ASSISTS, LOOSE BALLS & TURNOVERS

A guy I met about 10 years ago used the above name for his scouting service; I found it pretty interesting.

I’ve been addicted to Twitter and Facebook since the start of the summer, it’s pretty cool, both sites.  Though I tend to post a lot more on Twitter (CoachFinamore).   There are good solid basketball people on Twitter, I enjoy reading their comments.  Summer basketball and shooting (the basketball, not a gun) have been a couple of topics discussed a lot as of late on both networks.

I have heard so much about the negative side of the summer basketball venue. AAU coaches pulling their teams off the court during a game.  A coach punching an official, turnovers, undisciplined play, etc.   The latest from the New York Times on another negative part of summer basketball; how expensive the roster packets cost at these events along with the admission.

Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo refused to pay $100 for admission to the Summer Jam tournament in Milwaukee earlier this month after one of his assistants had already paid $250 for the packet that doubled as an entry fee. Izzo said the tournament director should visit him if he had a problem.

This is where the college coaches like Izzo and Stallings with strong voices need to step up.  Not saying anything will not help the problem.  Don’t sit there and say, ‘I don’t want to hurt my relationship with the promoter or organizer of the event because I may never get a kid’.  To me, that’s weak.  If you can recruit, you will get a kid.

Roster booklets and admission fees at summer basketball events have been a joke for many years.  Sometimes you can’t even get a kid’s name and jersey in the book.   I recall back in the 90’s at the ABCD camp the charge to get in was $5.  If you wanted, you could buy the roster booklet.  For those that don’t know what a roster booklet is at an event it’s filled with the players and coaches information participating in that event.  Address, phone number and other info like high school attending, high school coach and sometimes parents names.   A lot of college coaches need this info especially if they are interested in a player they are seeing for the first time.

I’ve known coaches who have seen a kid out on the floor, open up the packet, check his jersey number, like his game and decide to call his home right there just to leave a message, “Hey this message is for Joey, this is coach so and so.  I am sitting here watching you play and I think you really play well.” The coach leaves a message for the kid so he’ll get it when he gets back home.  I’m not sure of the NCAA rules at the time, they are always changing so not sure if was illegal or not.

I understand these tournament people need to make money so they can pay for the facility, the officials and the employees, but charging hundreds of dollars for a book is insane.  The highest a book should cost is a $100.  For a small-level tournament the book should cost no more than $50.  I once went to a weekend AAU tournament and the guy was charging $80 for the book and $25 to get in.  I was like, ‘I’m trying to get kids scholarships and give them a chance to play college ball and you’re charging me $100′!

If basketball people who really care want to improve summer basketball, get rid of the high priced roster booklets to start.  Stop complaining about low field goal percentage and turnovers by our players.

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!

AAU BASKETBALL

For those that know me, I’m not a big fan of people who bash AAU basketball.  I am someone who has coached it and have seen it help a lot of people.  I understand there are stories out there that paints AAU basketball in a dark light (I never hear any specifics though).

I asked some coaches on Twitter what are the Pro’s and Con’s of AAU basketball.  Here are some of the answers I received:  (Keep in mind on Twitter you are only allowed 140 characters)

Too many games! Do kids really value a good win or more importantly learn to hate losing?

There is nothing better than havin all that talent in one gym but ur right those booklets are way overpriced!

Another pro is that kids get to travel and see other cities and states, places many have never been and may never go.

Another pro is that the big events (Vegas, PeachJam, etc.) allow the players to play in front of HUNDREDS of college coaches.

One con is that it has taken a lot of kids out of individual camps in June and July.

It is what some of them need to do though.They need the exposure and to play at that competitive level.Competition is good.

Agree w/ coachsilk but a PRO is it lets others take leadership, playmaking, scoring rolls to enhance their games and the team.

Too many games also leaves you too tired for skill work sometimes.

Agree w/ the comp being better as a BIG PRO. You always have to play hard. Big CON is to many games, Ws and Ls less important.

One of my cons is that while we are developing team chemistry over the summer, our best players are not with us.

Pros: Great Competition.

Pros: Kids in a gym playing. Biggest Con for me is that there is no regulation of coaches, there is no accountability.

Con: Beginning to be too many irons in the fire. Too many “outside influences” around the players come from AAU.

Pro: Best players get to play vs. best players. Makes evaluations easier. Don’t get that with football recruiting.

A-B-C

I started reading “Winning A Day At A Time” written by former NBA player and coach John Lucas.   (There’s a great introduction by my good friend Lloyd Daniels).  Lucas, if you aren’t aware went through some tough times due to a drug addiction during his playing days.   The former number one draft pick out of Maryland not only managed to make it back, but he began helping others with a substance abuse center.   In the book he has a section where he talks about an approach from the 12 Step Program, A-B-C;  Accept, Believe and Caring.   Great stuff…I want to borrow from Coach Lucas and keep the B and C but change the A to Achieve.

Lucas is located down in Houston, Texas working guys out-from all reports he is very good at what he does.

My version of A-B-C in basketball terms:

A-Achieve

B-Believe

C-Caring

Achieve all you can.  Work hard and keep reaching for the stars.  Do well in class.  Make great grades.  Be a winner!

Believe it can be done.  Keep on keepin’ on if you are serious about improvement.  Don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done.

Care about your teammates.  Care about your coach and parents.  Care about your program!  Care if you win or lose.

*******************

I have been on Twitter for a few weeks and it’s been a lot of fun.  As Stephen Covey would say, ‘Enjoyable and Productive’.  I have mentioned before it’s a great networking tool with loads of information pertaining to the game.  You get different insight from very good coaches.  Also a great way to meet new coaches/friends.  Give it a try  twitter.com

You can also find me on Facebook, another cool networking site.

Talked to my good friend Herb Welling today, the father of the D-D-M; he said he was in Milwaukee and Chicago at some AAU events and the outside shooting displayed was fantastic.

“What are people talking about?” he asked.  “They say Americans can’t shoot!” Herb was on a roll…he was actually yelling over the phone.

“Herb, it’s all bull-shit, it’s blowhards behind their keyboard trying to ignite garbage.” I answered.  “They complain and whine but do nothing about this so-called problem with American basketball.”

I said it once, and I’ll say it again, our players are fine.  They are working hard, sharing the ball and playing with energy. I spoke with a high school coach out of New York City today and he told me some of his players coordinated a group workout today…minus the coaching staff! Players-only workout!

Ya gotta love that!

Last but not least, I came across a good basketball coach and his website, Mike Lee who is out there working hard with our players.

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

AAU vs HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

ESPN Outside the Lines had an interesting topic this morning.  It was AAU vs High School basketball. (Good timing during the NBA playoffs and two big Game 7’s today)  The three guests were Dru Joyce, Gary Charles and John Beilein.

There were some interesting comments but I wish each guest would’ve had more time to explain their views.  (Memo to ESPN, expand the show or have the guests on longer). 

This debate has been going on for many years.  The one common theme Charles and Joyce mentioned was “ego”; on the part of the high school and AAU coach.  Everyone says they are in it for the interest of the kid, but deep down, is that really the agenda?

Recently on Twitter, George Mason men’s head basketball coach Jim Larranaga said he’d rather have kids playing AAU basketball on weekends than hanging out in the malls.  

You can google this topic and come up with 745,322 articles.  You can talk to 100 people involved with basketball and you will get 100 different views.  You can poll players and coaches and you’ll get different opinions.  Basketball people will be talking about this forever.  

I don’t have a solution – but I don’t want to be part of the problem by bashing either side or even judging.  I know there are very good AAU programs out there. Just like there are very good high school programs; on the flip-side, we can all agree that each side has their bad apples.   The bottom line is as adults; coaches and parents, we need to do the best we can when making decisions that are going to effect young men.  We need to put our own interests aside and do what’s best for the kids.

Two very good books that cover AAU, high school, sneaker companies and recruiting, ‘Raw Recruits’ and ‘Sole Influence’ were published in 1991 and 2000 respectively.  

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

EXPOSURE

The recruiting period has come to an end (20 days in July). AAU events are complete and now coaches will begin to contact players they observed on the circuit.

You read about it often or you hear about it from others.

AAU is bad.

They tell you it’s too much basketball for one kid or they say it’s corrupted.

They’ll explain that playing 3 or 4 games a day ‘burns a kid out’. (A local AAU team played in three tournaments this past month, is that really too much basketball?)

Often times this kind of talk comes from someone who is bitter or has never been involved. They’ll say they talked to a kid who played AAU and write how the player wasted his time, or could of stayed home and done something more productive with their time.

As you know, we here at Play the Right Way are huge believers in AAU basketball.

But the success stories are never mentioned. You rarely hear about kids who gained a scholarship because a college saw them in July.

Ro Russell from Toronto who has been coaching a travel team (Grassroots Canada Elite) was featured in USA Today a few days ago. It’s rare you hear about him. He drives kids to events, open gyms and workouts all over the States. I have known Ro for 10 years and I always see him trying to help his kids. Here is Marquette head coach Buzz Williams.

“Ro Russell specifically has done an unbelievable job in elevating basketball in Canada,” Williams said. “All of the best players in Canada play for Ro and his relationships with coaches in the United States have been beneficial in regards to helping those kids.”

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!

SHOWMAN TO BASKETBALL PLAYER

I came across a blog from the Dallas Morning News written by a Dallas Mavericks blogger Tim MacMahon. This is a pretty good read and required by all. MacMahon covers Gerald Green, citing that Green is the poster child for AAU basketball.

There is so much talk about what is wrong with AAU basketball. Just like everything else in society, the negative always gets more publicity than the positive. Just grab your local newspaper and check the front page. We all know that AAU basketball is ‘up and down’ racehorse basketball. We all know AAU teams travel to venues to play three, sometimes four games a day. And it’s no secret AAU teams don’t practice much as a unit (probably because of players coming from different parts of the State, travel is tough and of course gym availability).

Gerald Green gets it. He knows that all his talent will go to waste if he doesn’t change his ways. Or at least he’s saying all the right things.

A 6-8 guy with his athleticism and shooting touch should sign a megabucks contract entering his fourth NBA season. Green, however, comes to the Mavericks for a minimum salary, hoping to prove he can harness that talent and become a legitimate NBA player.

The first line by MacMahon is a good one – ‘Gerald Green gets it’, that’s a good start.  I have mentioned in the past about athletic kids working on their fundamentals (imagine how much better they would be?).

See Michael Jordan.

A few weeks ago while attending a basketball camp there was some high-flying freak on the court during the lunch break throwing down dunks and every camper in the gym was going crazy.  Imagine if that kid was working on his shooting or ball handling?

Green has paid for listening to the coaches who told him how good he was instead of the ones who tried to make him better. He’s a phenomenal talent who has no clue what he’s doing on defense and doesn’t understand how to get his shots in a structured offense.

You don’t have to be a great athlete to be a solid defender – it takes desire and a willingness to listen. Creating your own shot requires countless reps, commitment and being coachable. (How many times do you see a player working on their shot fake, one dribble pull-up?)

If you are a basketball player, get with a coach who knows the game, not WHO they know.  Parents need to ask themselves if their kid is working on their game?  Are they being coached, are they improving and are they COMMITTED?

Commitment is a HUGE word!

For the most part, AAU teams are for travel – exposure and a chance to go against other top-notch players across the country.  AAU basketball is not the only problem for the so-called ‘lack of fundamentals‘ by players.  A basketball player has enough time during the year to work on their game, learn the game and understand the importance of team basketball.  (Chris Mullin played basketball every day during his four years in high school)

I was talking to a high school player a couple of nights ago and he was so excited to be going to Orlando, Florida with his AAU team. “My mom could never afford to take us out of the State” the kid said to me.

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!

AAU BASKETBALL

I was talking to a player the other night and we were discussing his AAU schedule for the month of July.

He played in a tournament last weekend (3 games on Saturday, 3 on Sunday – 12 players on the team) – he’s got this whole week off except for practice Tuesday and Thursday nights. He told me they do a lot of drill work and scrimmage for the last half-hour.

Next Tuesday he leaves for Orlando, Florida for the 17 and Under Nationals.

After that, he’s done for the summer.

While at home this week he said he gets up in the morning and works on his dribbling and shooting. At night he goes to his job for a couple of hours.

I asked him if he is playing too many games?

“No coach, not at all, I wish I was playing more.”

GET OUT THERE AND PLAY!

“DON’T TRY TO BE A HERO, TRY TO BE A WINNER!’

-George Brett Hall of Fame baseball player

VOICES

I came across this article in USA Today where the author sat down with a few high school all-americans and got their take on different aspects of basketball.  Here is what they said about AAU and High school basketball.

The players said that they owe more of their skills to AAU ball than to high school play.

“AAU,” Walker said. “Because in AAU, you play everybody.”

“You can’t really hide (in AAU),” Jennings said. “People will show you up a bit in the summer.”

“It seems like there’s more freedom in AAU,” Davis said. “In high school, it is more structured.”

High school does have advantages though.

“You get to rest in high school,” Davis said. “Sometimes in AAU, you have to play like 12 games in one day.”

“My high school coach really worked with me on the fundamentals,” Gordon said. “He did a lot of repetition on my post moves.”

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!

TRAVEL EXPENSE

Lance Stephenson will get a chance to see the campus at UCLA.  

NYC Hoops.com gives us the rundown on his recruitment and a look at his travel plans.

Hey, there’s something; an inner city kid from Coney Island getting a chance to see the country.  We always think about our kids getting out there and seeing other parts of the country and even the world.

AAU basketball will give Lance an opportunity where many others would not get a chance to leave their neighborhood!

He also plans to check out Arkansas when he visits the Real Deal on the Hill event in Northwest Arkansas April 18-20.

“I know Arkansas is a good school,” Stephenson Sr. told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. “That’s the real reason we’re coming down to the Real Deal, to get a look at the campus. I’ve talked to Lance about Arkansas. I go back when Nolan Richardson was there and when they won the national
championship. I remember how the fans were out there.

So you see, it’s not just playing five games a day like a lot of misinformed people think.  They are getting a chance to tour a campus and look into a college.

Good luck Lance, I’m sure you will have a fantastic time.

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!

SPRING LOVE

We can all agree that basketball is a ‘year-round’ sport. The great players know they need to always be working on their craft. Sure it’s ok to take time off every now and then and pursue other interests. But like I always tell players, ‘do something every day to improve’.

That includes, lifting, running, jumping, sit-ups, push-ups, nutrition, shooting, dribbling, passing, etc.

High school basketball has come to an end and AAU basketball is starting up. It’s a chance to get some exposure and work on your game.

I don’t get caught up in the debate about AAU basketball being good or bad for someone. If the coach is a man of integrity, the tournaments you play in are solid, and your teammates are good people, enjoy!

But remember, work on your game. I recall being at an exposure event a few summers ago and a kid kept asking me at night to meet him up in the gym before the games started to get some shots up.

There are many ways to enjoy the game and get better at it at the same time.

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY…