendly and open to new neighbors. My two favorite things about the town are that the high school nickname is still the Indians. That tells me that they don't buy into alot of the political correctness that abounds in our society. I also like the schools and everyone has been friendly to us that we have met in town and at the church. Marisa and Kylie are now enrolled in school and they start next Monday.
My first impression of Wetumpka and Elmore County was also memorable. The day after we moved in I ran out to get a new dryer electrical cord at the local Russell Do-It Center (aka hardware store). When I got to the light to turn, the sheriff pulled up next to me. He waved. I waved. He rolled his window down and I did. We had a conversation right there at the red light about him growing up in Wichita Falls, Texas, our just moving in, the fishing being great, my tail light needing replaced, the town being a great place to raise kids, and a hearty welcome. I love that! Needless to say, the police in Houston have a different demeanor.
I grew up in a very similar small town and I guess Wetumpka makes me regress to a very good childhood.
Well...gotta go for now... I need to pick up a football schedule and check on season tickets. My Friday nights are scheduled for the next 12 weeks!!!
Blessings,
Coach S
I am in the process of changing our address with the myriad of entities that it is necessary to change it with. I got a great email this morning from my good friend, Chris Barbee. Chris is with alumni relations at my alma mater, Grand Valley State University. His comment when he replied to my address change request was, "I can honestly say that I have never met anyone from Wetumpka, Alabama". He now has that claim to fame as we moved to the great town of Wetumpka. Don't ask me how to properly pronounce it, because I don't know.
There is alot to like about Wetumpka. It is a small town of just a few thousand people, but it has a Walmart and all the fast food places necessary for a life on the go (except Krystal). It is nestle in the hills and rivers north of Montgomery and the people seem very friendly and open to new neighbors. My two favorite things about the town are that the high school nickname is still the Indians. That tells me that they don't buy into alot of the political correctness that abounds in our society. I also like the schools and everyone has been friendly to us that we have met in town and at the church. Marisa and Kylie are now enrolled in school and they start next Monday.
My first impression of Wetumpka and Elmore County was also memorable. The day after we moved in I ran out to get a new dryer electrical cord at the local Russell Do-It Center (aka hardware store). When I got to the light to turn, the sheriff pulled up next to me. He waved. I waved. He rolled his window down and I did. We had a conversation right there at the red light about him growing up in Wichita Falls, Texas, our just moving in, the fishing being great, my tail light needing replaced, the town being a great place to raise kids, and a hearty welcome. I love that! Needless to say, the police in Houston have a different demeanor.
I grew up in a very similar small town and I guess Wetumpka makes me regress to a very good childhood.
Well...gotta go for now... I need to pick up a football schedule and check on season tickets. My Friday nights are scheduled for the next 12 weeks!!!
Blessings,
Coach S
Friday, July 23, 2010
What's The Latest
I just returned to Montgomery from New Orleans. I had the opportunity to watch AAU teams play at the Battle On The Bayou AAU National Tournament. It was good to reconnect with old friends from Texas. It was great to see several of my former Westbury Christian girls playing and having a great summer. I had the opportunity to watch some of the top kids on my list and add some new ones to the list. I am looking at 2011 kids that I think can help push our program forward when they arrive. It is very convenient to be able to go to a site and see several players in one place, rather than during the high school season where you have to travel great distances just to see one potential player that may or may not be up to standard.
Coach Kat is on the way. As I write, she is traveling across Louisiana and should be in Montgomery tonight. We will get her unloaded tomorrow and give her a week to get settled in and then go to work starting August 2. I am looking forward to having her, she will bring great energy and work ethic to the Assistant Coach position.
I am flying out Sunday to Houston. We are packing up our stuff and coming with the whole crew this time. We have settled on Wetumpka for the next year. We look forward to becoming a part of that great community.
Until next time...
Blessings,
Coach
Coach Kat is on the way. As I write, she is traveling across Louisiana and should be in Montgomery tonight. We will get her unloaded tomorrow and give her a week to get settled in and then go to work starting August 2. I am looking forward to having her, she will bring great energy and work ethic to the Assistant Coach position.
I am flying out Sunday to Houston. We are packing up our stuff and coming with the whole crew this time. We have settled on Wetumpka for the next year. We look forward to becoming a part of that great community.
Until next time...
Blessings,
Coach
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Forgiveness
I don't know if you had a chance to watch the ESPY award show on ESPN the other night. There were some great comedy bits. My favorite was the bit with Will Ferrell as Jeff Vuvuzela. Classic comedy.
The best part of the show, however, was the Arthur Ashe award for courage that was given to the family of Ed Thomas.
There is a link if you click on the title for Aaron Thomas' speech at the ESPY's. He challenged the athletes, musicians, and other famous folks in the crowd to use their celebrity for good and do the right things. It was very inspiring.
Here is a link to a great video about the whole story...
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5205716
Take the time to watch it and reflect on the power of forgiveness. Would we be as strong in forgiving those who have wronged us in such a profound way?
Blessings,
Coach S
Matthew 5:44 "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you"
The best part of the show, however, was the Arthur Ashe award for courage that was given to the family of Ed Thomas.
There is a link if you click on the title for Aaron Thomas' speech at the ESPY's. He challenged the athletes, musicians, and other famous folks in the crowd to use their celebrity for good and do the right things. It was very inspiring.
Here is a link to a great video about the whole story...
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5205716
Take the time to watch it and reflect on the power of forgiveness. Would we be as strong in forgiving those who have wronged us in such a profound way?
Blessings,
Coach S
Matthew 5:44 "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you"
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Back At It
It has been a while since I blogged. In the meantime my daughter, Marisa, and I have been to China and back to visit Pandas, Asian acrobats, the Great Wall, several great restaurants and sites, and most importantly my big brother Mark and his family. It was great to see him and his wife Elizabeth and their two year old son YangYang. It was a blessing to be able to go and there are way too many stories to tell about in a short blog.
It's back on the recruiting trail now as I sit in my hotel room in Murfreesboro, TN. I am at an NCAA sanctioned tournament called the Battle of the Boro. I have seen several good players and look forward to seeing a few more in the next day and a half.
The countdown is on to the first day of the first semester...here we go!
Blessings,
Coach S
It's back on the recruiting trail now as I sit in my hotel room in Murfreesboro, TN. I am at an NCAA sanctioned tournament called the Battle of the Boro. I have seen several good players and look forward to seeing a few more in the next day and a half.
The countdown is on to the first day of the first semester...here we go!
Blessings,
Coach S
Monday, June 28, 2010
Cloud of Witnesses
I had the great opportunity to provide the devotional at Coach Sanderson's basketball camp today. The verses that he is focusing on this year are Hebrews 12:1-2. My talk was geared on the phrase, "since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses". As I was thinking about the devo the last couple of days, I thought about great (and not so great) sporting moments that I have witnessed in my lifetime. The best are probably USA's semifinal hockey win against the Soviets in 1980, later called the "Miracle on Ice" thanks to commentator Al Michaels call of the game in the final seconds when he stated. "Do you believe in miracles!?!" Another was my brother Mark's high school team in Hamilton Michigan winning an unlikely state championship in 1984. Then, this last season's overtime win in the state championship game for my Westbury Christian Lady Wildcats ranks right up there as well. Some memories of moments that were not so great are Bill Buckners error in the 1986 series against the Mets, Chris Webber's gut wrenching timeout call in the National Championship game against North Carolina (there is even a sports bar in Chapel Hill called "Time Out". That was excruciating to watch as a childhood Wolverine fan. Most recently, I feel poorly for Ricardo Clark in making an errant pass on Saturday that led to the early goal against Ghana in the World Cup knockout round. We were never truly able to recover our energy in the first half.
There are also, "I remember when..." moments in our lives where we witnessed history and can remember where we were at that time. I can remember being a third grader at piano lessons when Ronald Reagan was shot. I can remember being in the computer lab teaching a Health class at Westbury Christian when the planes flew through the twin towers on 9/11/2001. For my devo, I used the big moment for my daughter, Kylie, when she made her first basket in a game at Westbury Christian. That was definitely a moment to remember. We talked a little bit about all of the witnesses in Hebrews 11 that gave credibility to Hebrews 12.
I challenged the campers and coaches (and mostly myself) to make camp today an "I remember when..." moment. That they would make positive choices today that would affect their lives positively years from now. So that when they get older, their "cloud of witnesses" will think of them favorably and they will have credibility when they speak of Christ and His gospel. I love the use of the word "cloud". It implies that they are completely engulfed and surrounded by the witnesses of the great things accomplished in the past.
As we start the women' basketball program at Faulkner, it is important that we create great traditions and memories that turn into a legacy that we can be proud of so that our "cloud of witnesses" perceives us favorably. If we are perceived favorably, we can have a greater influence for Him and glorify His name!
Blessings,
Coach
Heb 12:1-2
There are also, "I remember when..." moments in our lives where we witnessed history and can remember where we were at that time. I can remember being a third grader at piano lessons when Ronald Reagan was shot. I can remember being in the computer lab teaching a Health class at Westbury Christian when the planes flew through the twin towers on 9/11/2001. For my devo, I used the big moment for my daughter, Kylie, when she made her first basket in a game at Westbury Christian. That was definitely a moment to remember. We talked a little bit about all of the witnesses in Hebrews 11 that gave credibility to Hebrews 12.
I challenged the campers and coaches (and mostly myself) to make camp today an "I remember when..." moment. That they would make positive choices today that would affect their lives positively years from now. So that when they get older, their "cloud of witnesses" will think of them favorably and they will have credibility when they speak of Christ and His gospel. I love the use of the word "cloud". It implies that they are completely engulfed and surrounded by the witnesses of the great things accomplished in the past.
As we start the women' basketball program at Faulkner, it is important that we create great traditions and memories that turn into a legacy that we can be proud of so that our "cloud of witnesses" perceives us favorably. If we are perceived favorably, we can have a greater influence for Him and glorify His name!
Blessings,
Coach
Heb 12:1-2
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