Advice from Coaches, Motivational Insights & Tips:


Coach Larry Clark - Member of the Ohio Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame: "A Letter to Potential Players"

Dear Player,

     Success in basketball, like success in any sport or profession, is a frame of mind.  The boy who acquires a proper mental attitude toward the game and along with it realizes that most successful basketball players are made, not born, will be on the road to success and should have no difficulty in becoming reasonably adapt at this great game.

    The road to development of one's best self is not easy.  But it is especially difficult for the boy who thinks success can be attained by some "hocus-pocus" method.  If a boy is willing to work in the off-season both physically and mentally and will give the various suggests that follow an honest try, he will develop his talents to a high degree and have the time of his life doing it. 

   He must resolve to be honest with himself and pursue his course to the very end if he hopes to acquire mental attitudes that will prove beneficial both in basketball and life.  The payoff in athletics goes to the boy who aspires to be outstanding and does not overlook detail that contributes to success.  He pays special attention to weaknesses, keeps an open mind, and tests especially ideas he is inclined to doubt.  Failure is the lot of the boy who thinks he knows all the answers while success comes to the player who is inclined to listen to wise counsel.




Coach Jim Cromwell - Founder of High Court Basketball: "Program Principles and Expectations"


When the time comes for picking your team, you, as the coach, want players to try-out who know and understand the expectations and principles of your program.  These expectations and principles are not X’s and O’s; these are the expectations and principles that will become the backbone of your program and the athletes who compete for you.

 

Following is an outline of the principles and expectations that we discuss at our player/parent meeting prior to try-outs.  It must first be understood that these have come from thoughts, printed and gleaned, that we have put together for our use.

 

We Believe

 

  • That motivation and observance of training rules must come first from within you, because discipline is what a player does when he is not around his coach…or teacher.
  • That you are here to get an education.  You are not going to help yourself, your school or team if you are ineligible.  The ability to shoot a basketball is a prerequisite for one job, professional basketball. 
  • That no one is overworked.
  • That having confidence in your ability, maintaining conditioning, mastering the fundamentals, playing together, controlling your emotions, and maintaining a “Winning Attitude” are the formula that will produce success.
  • That a strong spiritual commitment is essential to successful living.  The man who has faith in God can look to the future without worry or strain.
  • When you place God ahead of basketball, you trade something you cannot keep for something you cannot lose.
  • That we must respect every opponent, but fear none.
  • That the only way to enjoy the game is to hustle from the moment we first take the court.

Attitudes

              Hustle, spirit, and desire shown in practice.

             

              Willingness to work, to take instruction, and to give complete attention and cooperation

              in practice and in games

 

              Courage (heart and tenacity)

 

              Sportsmanship, emotional stability, and control of temper

 

              Unselfish and considerate attitudes toward teammates and others

 

              Demonstrating poise, knowledge of the situation and mental self-control

 

              Leadership when necessary (stepping up)

 

Academics

 

              You are a student/athlete and a student first

              Classroom work must be in good standing

 

Conduct Expectations

  • No use of alcoholic beverages of any kind
  • No smoking
  • No drugs
  • No use of profanity
  • Watch your weight
  • Keep your appearance neat and presentable at all times
  • Be a gentleman (lady) in all ways at all times
  • Be on time whenever or wherever time is involved 
  • When you are late for a practice or meeting, you are telling your coaches and teammates that your time is more important than theirs

 

Conditioning

  • Success is built on fine conditioning.  Fundamentals and form leave as you begin to lose conditioning.    Be honest with yourself and with all who are depending on you
  • Never think of your bruises or fatigue.  If you are tired, think of how exhausted your opponent must be. Sometimes basketball hurts.  We expect you to practice or play hurt; we NEVER expect a player to practice or play injured. There is a difference!
  • It is the hard work you do in practice after you are exhausted that improves your conditioning.  Force yourself when you are tired
  • Make it your personal objective to be in better condition than any opponent that you will face

 

Coach Cromwell is a coaching veteran with over thirty years of coaching experience ranging from elementary to collegiate head coach. Founder and president of High Court Basketball, an elite players camp; founder and president of Camp of Champs International, an international Christian camp outreach and a veteran Five-Star Basketball coach.  

 

For questions or comments, Coach Cromwell can be reached at coachcrom17@gmail.com

Charles R. Swindoll: "The importance of Attitude"


“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Dale Wimbrow: "The Guy in the Glass"

When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf, *(means wealth)
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.

For it isn’t your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgment upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.

He’s the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear up to the end,
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and “chisel” a plum,
And think you’re a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you’ve cheated the guy in the glass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Rudyard Kipling: "IF":

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!