Articles & Resources

by Steve Scalzi

It seems that due to the circus surrounding his recruitment, his departure, and his destination, LeBron James has become one of the most divisive figures in sports.  In April of last season LeBron was one of the most revered personalities in the game, earning himself his first MVP award and seemingly on a collision course to match-up against Kobe Bryant in a classic NBA Finals.

That was never to be.  And my how things can change in one year.  James' 2009 Cavaliers were eliminated by the Orlando Magic starting one of the most interesting downward spirals in recent memory.  Cleveland rebounded from their unceremonious exit to once again seize the best record in the NBA in 2010 and LeBron James had a dominant regular season earning himself his second MVP trophy.  However, as the season wore on, and the media hype surrounding his impending free agency came on strong, all was not well for King James and his Witnesses.  Running into a motivated and healthy Boston Celtics, the Cavaliers were eliminated in the second round despite 61 regular season wins and the uncertainty hovering over LBJ's free agency options loomed.

How he handled the free agency process in July 2010 has put an awfully sour taste in the mouth of most American sports fans.  If you ask me, I jumped off the LeBron James train a year prior and for vastly different reasons.  My qualms have little to do with how he handles himself off the court.  If anything, my biggest qualm with LeBron James is his pre-game behavior.  Every team has its own camaraderie, chemistry, rituals and so forth.  On the surface, the Cleveland Cavaliers of the past two seasons appeared as a tight knit group living their dream scenario - playing with a transcendent player in a city that adores them.  Announcement of the starting lineups was a show in and of itself - players pretending to pose for pictures, go bowling, play charades you name it. 

At first, I loved that an NBA team unabashedly showed their enjoyment of the moment.  They were grown men playing a game, flat out admitting their love for the opportunity.  They would bounce back after tough road trips, pick each other up when knocked to the floor, leave their seat on the bench to cheer highlight plays.  The Cavs seemed like a lovable group and LeBron was the ring leader stamping his seal of approval on the endearing antics.

But when the Cavaliers ran into opponents they couldn't handle, particularly the '09 Magic and the '10 Celtics, those antics changed.  Their demeanor looked almost fearful, sheepish in big moments.  And LeBron, a man who tattooed "Chosen 1" on his own back, ducked from the big moments.  Did he play poorly?  At times.  All teams amidst elimination aren't playing up to their best.  Worse than his performance was the change in his act.  Little pregame goofiness.  Few smiles and encouragement.  The loosest team in the NBA became tight, afraid of clutch spots, and well, virtually leaderless.

The issue isn't that LeBron engaged in goofy pre-game antics or presented himself and the team as loose, yet focused.  The issue I have is that in big moments he completely veered away from this.  An NBA team can win with a multitude of leadership styles.  Can an NBA team be successful with a fun-loving leader?  Let's not forget Magic Johnson.  Can they win with a stone cold killer? 

Kobe Bryant has done a decent job.  A leader who barely spoke?  Hakeem Olajuwon won two NBA titles as such.  An ultra-competitive dictator?  MJ's teammates would say he did ok.

Changing one's leadership style, more specifically, changing one's game face from moment to moment is poisonous to a team's success.  Whether it be a regular season game in December or a playoff match-up in May, LeBron James should not be a chameleon catering his reactions to the intensity of each moment.  Of course, a seven game playoff series brings an entirely different demand on a player's focus and the organization as a whole over a preseason game.  But, I argue the face of a franchise should take ownership of his leadership style, stand firm in his personality, and show the rest of teammates that no matter the moment, they have the same captain at the helm, ready to lead.

This consistency is so key in fact, I believe it should carry over to practice and training sessions.  A player's demeanor and approach should remain the same in virtually all scenarios.  You can't own an ever-changing game face.  Can a leader be the class clown in practice, yet turn serious only in games?  Can a player be rambunctious during competition, yet quietly go through the motions in a weight room?  The inconsistencies create too much uncertainty and in big moments teammates and coaches aren't sure what type of player will show up.  Coaches have a responsibility to harbor and embrace the personalities of their players, to understand the core characters that are coming together to form a team, and create environments where there is consistency in their approach albeit in the weight room, at practice, or in the final minutes of a playoff game.  Consistency in this way is a challenge that only championship teams generally reach.  Miami may offer a loaded roster that trumps his Cleveland team.  But I'm not sure they'll be successful there until LeBron realizes in the past he failed his teammates as much as his teammates failed him.

by Steve Scalzi

It's 6:00am on a summer day.  The air outside is already humid and another scorching hot day is on tap.  Still, the devoted players rise, beat the hustle of the campus life, and arrive at the gym to put their work in.  Dribbling through cones, coming off fictitious screens, going to the foul line with the game hanging in the balance - if only in their mind. 

Coaches and trainers stress the need to practice as one would play.  "Recreate moves at game speed, envision competing and improving under game conditions" they preach.  Operating as though they're in the moment, so when their chance arises, they've already been successful in that very spot. 

But what about while training?  When the court beneath a player is replaced with turf, or their familiar high tops are traded out for Nike Frees, are they still in the arena in their mind?  Counting down the final seconds for a desperation game winner is easy.  But when they're running stairs do they see the value of each rep?  Does each movement on the slide board register as having an important impact in their ability to stunt and recover on the defensive end?  Is it clear to your athletes that an asymmetrical kettle bell lunge is directly related to their ability to gather themselves in transition, take a bump and finish with contact for that game changing basket? 

From a college coach's perspective, when you can't work directly with a student-athlete in the summer time, and technically cannot make workouts a mandatory occurrence, a major concern is not simply that they get in the gym, but that while in the gym players maximize their time.  With summer training occurring 3-4 times a week as a major focus of improving one's game for the fall, I say the notion of game pace and visualizing basketball success is equally important in the weight room as it is on the court.  As a strength and conditioning coach, are your workouts consistent with what will be physically required for their position?  Does each exercise combine as pieces of a puzzle to create a more complete player?  No question the readers of Everything Basketball have well planned workouts and philosophies that prepare a player for success.  However, do the players recognize and understand that running “17’s” leads to the ability to provide one inch of improvement in their chase for a loose ball?  More importantly, are strength coaches consistent with the basketball staff in their terminology and nomenclature inciting visual images of how their training session relates to the game?  Players can go through motions in any workout, meet any bench mark or time required, but doing so and understanding the connections the training has to their overall game, relating specific exercises to intricacies or facets of the game, is priceless. 

This can be simple, or this can be done at a high level.  In our second season at Northeastern University, we took on perhaps the toughest non-conference schedule in the country.  We had merely one non-conference home game and ventured into hostile arenas such as Illinois's Assembly Hall, Maryland's Comcast Center, the Carrier Dome, and Gampel Pavilion.  The summer before, only days after our schedule was released our strength coach, Art Horne already had the images instilled in their minds during tough workouts. 

"Don't stop! Give me three more reps, Maryland's Sea of Red wants to see you fail." 

"Get your hands off your knees.  Don't show the Carrier Dome that you're tired." 

It can be as simple as helping them step into the arena in their mind or it can go further by implementing the coaching staff's terminology. 

"We close out with high hands on their strong hand gentlemen.  Take shot out of their mind as you closeout in this defensive conditioning drill.”

Simply put, some players want to win a sprint our put in max effort out of competitive pride.  Some will complete training sessions just so they're merely finished.  But when a player's mind set shifts from simply completing a sprint, and changes to envisioning success on the court within the context of the game, that's when true improvement is achieved.  As a college coach who has to be quite hands off in the summer, there's nothing greater than trusting a strength coach to drive these elements home.

Matt Cavallaro has worked in the Strength and Conditioning Departments of both Northeastern University and Boston University as an intern and graduate assistant respectively. He currently lives and works in Sydney, Australia as a teacher and coach at Knox Grammar School. He is also the Co-Owner and Head Strength Coach for Athletes United - a training and recruitment service for Australian athletes interested in competing at American universities.

I came to Australia with some interesting perspectives on their state of basketball. Australian players are popping up all over the place in the States with increasing regularity and success. I was curious as to how this faraway country, notable for beaches and kangaroos was becoming a source for some real basketball talent.

In my initial observations of player development I missed out on a lot of really useful information by comparing the Australian system to the US system. I wanted to poke holes in everything that was going on for development of players in Australia simply because it wasn't like the US. I was being the ugly American and it was an obviously flawed way to view the situation.

Australia isn't the US when it comes to sport. This is most clear when looking at the populations of the two countries. The US? Over 300 million. Australia? Just over 20 million (on an island that is nearly the same size as the lower 48). This changes everything.

Australia is a sporting country. There are competitions in nearly every sport at nearly every level. They have just as many professional sports as the US - just that Rugby (league and union) and Aussie Rules Football (AFL) are king, with soccer (similar to the US) creeping up in popularity. Basketball is a secondary sport with a fledgling professional league. There is no real elite-level amateur competition like the Div 1 system in the US. Throw into the mix that basketball isn't offered at most high schools, forcing kids to join a local club, and you have a drastically different system.

My first reaction was that it was a bad system, but really it is just a different system.

So how has Australia been able to produce talent increasingly valuable to US colleges and professional teams?

Similar to my experience with baseball in Australia, another secondary sport here with small relative participation which is increasingly producing players competing in the US at high levels, the government is involved, creating centralized institutes of sport which identify and develop talent. These institutes of sport work to funnel this talent to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and develop Australia's national teams - while farming talent out to the States from these institutes of sport is increasingly becoming effective in many ways to develop talent and maintain participation at the elite levels - a key focus of these institutes.

Again my bias for American sport, especially a love of college basketball, made it difficult for me to understand and appreciate a system which leans so heavily on government involvement and funding. But, looking more closely at the efficiency and effectiveness of the program to identify and develop talent, (a trend that is changing in the US since some embarrassing results in world competitions recently) there is something to be appreciated.

This system is well-developed for a situation where there are relatively few players participating (compared to the US) and often the best athletes are playing other sports. In effect, the government system loosely works like a single university system actively recruiting the best talent and developing players to perform at their version of the 'varsity' level - the national stage.

For coaches, the fingers of the Australian system dips into all of the clubs in that every coach at all levels needs to be certified by a centralized body ensuring a basic quality and continuity of coaching across all situations and all ages. This helps increase the likelihood that a kid trying basketball out for the first time will receive a basic level of coaching. This is important when you have such a small number of participants relative to other sports.

For the players, because there is really no amateur competition to focus your efforts on domestically, these government-run programs get their full attention - very much unlike the US where high school teams and AAU teams are constantly fighting for a player's focus. This allows for clear continuity in the development of players.

In the US, it is often the case that top players come out of high school with many bad habits due largely to playing with multiple coaches in multiple systems. Talent identification and development in the free-market system of the US is ruled by elite players being appeased in their attempts to move on to the next level and coaches focused entirely on winning. The actual development of talent ends up being secondary because tenures in which to display one's talent for players and win for coaches are far too short for development to occur at the elite levels.

In Australia, winning at the club and school level is clearly secondary to being selected and representing these elite developmental programs run and funded by the government. In these institutes coaches are focused much more on the development and retention of talent than on wins. As well, being the only team in town for talented players allows for a talent development program built on the sequential skill-mapping and benchmarking of player development over a significant period of time during a player’s most formative years.

Now I know that there are many coaches out there drooling at the thought of having so much control over the development of players - no more bargaining with AAU coaches and parents desires for their child when you're the only team in town. But, before you book your flights and pack your bags for the Land Down Under, there are also some obvious flaws to the system.

With only one central body ruling over the sport of basketball and offering a pathway to playing basketball at a high level, you end up putting a lot of faith in the development of your sport in a small number of people. In the Australian system, if you don't have the right people driving the system the whole sport falls down.

In the American system, decentralization opens up the market place to different ideas and styles. If one doesn't work, you can move on to the next one - you see this mentality in the high turnover of coaches in the US as winning becomes of increasing importance. This comes down to the euphemism of not putting all your eggs in one basket. You only need to look at the different players that NBA and college teams look for. One system may place a high value on certain types of players and another system focuses on an entirely different type. If you only have one program driving the identification of talent, players may miss out on their best opportunity because they weren't a good fit. Linked to this, with players involved with one system for the majority of their formative years, they can become limited in their styles of play and systems into which they can adapt and contribute.

As well, in this system there is no room for late bloomers or sleepers. When you only have one option, if they make a mistake on a player their chances of achieving elite level becomes miniscule.

Yet the Australian system seems to have identified some of these problems and is openly encouraging and assisting players to go the States to play in the college system. (As many other countries in many other sports have realized, the American college system is a cost-effective way to supplement their own coaching and development of talent.)

Still, I have to return to my first and most important realization about basketball in Australia. Australia isn't America. This centralized system suits the situation in Australia quite well. Again, you only have to look at the increasing number of Australian players making a splash in college basketball to appreciate this.

While such a clearly centralized program is highly unlikely to ever take hold in the US because of the overwhelming numbers of participation and money to be made, there are some changes occurring in the States. USA Basketball, where Mike Krzyzewski and Jerry Colangelo made a distinct effort to work in close accordance over the four years leading up to the Olympics, has certainly begun the process of moving basketball away from a purely free-market in developing talent to gently embracing a more centralized and stable national program. The result of which is the return of USA Basketball to the top of the international food chain.

Also, Krzyzewski was the right choice for the position of national coach for numerous reasons, but in this conversation it is most notably his ability to develop and retain talent over four years - similar in many ways to what the Australian system strives to do. There is a division beginning in college basketball (largely to do with the NBA's 'one year rule') where coaches like Calapari, who can repeatedly bring in the most talented players, are being challenged by programs who embrace the opportunity to develop players of a lesser talent not solely focused on taking their game to the NBA as fast as possible.

Lastly, what really stands out about basketball in Australia is the passion they have for the game. Because, unlike in the US, you often have to seek out the sport to participate in it and there is little fanfare associated with the sport domestically, it is full of people who are truly invested in and passionate about the game. In many ways it is amateurism in a way that America will never again experience in basketball.

by Ray Eady

I was talking to a former colleague (who was also a former collegiate basketball player) and we were debating if basketball was a team sport.  His reply, “Absolutely not, all you need is two all-stars and a decent role player and your team has a good chance of winning.”

Ok, I can understand his argument and we call all agree if you have a couple of “all-stars” on your team in any sport you can improve your chances of winning”.  However, I still believe role players (reserve or bench players) are a key ingredient in the winning process.  In many cases, you cannot become a championship team with just two good players. You need important players who can come off the bench and play quality minutes.

What is considered “quality minutes”?  A few include:

• Substituting for a starter who is injured
• Substituting for a starter that has fouled out of a game
• Substituting for a starter that is having a bad game (it does occur!)
• Giving the starters rest during intense competition
• Helping to provide a momentum shift in competitive games because of renewed “spirit” and “energy”

Others include:

• Preparing the starters during practice
• While on the bench, the good role player keeps their head in the game, and observes what's going on, where the weaknesses are in the defense, which opposing players are a threat, what's happening on the boards, etc.

The coaching staff at the University of Wisconsin constantly stresses to our bench players to "make a difference".  Not just go into the game and run aimlessly up and down the floor, but play hard, hustle and become the “X” factor.
With this understanding, here are a few things I do with my reserve players in the weight room to foster that “X” factor mentality.

1. Assign leadership responsibilities to the reserve players and not solely to the captains, starters or the “best” player on the team. This gives the reserve players some team ownership and keeps them engaged.

2. Have the starters’ partner with the reserve players during training sessions.  This shows that everyone on the team is of equal importance [regardless of minutes played] and that the whole is better than the sum of its parts.

3. Empower your reserve players to make decisions for the team. Once again, this promotes leadership, decision-making, as well as confidence and competitiveness.

4. Constantly give positive feedback.  Positive feedback promotes self-confidence, self-assurance and improves self-esteem. In addition, it shows that you care!

5. Continue to challenge them physically and mentally.  Put them in situations where they have to overcome some adversity. 

6. Recognize their hard work, achievements, and efforts in front of the team.  This develops player credibility.

7. Promote the perception that membership on the team is an honor regardless of role.  Players feel more attached to the team when it makes them feel special.

8. Limit group competitions but incorporate more team competition where success is only achieved by the inclusion of all players.

9. Verbally communicate to the team the importance of role players and their impact on team performance.

10. Most importantly, continue to hold them accountable at all cost!

The good role player realizes that their "time will come". The role player is a special person because most players want to be starters; however, it takes great maturity to be a good role player.

With that being said, I guess basketball really is a team sport!

by Art Horne

Working with Basketball at Northeastern University since 2003 I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some very talented “mid-major” players who have gone on to earn money in the NBA, NBA-D league and overseas. But being a mid-major player automatically stacks the deck against you when it comes to visibility and recognition, and when “interview” time comes, every little advantage counts when it comes to making an NBA roster.

I asked three presenters from this year’s Basketball Symposium and former NBA strength coaches what a mid-major player needs to do to crack a roster spot.

Here are their responses:

Charlie Weingroff, formally of the Philadelphia 76ers

1.  Don't be a dick.
--In the NBA, the only thing that matters is if you can fill up the stat sheet.  If you can put the ball in the goal, dish out or board double digits, or lock somebody up, you can act however you want.  The better you are, the more leeway you have in how you conduct yourself.  Hopefully this isn't too much of a surprise.  But the lower down the totem pole you live, the less tolerance for foolishness there is.  Every team needs to have 15 guys.  It is not an insult to be number 15, but the truth of the matter is that there are more guys that be number 15 than can be 1 or 2.  Don't dress crazy.  Don't talk ghetto.  Don't ask the equipment guy for the 4th t-shirt.  Be early and don't give staff any trouble.  Just show up and play hard.  Don't be noticed for anything except the court, and be a good person (even if you're not in real life).

2.  Know the plays
--Summer League has plays just like the regular season.  And a lot of the plays are designed for the young guys that are guaranteed, not the guys trying to get a look.  Summer League is more for them than anybody else.  So if you screw up the plays or break the plays trying to get yours, that will piss coaches off.  Even if you knock down shots, if you don't let the play run through, or screw up the motion, that is a very easy way to stand out in a negative way.

3.  Respect the staff's time
--Don't think for one second that the front office and coaches don't ask the trainers, strength coaches, and equipment guys, even the ballboys about players.  When there are tie breakers to be had, how players treat co-workers is on the report card.  If you are trying to do whirlpools after practice and get in extra workouts, you are probably pissing off the staff that works 100 hour weeks all year and wants to get home to their families and time off.  It may suck that you want to do everything you can to make the best of your opportunity, but remember that Summer League isn't as much about the long shots as it is about showcasing and exposing the guys already in the mix.  If rehab and training sessions are not part of the schedule, ask in a very non-entitled way the trainer or strength coach if we do anything like that in summer league.  If the Strength Coach says, oh yeah, sure, then you're fine.  If the Strength Coach says, you know, we don't really do much of that in the summer, or we just do that with the guys on the team for now, then don't get pissy and just show up and play hard the next day.  Maybe the hotel has a whirlpool or gym you can get your work in.  It might suck or not make sense, but welcome to NBA Summer League.  It ain't about you.

4.  Eat right
--2-a-days and the heat of Vegas or Orlando along with playing with the best competition of your life may be some of the biggest physical challenges your body has endured.  McDonald's is not the premiere choice to refuel your body.  Spend some money, maybe more than you would prefer to eat better.  Put down as much water as possible, and if you have a history of cramping, take more Gatorade or if there are any Gatorlytes added to the water or drinks.  Salt your food unless you have a condition that says this isn't a good idea.  There will typically be "nutrition" bars available, and they are probably better calories than most college athletes are used to getting when left to their own devices.

5.  Defend
--Defending takes heart and commitment.  This is what can separate you from other guys with even better talent and skills.  There is always room for guys that can defend.  As a strength coach and athletic trainer, it is hard for me to comment or really know how to teach defense.  I guess you just know it when you see it.  It is being in great condition when you show up to Summer League and being very active with your hands and staying with your man's hips.  Miyagi said, "Always look eye," but I think in basketball you always look hips.  The hips don't make fakes.  Eyes, head, feet can all make fakes, but not the hips and midsection.  Defense always gets noticed.

Keith D’Amelio, Stanford University, Formerly of the Toronto Raptors

1)Do the little things on the court
There are only so many shots to go around over the course of a game and more often than not someone who makes a lot more money than you is paid to take them. Where you can have an impact and be an asset to your team by doing the little things - Making the extra pass, putting a body on someone, fighting for loose balls, setting good screens.  Most players don’t like to hear this as they think they are Kobe or LeBron and can all score 30 points any night.  The reality is you are not, but that doesn’t mean you cannot help an NBA team win. 
 
2) Do the little things off the court too
How you act, how you treat people within each organization can have a dramatic effect on your potential longevity in the NBA.  NBA GM’s can be somewhat handcuffed by some players and their attitudes due to their overwhelming talent.  They however do not have to put up with a bench player causing problems. If a superstar makes 20 million a year and is an ass, it is very tough for most GM’s to do something about it. If the 13th man is a jackass and causes problems, it doesn’t take much for an NBA team to pay a few $100,000 to quickly get rid of a problem.  I have personally had to deal with players we brought in for the draft who were complete assholes, when the GM asked me my opinion I was nothing but honest and probably effected his potential draft status – he went undrafted. When you walk into a room, say good morning, thank the staff for things they do for you. They may be getting paid to perform a job but they are often way overworked and way underappreciated – don’t be one of the people who under appreciates them. 
 
3) Equipment Man Rules ALL
This is someone who you have to befriend.  They often run a lot more than simple laundry, and are almost always close with the GM.  Treat them poorly or cause them problems and it will really bite you in the ass.  Don’t ask for a new pair of socks every day,  make sure your gear is always pinned or put in the bag, asking for 10 t-shirts for your friends is not going to go over well either.  These guys will be more than happy to help you any way they can as long as you’re not an ass and help to make their jobs easier. 
 
4) Take care of your body – you’re not going to play forever.
Most young players and rookies think they will play forever and have this incredible athletic talent until they are 60. Sorry to tell you but you won’t. What you do today can affect how you play in 10 years. Don’t think for a second that eating nothing but fast food is good for you or is helping you perform at your best.  It probably wouldn’t  make sense if I told you that Dale Ernhart Jr puts 87octane is his race car, so why would you think it’s ok for you to put a 99 cent value meal into your body – which is essentially your race car. 
 
5) You’re not a 10yr Vet – don’t try and act like one
Hopefully you’re lucky to make it onto a roster, but please do not get caught up in trying to keep up with the vets – they have earned certain rights and have a lot more money in the bank than you do.  I have seen it time after time with rookies who try and keep up with the team vets; trying to go shopping with them, buy clothes, buy cars, jewelry, etc. While yes you now make a tremendous amount of money – it is often nothing compared to what some of these vets make and have made for several years.  Also vets are often quite able to go out at night and then be ready for practice the next day.  Rookies often can’t handle it and will quickly put themselves in bad situations, both financially and on the court trying to keep late hours.  Always keep in the back of your head too, that these Vets who are taking you all night and going shopping know one thing – they can’t play forever and some of you rookies are their potential replacements.  So what appears to be a Vet taking care of some rookies may have underlying tones. Have fun and enjoy but remember you have a job to do.

Mike Curtis, University of Virginia, formally of the Memphis Grizzilies

1) Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses
The most important quality any athlete or human being for that matter can posses is “humility”.  Most undrafted athletes approach making an NBA roster the wrong way.  They assume that scoring points is the single most important statistic that will get them an opportunity to sign a contract.  There are three sayings that should be posted at the entrance of the locker room door during pre-draft workouts and summer league camps. 

“Know who you are!”
“Know what got you here!”
“Do what you do!”

General managers and coaches typically select players for workouts and summer league based on scouting efforts throughout the year.  If you were known in college for being a rebounder you should probably focus on rebounding.  If you were known as a defender you should probably stop your opponent for scoring.  I can’t tell you how many meetings I sat in on where a GM said to a scout after a workout or summer league game, “I thought you said this guy was this or that.  I haven’t seen him stay in front of a guy yet or grab more than 2 rebounds in a game. “.

Every team has a niche to fill and most times the scoring need is filled by the guy they drafted in the first round.  So stop listening to friends, parents, and in some cases uniformed agents and stick to your strengths.  Your weaknesses can be addressed in practice or the off-season once you sign a contract.  Your chances of making a team will increase if you do what the front office expects you to do first and foremost.  An ability to score on top of that is a bonus.

2) Know What Your Goals Are and How to Actually Achieve Them
Making an NBA roster as an undrafted free agent is an extremely difficult task.  In point number one I spoke about knowing your strengths and weaknesses.  Then playing to those strengths.  More importantly, it’s imperative that you put yourself in situations where you realistically have a chance to make a team and show your talents. 

Some players simply want to increase their marketability and earning potential for opportunities overseas and training camp invites are beneficial.  However, if your true and realistic goal is to make an NBA roster make sure that your agent is on the same page.  What sense does it make to go into a training camp if you’re a wing position and the team already has 4 wings under contract for the next 2 to 3 years?

In rare cases the chance to showcase your talents in pre-season games or summer league may spark interest from another team.  In most training camp situations you are just a practice dummy, there to take repetitions while the guaranteed guys take their time getting into shape.  

Look for situations where you can enter the gym each day feeling as if you have real opportunity to achieve your dream.  It will do wonders for your level of effort and mental approach.

3) Make Sure You are Physically Prepared the Grind
The pre-draft workout circuit is grueling.  It usually consists of arriving in a city the night before.  Working out the next morning.  Heading to the airport after the workout and then boarding a plane for the next city and doing it all over again in the next place. If you aren’t a guy projected to go in the first round pencil yourself in for 10-14 consecutive days of this. 

Summer league for most teams is 10-14 days in the worst possible destination for physically and/or mentally unprepared athletes.  The temperature is usually well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and the off court distractions are spectacular and plentiful.

In both of these situations you are not afforded an “off” day.   That “off day’ could cost you money.  So make sure you find a way to fuel your body for performance.  That means hydration (water, Gatorade, etc) and complex carbohydrate dense meals.  McDoanald’s, Wendy’s, and/or Taco Bell are hard places to find food for optimal performance.  Additionally, get to bed and allow your body to recuperate. 

Nutrition and rest are tried and true methods for recovery and given the amount of mental and physical stress associated with trying to make a team you will need as much of both as you can get. 

4) Show Some Character!
Everyday is an interview for you.  Your interactions with coaches, trainers, managers, and even friends will be investigated or analyzed on some level.  Calls will be made to the support staffs of your college.  A general manager will ask his athletic trainer, strength coach, and equipment manager about their interactions with you. From the time you put on a uniform in high school until signing day will be up for review if a team is interested in your services.

Men of character who can fill a need within a team have much higher chances of making a roster.  Owners and front office personnel are getting tired of embarrassing off-court incidents.  Society and front offices will give “first-rounders” a pass on character issues because they can fill up stat sheets. Everyone else is on a short leash.

5) Play Hard! and Smart!!!
Front office personnel love guys who play hard.  But they really hate guys who don’t play smart.  Learn the offensive plays, learn the defensive rotations, learn/understand/except your role, and play with a purpose.  Dive for loose balls.   Run the floor even if you don’t get the ball.  Get back on defense.  Guard your man.  Play team defense.  Finish plays you’re supposed to finish offensively.

By Brian McCormick, written on October 27, 2008 

The general public rarely allows sports science to interfere with its deeply held beliefs, even when the beliefs are more myth than reality. When I coached basketball in Ireland, the young Irish players believed that basketball greatness was not in their genes. They said that Irishmen were not meant to be great athletes. Meanwhile, the Irish Rugby Team crushed its opponents in its preparation for the 2007 World Cup, where some experts pegged Ireland as a co-favorite with the All Blacks. While basketball and rugby are different sports requiring different skills, each features athletes who are fast, quick, agile, strong and coordinated. If Ireland produces world class rugby talent with these athletic qualities, why do Irish basketball players believe this development is beyond their gene pool?

Few view rugby and basketball in terms of athletic qualities, so few see the similarities. The same is true with sports in the United States. Many coaches and parents fail to see the athletic similarities between sports: People view basketball as a sport for tall people who can shoot; rugby as an aggressive, physical sport; and volleyball as a non-contact sport with different ball skills than other sports. We miss the athletic similarities, which impedes our overall athletic development.

Because we view sports in sport-specific terms, coaches encourage players to specialize at earlier and earlier ages. Some basketball coaches dislike players who play volleyball, as they see no benefit and feel they fall behind their teammates while "wasting time" playing volleyball. However, volleyball and basketball require lateral movement, hand-eye coordination, ball skills and vertical jumping. There is a transfer between blocking a ball and contesting a shot, between moving laterally for a dig and moving laterally to prevent an offensive player's penetration.

As youth sports grow more competitive, more young athletes rush to specialize. They heed their coach's advice or follow their parents' guidance, as parents try to give their child an advantage over the competition. Early specialization - when an athlete plays one sport year-round to the exclusion of other sports before puberty - leads to immediate sport-specific skill improvements. Coaches and parents see immediate results and follow this path. If the most skilled 10-year-old plays basketball year-round, maybe my son or daughter needs to devote 12 months a year to basketball. However, athletic development is a process, and sport-specific skill development is only one piece.

People encourage early specialization because of the immediate sport-specific performance gains. However before one can be great at any sport, he must be an athlete first, and early specialization impedes overall athletic development. However, as with the Irish players, we view sports based on sport-specific skills, not athletic qualities.

In recent years, athletic training facilities have proliferated. While these facilities play to parent's big league dreams, much of their success is developing general athletic skills which athletes fail to develop naturally because they specialize and narrow their athletic development. Rather than play multiple sports, which train multiple skills, athletes specialize in one sport and use performance training to compensate for their narrow athletic development.

Kids used to develop these athletic skills by playing multiple sports and neighborhood games, like tag, which develops agility, balance, coordination, evading skills, body control and more.

Now, rather than play tag in their neighborhood, kids go to facilities where they do agility drills so they can change directions, fake, evade and cut when they play basketball, soccer or football. We impose professional training environments on kids before puberty and ignore their differing developmental needs.

Athletic development is a process and early specialization attempts to speed the process. However, what is the goal? Is the goal to dominate as a 10-year-old? Early specialization leads to early peaks. Players improve their sport-specific skills more rapidly than those who participate in a wide range of activities. However, those who develop deeper and broader athletic skills have a better foundation when they ultimately specialize. While those who specialized early hit a plateau, the others improve as they dedicate more time to enhancing their sport-specific skill.

If one specializes in basketball at 10-years-old, his general athletic development is incomplete. While he likely improves his dribbling, shooting and understanding of the game more rapidly than his peers who play multiple sports, those who play multiple sports develop many other athletic skills. If the others play soccer, they improve their vision, agility, footwork and more; if they play football, they develop different skills depending on position, but likely improve acceleration and power. When these athletes specialize in basketball at 15-years-old, they have broader athletic skills and have an advantage against the player who specialized early and likely hits a plateau in his skill development.

Skills - from athletic to tactical to perceptual - transfer from sport to sport. Many coaches and parents insist there is no relation between sports, which gives more credence to early specialization. However, before one excels at a sport, he or she must be an athlete first. The more developed a player's general athletic skills, the higher the player's ceiling in his or her chosen sport. While the general public is slow to accept these ideas, sports science research contends that specialization before puberty is wholly unnecessary and in some cases is detrimental to an athlete's long term success. If the goal is to dominate other 10-year-olds, specialize early. However, if the goal is to nurture healthy children and give them an opportunity to participate in high school and/or college athletics, playing multiple sports offers a child more developmentally than does early specialization.

 Wes Brown

What has been the biggest mistake you made early in your career?

Early on in my career I believe there were two major mistakes that I made which have led to me being a much better professional today.  I paid less attention to the whole and focused more on the specific extremity/area that was injured.  Taking the NASM Performance Enhancement and Corrective Exercise Specialist courses literally saved my career.  It allowed me to examine everything from the ground up instead of limiting my focus.  The second mistake I made goes hand in hand with my first mistake which was not respecting the cause of the recurrent injuries I saw in my basketball athletes.  Accepting that an athlete had tendinitis in high school and was going to deal with it some while they were an athlete under my care should have not been my thought process.  The NASM courses allowed me to think "tendinitis will not be a problem for you while I am responsible for your care".  With the preventative screening and program implementation I now use, it is my firm belief that most of my athletes are better able to handle the stresses of participation and return much quicker from injury when injury does occur. 

What advice would you give for young professionals looking to follow in your footsteps?

There are a few things that I repeatedly tell the Athletic Training Students under my supervision that I think can be applied by everyone.  First, strive to be the best possible.  What I mean by that is this- look at what those at the pinnacle of the area you want to be in are doing.  For me that was the NBA.  I researched and talked with people about what sports medicine care is like at that level and I try to mirror that in terms of my skill set and knowledge necessary for that job.  My thought process is "if the athletes I take care of here are lucky enough to reach that level, then they will have already experienced to a degree what that level of care should be like".  The second thing I recommend is working on your people skills.  You can know all the information in the world, but your athletes won't care or come to you if they don't like you as a person or think that you care.  I have seen many people not be able to reach their potential simply because of their inability to effectively interact positively with people.  We are in a customer service medical field.  If our patients are not happy with any facet of their care, then we need to try and analyze whether their claims deserve merit and thus action to improve the problem.  And finally never stop learning.  The day you stop learning is the day you start becoming ineffective at your job.  There is always something to be learned and I try to learn as much as I can as often as I can.  I try to learn at least one bit of information that I didn't previously know every day. 

How do you address knee pain in the basketball athlete?

Through the implementation of the corrective exercise screen and corrective exercise program, the incidence of knee pain due to tendinitis in my athletes is virtually non-existent except in those athletes whom receive a very high number of reps in practice and games.  Usually when pain occurs in these individuals, reducing their practice reps is the single most important variable that is changed.  When they are initially screened, the corrective exercise program the athletes receive is designed to address any flexibility and strength shortcomings, as well as improper muscle firing.  For example if the athlete has tight calf musculature, the knee may be limited in its ability to gain more range of motion and absorb shock as they land from a jump putting more stress on an area that is already under enough load based on the normal biomechanics of landing from a jump.  I would focus on the flexibility of that musculature and then improve the strength of the dorsiflexors.  Nearly all exercises have a concentric, isometric, and longer eccentric phase included in each repetition.  Landing and controlling the body's load eccentrically provides the most stress to their knees and thus causes the increases in symptoms they commonly experience.  I also use a Kinesiotaping technique that positions the inferior pole of the patellar inferiorly.  To date I have had a 100% success rate in reducing the pain and allowing more normal function in all athletes I have applied this technique to.  Myofascial release to the gastroc-soleus complex and quadriceps musculature my also be necessitated and this is accomplished with the foam roller before stretching.  I often perform additional myofascial release with my hands to ensure specific spots are addressed that the foam roller may not provide enough release to. 

Name some strength training/rehab/nutrition gimmicks that basketball players and coaches should avoid?

There are a variety of devices and techniques out there being used by our athletes that we will probably never convince them to stop using.  I want to address one which I experienced here at the University of Miami.  There is a product called "Power Balance" which is selling their product mainly in the form of a bracelet.  Our athletes have all went out and purchased it thinking it has the ability to "magically" balance their body and make them stronger.  Now if something scientifically prevents the incidence of injury I will see to it that my athletes are able to receive that technique, equipment, or technology.  However, the power balance bracelets did not decrease the symptoms of tendinitis, a disc bulge, or the acute ankle sprain suffered by my athletes.  Before these injuries, I had "spirited" debates with some of the athletes over why they should continue to come for corrective exercises since they felt the power balance bracelets essentially did the same thing the exercises were doing.  They soon got their answer to those questions and began doing their exercises again; along with the exercises for the injuries they were now suffering from.  Am I saying the power balance bracelets don't work.  By all means no.  What I am saying is that no matter what they put on or into their body; they still must be able to react to the forces placed on their body.  Through proper motor programming and technique they will be better able to handle these demands.   

Steve Scalzi

How and why did you get into the field of coaching?

The game is an impossible puzzle, a metaphor for life, my career choice, and a refuge.  If it were a person I’d have to thank it as though it were a mentor.  It’s taken me across the world, given me a style, a vision, and chance to hopefully impact the lives of others.  The head coach I work under took a chance on me when I was a 22 year old kid, just trying to honor his commitment to me.
Who in the field has influenced or helped you the most? Influenced your philosophy? What have you learned from them that you can you share?

Two people have had the deepest impact: the first is my high school coach John Martino.  He was a true teacher of the game.  I was merely a decent high school player, but came away with such a thorough understanding of the game when I left for college.
Since college and my first position out of school, Northeastern Head Coach Bill Coen has been my mentor.  He’s influenced my philosophy on the technical side of the game, but even more from the standpoint of running a program, treating those around me with respect, relationship building and most importantly – preaching patience. 

Name 3-5 books every basketball coach should have in their library.

Stuff Good Players Should Know: Intelligent Basketball from A-Z, by Dick DiVenzio.  One of the better books highlighting tricks of the trade and nuances of the game.
My Personal Best: Life Lessons from an All-American Journey, by John Wooden.  The game’s most respected gentlemen sharing his story.
Basketball FundaMENTALS, by Jay Mikes.  A great read for the player interested in preparing for competition through mental exercises and visualization.

What is the last book you read and why?

The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein.  I rarely find myself reading fiction, but this book teaches you how to listen, pay attention, and support unconditionally – good lessons for a young coach.

What are the top three (3) training tips you would give to a basketball athlete beginning a strength and conditioning program?

1) I think it’s very important that incoming freshmen understand the role that programs play in addressing deficiencies and preparing the body for the rigors of a season.  It’s not merely about being stronger or adding to your vertical.  No player can be effective when injured or tired.  Bad habits creep in with fatigue and team play suffers when focus and efficiency is compromised. 
2) From a coach’s perspective, it boggles my mind to see a kid make a leap in athleticism over his four year college career.  That only happens with a commitment to every level of conditioning - including rehab and nutrition. 
3) Don’t be so caught up in numbers.  Kevin Durant couldn’t bench press to the NBA standard, but, he can get you 30 points a night.  Engage in open discussion with your strength coach to match your aspirations with your potential, then put in the work to meet those reasonable goals you’ve both set. 

What are some of the challenges you experience when training a red-shirt player?

My boss has an interesting philosophy on this matter that I’ve adopted.  Red shirts, freshmen, walk-ons, really any player who does not play big minutes in game situations must recognize one thing:  The head coach is simply a mirror.  What you put into practice is reflected in what you receive in games.  There are certain intangibles that differs from player to player – experience and potential for example.  But for the most part, your productivity, effort, focus, and intensity in practice is how a coach decides your level of preparedness for a game. 
Any player fighting for playing time, especially red shirts, who are new to a program, must recognize that practice is their game day.  Treat it with respect and be ready to work, the coach’s decision to call your number will be a direct reflection of what you bring to the table in practice. 

Ray Eady 

What is the latest book you read and why?

At the University of Wisconsin, the women's basketball staff has bible study sessions at least once a week throughout the year (even during the summer months).  Our goal as a staff is to coach in God's name and honor.  Right now (as a staff), we are reading a book entitled, "The Quest" Coaching for Jesus in a Bottom line World.  Personally, I look at my career as a blessing (and obligation) from God to mentor and inspire young people.  For me, basketball is simply the platform for doing God's work. As coaches, we have an obligation and a duty to educate, nurture, and develop our athletes beyond the athletic arena. I work mostly with female athletes, so I use my platform to help empower women mentally and physically. Coaches have the ability (and the center stage) to positively influence many people.

Early in my career, it was all about winning games and my coaching reflected this desire. Winning was my way of advancing my career; an opportunity to make more money or to work at a bigger collegiate program.  Losing was not an option and in my opinion that was very selfish.  Now I coach for God and I follow his coaching blueprint which is too prepare young people for success and life's challenges.  I am still a competitive individual but winning has taken on a new meaning.  Winning is having a positive impact on players that will last a life time.

I think Tony Dungy said it best, " We do play on Sundays, but if we play the right way, carry ourselves the right way and honor God with our lives, we can impact people for Christ that would never hear about Him in a normal "church service."

For interns, volunteer coaches, graduate assistant etc. aspiring to be basketball strength coaches, what advice would you give?

My advice to aspiring basketball strength and conditioning coaches is to get on the training floor and learn how to be a GOOD strength and conditioning coach.  Basically, this means learning how to instruct a variety of athletes regardless of sport.  Developing contacts, collecting business cards, and networking is important but at the end of the day, you got to know how to coach.  It's critical that aspiring strength coaches learn how to interact and communicate to a diverse group of athletes particularly in a team setting.  This includes females, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, rural-area athletes, inner-city area athletes, athletes with a strong religious faith, athletes from single family homes, and the list goes on.).  Athletics is the "melting pot" of the world.  Some athletes are motivated differently given their background.  All athletes aren't built the same!  As a strength coach, you got to find the best way to get the most productivity out of your players.  You are not going to get this type of training in a classroom or at a symposium or conference.  This type of training comes from being in the weight room, at practices, at games, at film sessions, etc.

Lastly, in my humble opinion, the most successful strength coaches are also great communicators not only to athletes but to sport coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists, doctors, equipment managers, nutritionists, etc. In many cases, you got to be able to articulate and sell your training philosophy (and in some cases defend your philosophy).  Art Horne wrote a great blog on this topic called "Who's fault is it".  Developing positive and productive relationships with people in the athletic department is extremely important.

What is your training philosophy regarding in-season training? Off-season training? Pre-season training?

My goal for the off-season is to prepare our team for the upcoming competitive season by developing the physical qualities need to perform at a healthy and optimal level.  Of course, this includes improving strength, power, sport-specific speed, quickness and conditioning.  At the end of every competitive season, I will develop a yearly training plan based on a couple of factors (a few many include):

1. The number of returning players.  Will we be a veteran or a rebuilding team?
2. What type of playing style will we execute offensively and defensively?
3. Are we a team that needs toughness?  More team unity?
4. Are we skilled at all five positions?  How many players do we have at each position?
5. How will certain players be utilized offensively and defensively?
6. Do some players need additional work (i.e. weight loss, weight gain, speed, etc.)?

Once these factors are identified, I can develop and implement a plan to meet our competitive needs.

I divide the training year into blocks (off-season I, off-season II, pre-season I, pre-season II, and in-season).  Each block focusing on a specific physical quality.  For example, off-season I is typically dedicated to teaching and re-educating the players on how to perform certain "technical" lifts as well as improving posture, balance, coordination, movement, core stability, and GPP (work capacity).  These are the physical qualities that are going to be needed to successfully complete summer workouts.

Our main goal for off-season II is to improve sub-maximal and maximal strength which is extremely important.  Strength is one of the catalysts for enhancing athleticism.

We will still train other qualities such as strength-speed, speed-strength, general conditioning, etc. but our number one priority is to get strong.  This particular block is the best time to achieve this quality because of a couple of reasons:

1. On-court activity is usually reduced during the summer.  Players can give more energy and mind share to weight room activities.
2. I don't believe you can continue to improve strength at an optimal rate during the pre- or competitive seasons because players are now being exposed to stressors that can negatively impact strength gains.  (i.e. individual workouts with coaches, team practices, conditioning sessions, pick-up games, late night study sessions, early classes, etc.)

During pre-season I our goal is to prepare for the start of official practice.  The physical qualities that are highly emphasized are basketball specific movement/endurance, power, and strength. Our training tends to be more specialized to the demands of the sport. 

The goal for pre-season II is to prepare for the beginning portion of our non-conference game schedule.  At this point in time, on-court activity has increased dramatically.  Weight training frequency and volume will decrease but when we train the focus is to maintain strength gains achieved during the off-season and pre-season I.  We tend to do more therapeutic work during these sessions to help facilitate the recovery process as well.

Finally, the goal for the in-season is to keep the players healthy and competitive.  Like most strength coaches, I understand the importance of in-season strength training but I also understand that practice takes priority. You can't put too much physical and mental stress on your players that they are unable to perform efficiently on the court.  Eventually, you will have overtrained players and not so happy coaches.

What are some of the biggest myths that still surround strength training and the basketball athlete?

Many basketball athletes still think the best way to improve their jumping ability (vertical jump) is to continue to do jumping drills outside of playing basketball.  Whether it's on a vertimax, using bands, jump ropes or wearing shoes specially designed to increase jumping performance. As strength coaches, we call all agree that the vertical jump has a direct correlation to limit strength. If you want to jump higher, you must get stronger!  This includes adding squats, deadlifts, rack pulls, posterior chain work, and single leg work into your workouts to develop the maximal strength needed to be explosive. 

Need more proof?  Studies from the National Strength and Conditioning Association have shown that the average vertical jump for a division I collegiate basketball is approximately 27" when compared to a division I collegiate defensive back (football) which is approximately 33". In my opinion, this is not a coincidence.  I still believe the majority of basketball players and coaches are still light years behind their football counterparts when it comes to strength training (and conditioning).  Many basketball players continue to specialize during the off-season while their football counterparts tend to concentrate the majority of their efforts on strength training.  Yearly specialization by the basketball athlete will have a negative impact on developing the maximal strength needed to improve other physical attributes.

What assessments or evaluations do you use with your players during pre-season?

During the pre-season, the athletic trainer and I will assess and evaluate the players in a couple of areas.  First, we will do a functional movement screen.  I like doing the movement screens because it allows me to asses an array of total body movement mechanics.  As you know, proper movement mechanics is needed to perform efficiently, effectively, and injury free on the basketball court.  The screens we typically use are:

1. Overhead squat test
2. Hurdle test
3. Active hamstring test
4. In-line lunge test

In addition to the screens, we will do the hop and stop test and the leap and stop test to assess a player's ability to produce, absorb, and stop force on one leg.

We will also do some performance evaluations to measure leg power and strength.  To measure power, we will do a series of vertical jump test. 

1. Static jump test to measure starting strength
2. Countermovement jump test to measure speed-strength
3. 4-jump test to measure how efficient a player is using their power repeatedly

We perform these jumps on a just-jump mat while the athletes are holding a dowel on the back of their shoulders (as if they were going to do a back squat).  The goal is to eliminate the action of the arms to really determine leg power.   I like performing these tests because they can help you determine if certain players need more strength work or more speed/elastic work.

For conditioning, we will do the standard 300 yard shuttle test which is a great test to measure anaerobic capacity.  This year, I will test the players in the 150 yard shuttle because the energy system demands are bit different (anaerobic power).

Lastly, we will do body composition assessments on a DXEA system to determine body fat and lean muscle tissue.  I want our players to be at an optimal body weight for increase performance and to reduce the chances of injury. 

I must say the most overrated test when evaluating basketball players has to be the bench press test.  So many coaches put a premium on the results. I am not saying basketball players don't need upper body pushing strength but the relevance it has on basketball performance is minimal. When the bench press can prevent a female player from tearing their ACL then I will put more emphasis on the test.

Let's make it clear, performance evaluations will never truly tell you if a player will have some success on the court.  It merely predicts future performance.  All the strength and power in the world won't make you a successful athlete unless you're able to apply it in sport-specific contexts and integrate it with finer motor qualities.

I don't try to re-invent the wheel when it comes to testing.  I want to make my evaluations meaningful for my athletes and to make it applicable for what they will most likely be doing on the court.