Month: April 2020

Hi Excel family!  How to cope? How to profit with learning during idle times? And…how to take care of ourselves during stressful days! While we’re in our COVID19 headache, I have begun our excel challenge to get all of you, including players, family members, friends as well as our proud alumni to get out and stay active and work on your individual basketball skills over this difficult period of social distancing. Ok, so perhaps basketball is not exactly the first thing you thought of but how about thinking about the ancillary benefit of just getting fresh air. We all need it.

The goal is to have fun, get outside as the weather is breaking, and work on something to get more proficient with our skills and think more optimistically about our future.  We can be as ambitious as we want but having goals in mind and sticking to them on a consistent basis is the key to success and life.  I have started my side shot, and can see that in a short amount of time consistency really works!  Don’t know if I am ready to make any team but hey, at least I am trying!  I challenge all of you to work on something and excel to the next level!  Stay safe everyone.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1571990629632628&external_log_id=a7550ceca87df7b90bb9f2681b9b570b&q=mid%20michigan%20excel%20aau%20basketball

I have always been supportive of players within our program who play multiple sports and allowing them time to do so as well as not overwhelm them.  We have often heard from coaches who insist on and may even penalize them with lack of play time.  My son was a multi-sport athlete and there was a fresh sense within each of his soccer, basketball, and baseball seasons which allowed him to excel within each of them.  There were challenges but we made it work but were careful on not burning him out.  I would like to hear your thoughts.  Check out the link below authored by Tyler Johnson, a former NCAA football captain and sports professional.

https://www.stack.com/a/5-reasons-college-coaches-love-recruiting-multi-sport-athletes

In this Positive Coaching Alliance video, Carol Dweck talks about the importance of having a growth mindset and pressures we put on kids on winning and losing.  I know that all of us want our kids to win and excel, but how to we accept losing or failure and how do we incorporate life lessons into successes for the future.  Are we teaching more than scolding? How we promote positivity and provide teaching moments to make them better people is the real goal.

How do we build a championship mindset on and off the court with our student athletes?  It is a daily commitment that involves continuous improvement on and off the court, setting high standards, motivation on getting better, with daily preparation.  It also involves stressing good values, instilling professionalism in how we go about our business and deal with our opponents, bringing a contagious energy, being a team player, creating a lasting legacy, and leading by example are others.  Next Level.  MVP Mentality.

Coach Steve Kerr, Golden State Warrior Head Coach and former world champion in this Positive Coaching Video discusses his childhood days playing as well as coaching.  He discusses his parents not putting pressure on him and having him figuring things out early on.  He talks about the importance of setting up expectation meetings up front with parents as a coach.  I feel open, transparent conversations with parents is always the best policy, setting realistic expectations throughout the season.  Letting parents know that you want their kids’ best interest at heart, helps foster a family-like atmosphere. That is what we strive for at Excel.  What do you think?