Sacred Hoops

Never Mind Reaching For The Stars: Practical Advice For Graduates

epangburn — Sat, 23 May 2009 21:47:29 +0000

Whenever the subject of graduation comes up, it seems that many people are so quick to dispense “universal truths” and arcane bits of wisdom that border on the clichéd. Do a quick search on the Internet for “advice for new graduates” and you’ll see what I mean. Advice about “soaring high”, “keeping your spirits up”, and yes, ”reaching for the stars”…it seems we have heard to all before. What so many articles fail to address however is the need for solid, practical advice that can be helpful in the real world of post graduation.

Regardless of whether you are set to enter the corporate world or you are armed with all the education a basketball scholarship you can give you, there are a few things that can help you navigate the treacherous waters that lie ahead as a fresh graduate. Here then are a few words of advice that you may find useful when “aiming high” simply won’t cut it.

Clean up your act
A harsh realization that so many fresh graduates face is that it is a whole new world out there with a completely different set of rules. Unfairly or not, how you look is a large part of that. We’re not saying that you should undergo cosmetic surgery or a radical image makeover. However, it may benefit you to clean up your personal image a bit and discard the questionable wardrobe and personal hygiene habits that have served you so well in all those years of college. Dressing the part is something that is likely to pay off in dividends for the rest of your life, and you should resist the urge to come to work in your sweats and with a 5-day old growth of beard.

Keep your spending in check
The first time you bring home a paycheck is a glorious day indeed, and it is very tempting to splurge on things that you simply couldn’t afford when you were a starving college kid. Unless you want to go back to being a starving-but-older person however, it would be wise to reign in those buying impulses. Add a credit card to the equation, and things could quickly spiral out of control. If you cant afford to pay for something by the end of the month, keep that plastic in your pocket. Give in to the urge to spend beyond your financial means to pay for it and you will be faced with interest charges that will have you screaming back to your nice, cozy dorm room.

Don’t take things too personally
It would help you to realize early on that many people in the real world simply aren’t “nice”. The business and corporate world has little sympathy or patience for hurt feelings or wilting flowers, and if you don’t have thick skin, you will be eaten up alive. Don’t lose the youthful optimism and openness that you have by any means, but temper it with a strong will and determination to deal with whatever comes your way in a gracious manner, and you’ll go places!

Coach Don Meyer

epangburn — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 06:11:51 +0000

How To Play Win Win Basketball And In Life

epangburn — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:54:17 +0000

Anyone who has ever watched a basketball game on TV or live knows fully well that the game is an intense and highly competitive one, with players vying for the chance to dominate the court with the goal of victory for their team. You only have to watch a single game in order to be aware of the pervasive “win at all costs” mentality that seems to drive every basketball player.

The all or nothing approach to playing basketball is just as apparent in the slick and glossy marketing campaigns that so many sports and fitness companies adopt, with their emphasis on playing to the best of your abilities in order to bring about the humiliating defeat of the other team.

Unfortunately, these goals have become an increasingly prominent aspect of the game of basketball, and indeed of many other major league sports. This way of thinking becomes even more disturbing when you realize that so many players focus on delivering their all without regard to the other players in their own team. An air of selfishness and self-serving ambition seems to drive the sports world nowadays, and it is doubtful that sports in general is better for it.

In the face of all this, it may be worthwhile to consider another approach to playing basketball, one that involves thinking beyond one’s own self. We are talking about the win-win approach to playing basketball, and it may well be a concept that is alien to some of today’s more driven and aggressive players.

Playing with the win-win mentality does not involve considering the goals and feelings of the other team. Basketball is still a competitive sport after all, with one of the main goals being to win. The win-win approach does however take into consideration the other players in your own team, and how you can play in a manner that best benefits your team as a whole. This may involve anything from passing the ball to well-positioned players more often, or helping a teammate out by blocking or screening him or her from an opponent. Regardless of how this mentality is manifested, the key is to play the game not for personal gain or glory, but rather in a way that will best help the team achieve its goal of winning, and at the same time in manner that is considerate to everyone else on the team.

Don’t get us wrong; we are not advocating a meek and humble approach to playing basketball. That would be just as detrimental to a team’s efforts as playing too aggressively with no regard for anyone else. What we are suggesting however is that there is a way to play the game that takes the focus away from the achievements and goals of the individual player, and places it instead on the greater good. The phrase “being a team player” is the key to the win-win mentality, and if every player on the team adopts it, everyone will be all the better for it.

An Overview Of ASEP’s Curriculum For Sports Officials And Administrators

epangburn — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:00:19 +0000

An Overview Of ASEP’s Curriculum For Sports Officials And Administrators

This is an overview of the various courses and programs that ASEP has made available for use by sports officials and administrators of youth sports organizations. Details of each specific program are given below.

Volunteer Officials Education Program

ASEP is currently developing a program that will address specific needs of youth sport officials. If you are interested in taking these courses, check the web site of ASEP regularly for updates on this program’s development.

Professional Officials Education Program

This ASEP program has been developed in tandem with the National Federation of State High School Associations or NFHS. Called the NFHS Officials Education Program, it aims to provide sports officials with high-quality instruction that is delivered completely online for maximum possible convenience.

One of the officials courses of the ASEP in the Bronze level is the NFHS Officiating Principles and Officiating Sport Methods course. These are initially available for basketball, baseball, soccer, football, wrestling, and softball, with more sports expected to be added in the future. All of these courses will be available online.

Sports officials who manage to successfully complete both the Officiating [Sport] Methods course and the NFHS Officiating Principles course for their particular sport will be awarded the ASEP Professional Official designation.

Administrators

ASEP has put together an extensive collection of sports related resources that are tremendously useful for sports administrators of all types of youth level sports programs all over the country. These programs have been specifically designed to help sports administrators stay organized and better able to continue their professional development. One of the latest e-courses offered by ASEP is the Directing Youth Sports Program, which has been developed to address the needs of park and recreation sports directors and youth sport administrators. The program is comprised of more than 50 customizable forms, checklists, and practice exercises, all of which are available for download. In addition, a Sport Event Planner is also included, which is an invaluable tool for the planning of youth sport contests. Some of the other resources offered by ASEP are Organizing Successful Tournaments, More Fantastic Fundraisers for Sport and Recreation, and Risk Management in Sport and Recreation.

An Overview Of ASEP’s Curriculum For Coaches

epangburn — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 20:23:50 +0000

An Overview Of ASEP’s Curriculum For Coaches

Volunteer Education Program

The ASEP Volunteer Education Program aims to provide beginning and intermediate education for volunteer coaches who teach athletes that are 13 years old or younger, as well as offer courses and resources for parents, sports officials, and administrators that work with athletes of this age group. This program is meant to be used in various youth sport programs such as Little League Baseball, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, junior high school sports programs, military sports teams, and local sport organizations.

Professional Education Program

This ASEP Program has been developed to offer comprehensive courses and resources for users that want to serve as coaches, sports officials or administrators in high schools, colleges, universities, the Olympics, and competitive sports programs for athletes that are 14 years old and older. The program is comprised of three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

Bronze Level

The Bronze Level of the program provides a three-course credentials program for coaches of athletes that are 14 years old and above. This level includes the Principles of Coaching, First Aid, and Technical and Tactical Skills. Coaches that manage to successfully complete these courses will receive the Bronze Level credential.

The Bronze Level certification is recommended by 35 state high school sports organizations, 200 colleges and universities, and 13 national governing bodies from all over the country. This level will give coaches the training needed to enhance their on-field experience and development.

The Coaching Principles and Sport First Aid courses are taught either as online courses or in a classroom setting by certified instructors. The classroom version of Coaching Principles is comprised of an eight-hour instruction session, a self-study of the course material in the Successful Coaching, Third Edition book, and a test. The classroom version of the Sport First Aid course is basically the same format, except that the classroom instruction is a four-hour course.

Silver Level

The next step for coaches who have managed to successfully complete the Bronze Level and are interested in continuing their professional development is the Silver Level course offered by ASEP. This level is comprised of advanced courses–all of which are provided online–that deal with specific tactics and techniques that are based on the most up to date methods of coaches, advanced sports science, and courses in the physiology of sports, sports psychology, sports mechanics, and sports skill instruction. These courses are still currently being developed, and will be released in time for the completion of the Bronze Level technical and tactical skills course.

Gold Level

After the bronze and Silver level comes the Gold Level courses of ASEP, which will carry on the instruction of coaches in sports science and offer advanced methods in conditioning and instruction that are specific to each sport. In addition, advanced instruction in sports nutrition, management of risk, and coaching social issues will be given. If you are interested in taking the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Level technical and tactical skills courses, check the ASEP web site regularly for their availability.

Hoops Doctors New Section Called “Skool for Ballers”

epangburn — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:41:21 +0000

There is a new sections going on over at the Hoops Doctors called “Skool for Ballers”. This is new Skool For Ballers will bring you basketball drills, basketball tips, basketball analysis, and so much more to add to your complete game. This is a much see guide that will take your training to the next level. Don’t forget, being a GREAT baller takes as much work off the court as it does on!

So check out this new section they have just posted a great article called “Is there good value in the 3pt Shot?”

Three Point shooting is an essential part of a basketball battle these days, but have we gotten a little carried away with living beyond the arch? Would it be more effective to take a shot 10 feet from the basket or closer? I have detailed what I believe is good, and bad about 3 point shooting. Knowing how and when the 3 point shot is most effective is crucial to your basketball success.

This is a great article that looks at both sides of the 3 point shot. It shots it straight forward of why or why not shoot the long ball. So what are you wanting for go check out the complete article over at Hoop Doctors “Skool for Ballers”

An Overview of ASEP | Youth Basketball Coaching | American Sports Eductiona Program

epangburn — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 04:19:20 +0000

An Overview of ASEP

One of the organizations at the forefront youth basketball coaching in the United States is the American Sport Education Program or ASEP. The program has been tackling the issue of how coaches should be trained ever since it was established in 1981. In line with its goals to implement and develop education courses that are geared towards youth basketball coaching, ASEP has put to use its resources and materials to educate well over one million coaches, game officials, basketball administrators, and parents for more than 20 years.

On the ASEP web site, which can be found at www.asep.com, you can view a list of all the program courses, purchase online versions of these courses, and learn more about other aspects of the program that are geared towards the needs of basketball coaches all over the country. These features can be found at the Curricula and Courses section of the web site.

Basketball coaches and game officials who manage to complete the ASEP courses will be listed on the National Coaches and Officials Registries of the program. This makes it easy for sports administrators to check on the qualifications of coaches and game officials online. Furthermore, these coaches and officials can also use these registries to brush up on their personal course history as well as to print transcripts of their records.

The web site of ASEP is clearly laid out, with a helpful navigation menu that allows any basketball coach, game official, administrator, or parent to find specific product information according to their needs. After you have purchased a course, you can then browse to your home page in order to access your course, take tests, or see your transcript.

Course instructors who are interested in Coaching Principles or Sport First Aid can access the Instructors’ Home Page, where they can purchase course packets, submit reports, and post scheduled courses on the course calendar.

Aside from these courses, ASEP also publishes a variety of instructional materials, among them books, videos, CD-ROMs, and DVDs that are intended for basketball coaches, game officials, administrators, and parents. You will be able to find a complete listing of these resources on the ASEP store, where materials produced by the parent organization of ASEP, Human Kinetics, are also available.

Basketball At Olympics Coming

epangburn — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:07:37 +0000

The brackets are set and teams are finalized for the 2008 Beijing Olympics Basketball tournament. It will be very good this summer as teams are stronger and not predictable. With only 17 days left until the commencement it should be great to watch. The olympics basketball schedule will be competitive and televised worldwide free. The USA will seek redemption as they have been disappointing but teams such as China, Argentina and Spain are looking to get a gold medal. Stay up to date with information at basketball in china.

Basketball Rules Question

epangburn — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:49:24 +0000

This is great high school basketball rules question from Ike.

If a team is losing by (say) one (1) point and the other team has the ball out of bound, can you foul the inbound passer to prevent the clock from starting? I saw this on a reason college game.

No you cannot foul the inbounder. In the NBA, (Rule No. 12, Section II Article 5) a delay-of-game shall be called for a defender crossing the boundary line prior to the ball being released on a throw-in. EXCEPTION (5): In the last two minutes of the fourth period and/or overtime period, a technical will be assessed if the defender crosses or breaks the plane of the boundary line when an offensive player is in a position to inbound and prior to the ball being released on a throw-in.

In high school and college you can give a warning to reaching across the plane, on the second infraction it is a technical foul.

Since Sacredhoops.com continues to have numerous high school basketball rules (by the way keep them coming) we have partnered with a basketball referee guru. Please welcome Michael Borgelt who will be continuing to answer all your high school basketball rules, or any other basketball rule questions you might have.

Basketball Family

epangburn — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:28:22 +0000

Basketball Family

The website basketball family offers a wealth of resources related to trick basketball, witha focus on the Luneaus basketball family. The family is comprised of Matt Luneau, Ilze Luneau and their two daughters: Iliana, who is 6 years old, and Marika, who is 4 years old. The primary goal of the website is to promote the Luneaus basketball family’s combination of motivational programs and sports entertainment to schools, neighborhoods and various organizations. The family has had extensive experience in both fields, and they are willing to accommodate any type of organization who wishes to have them speak, regardless of any religious restrictions that they may have in place. In fact, the Luneaus basketball family has performed and given inspirational talks at numerous engagements wherein their approach focused on general character development rather than on any specific religious message. The website contains many pictures that show just what the Luneaus basketball family can do. Many of the feats and tricks are absolutely amazing, but the truth to the matter is that the pictures on their website can hardly do justice to what they are capable of in person. Much of their act involves volunteers from the audience who are called upon to act as assistants and sometimes even participate in some stunning basketball wizardry without having any prior experience! The expression on the face of a member of the audience who only minutes ago was called upon to volunteer, but is now suddenly in the midst of several basketballs spinning away in perfect rhythm, is truly a sight to behold! If you want the Luneaus basketball family to perform and speak at your next school function or company activity, you can reach them through the contact information that they have posted in their website. This is truly a one of a kind opportunity, and the combination of world-class basketball wizardry and inspirational messages is sure to resonate within all your students or your employees. You can also check out the website for personal details about each member of the Luneaus basketball family as well as the various skills that they are capable of.