THE EXCUSE MAKER

In sports, when things go wrong you begin to hear excuses. You find out what athletes are made of when a team begins to lose games.

A few weeks ago when I began to compose this blog entry,  I read an outstanding quote from Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin;

“Excuses are the tools of the incompetent.”

When a team is struggling the athletes tend to point fingers.

A team loses a game, someone blames a coach or even a teammate.

If an athlete is unhappy with their role on the team, they look to place blame.

Or the latest one, “They are not having fun.” Or how about, “It’s all about having fun.”

FUN is an interesting word when it comes to competitive sports. How do you mix intensity, hard work, toughness, focus, and concentration with FUN?

Here’s a secret that many successful people subscribe to; instead of blaming others, why not find a way to fix it? No excuses, no explanations. We know the team is struggling – go out and find a way to get it done.

How about playing a little harder?

How about hitting the open man?

Playing tougher defense?

Bringing energy to practice.

How about spending time working on your outside shooting? Working on your dribbling. Doing some push-ups to get stronger. Running a few miles at night or even in the morning. Whatever happened to dedicating oneself to improvement?

Everything we do that helps us achieve success is due to energy; and that comes with committing to a goal.

If an athlete directs their energy into doing a better job, instead of complaining, things will improve.

Success in sports is like a potter’s wheel. When you put pressure on that clay, something useful comes about. If he doesn’t apply pressure, he will never have a useful object.

A few losses in the beginning of the season is not the end of the world for a team. There’s no need to panic, its way too early. But instead of talking about the problems, why not try to find a solution? Why not work harder?

Magic Johnson, the greatest point guard the game has ever seen once said, “Ask not what your teammates can do for you, but what you can do for your teammates!”

Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution.

HOOPS135@HOTMAIL.COM

TWITTER: @CoachFinamore

DAY 47: HELPIN’ HAND

Back to the grill again…But first, I received some awesome feedback on yesterday’s blog entry regarding Jay Bilas. Thanks for reading and getting back to me.

Day 47 – Help a Teammate

I stumbled across a small piece from hoop notes.com on Boston Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett and how he likes to help his teammates. But he doesn’t spend all day trying to help them. They either get it or they don’t.

“He helps the ones he likes,” Doc Rivers said. “Kevin is great. Kevin tries to help every big in here. If that big doesn’t listen to him one time, he’ll never speak to him again. Literally one time. That has happened a couple of times. Those two guys that he did that to are no longer here and that may be one of the reasons.”

Are you one of the few who looks to help their teammates?

Or, are you someone who is all about themselves?

A great teammate is always looking to help another player on their team.

It can be positive advice.  Rebounding for them after practice.  Encouraging them to get up early and hit the gym or even a small dose of congratulations on a job well done.

Lend a helping hand to a teammate.

“Just remember, you’re teammates, not rivals.”

-Red Auerbach

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

Follow me on Twitter: @CoachFinamore

HOOPS in 2010

Happy New Year!

Here are a few resolutions basketball players should really think about to start the new year off on the right track…

1-Become a better teammate (share the ball, be happy for your teammates success, encourage others, lift teammates up, don’t be late and go hard in practice)

2-Play with energy (this should be a given but there are still some guys who don’t go as hard as they should at both ends. Be active, be alert, be enthusiastic)

3-Spend more time in the gym (before and after practice; get up your shots! Work on your shooting. Lift weights, run and embrace the presence of being in the gym)

4-Defend (get down in your stance, pressure the ball, help-side, help and recover, close out and rebound! Talk, get over/under screens, sprint back in transition)

5-Appreciate the opportunity to suit up (it’s an honor to step on the court and play the greatest game in the world. It’s not who you’re playing against or where you’re playing, most important is that YOU’RE PLAYING!)

“The less motivated and the less determined weed themselves out.”

-Chuck Daly

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

TEAMMATE OR RIVAL?

We are beginning our third year at Jackson Community College and today we had an open gym.  We are pretty close to finalizing our roster spots and the one thing that stands out is we are going to have competitive practices when the 09-10 season begins…more competitive than the first two seasons for sure.   We are going to have an abundance of guards-not point guards, not shooting guards…GUARDS!  I don’t look for certain guards when recruiting-I could care less about putting two lead guards on the floor at the same time.  If a kid plays hard, defends, shares the ball and most importantly, pulls for his teammates, I’m fine.

Last night watching the Los Angeles Lakers eliminate the Denver Nuggets in the  NBA Western conference finals I witnessed Lakers guard Jordan Farmer congratulate Shannon Brown as he came off the floor.  

Why am I mentioning this?  

Well both players are competing for playing time.  

But both players pull for each other.  

While Jordan got the call first last night from Phil Jackson off the bench, I noticed Brown standing and cheering for Farmer while the former UCLA Bruin played well.  

The ABC guys announcing the series have brought it up on occasion and it’s something that should never go unnoticed.  

Bleacher Report mentions the two Laker players and what they bring to the team.  

Teammates should always pull for each other-they should never wish that someone in front of them in the rotation plays poorly so they can get the minutes.  In practice they should compete hard and push each other.

Which leads to me to a quote by the late Red Auerbach;

“The guy next to you, he’s your teammate not your rival.”

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com