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Posts Tagged ‘basketball strength and conditioning’
Can He Dunk?
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010Train Your Ankles and Feet, by Alan Stein
Monday, May 17th, 2010A basketball player’s feet are important. Let me rephrase that. A basketball player’s feet are extremely important. There are approximately 26 bones and 20 muscles in the feet. That fact alone should shed some light on their significance.
Basketball is (supposed to be) played standing upright on two feet. Therefore, every movement a player makes on the court is initiated through their feet. Everything starts with the feet. Similarly, can you guess what the most common injury is for basketball players at every level?
The ankle.
Strong and mobile ankles and feet will lessen the occurrence of injury, decrease the time lost if an injury does occur, and will improve performance on the court.
As obvious as these statements sound, most players and coaches put very littler priority on training the feet properly. The goal of this blog is to change that. So please, share this with every coach and player you know!
Before I go further, let me make it crystal clear that this is not a research project or case study. This is my blog. My stance on training the feet and my opposition to ankle braces (and tape) is purely my opinion. I am in no way trying to refute the advice of a qualified athletic trainer or podiatrist or any legit study that has been conducted. However, my opinion is based on 10+ years of experience in the field, thousands of hours of observations, a firm understanding of the human body and efficient movement, and numerous conversations with colleagues.
Basketball shoes are designed to be rigid (with stiff soles) to create as much stability as possible. To further increase stability, many players also wear ankle braces or get their ankles taped. Here lies the problem. By creating so much stability, you drastically limit mobility. Severely limiting mobility will weaken the muscles of the ankles and feet. What happens to a person’s forearm muscle when their arm has been immobilized in a cast from a broken wrist? It atrophies (weakens). So do the muscles of the feet when they are confined to rigid shoes and ankle braces for long periods of time. I know players who wear basketball shoes and ankle braces 20+ hours per week!
I am not opposed to wearing basketball shoes when you are playing. The stability and support is a necessity. But you don’t need to wear them when you are training. And ankle braces? Tape? With the exception of a player who suffered a previous ankle injury, or someone taking a direct recommendation from a qualified professional… ankle braces (and tape) are absolutely unnecessary when playing and when training.
Still not convinced? The other day I flipped on ESPN Classic and saw the 1973 NBA Finals (Game 4) between the Knicks and the Celtics, featuring Hall of Famers Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, and Dave Cowens. In addition to wearing shorts that looked like boxer briefs, every single player was wearing low top Adidas sneakers. No braces. No tape. And guess what? No injuries!
What did players wear before Adidas? Chuck Taylors! Thin canvas and a flat rubber sole. Talk about no ankle support! Despite the archaic footwear, I doubt there was a higher rate of ankle injuries in the 60’s and 70’s than there is today. You know why? Because players back then had strong, mobile ankles and feet.
Ankle braces weaken ankles and limit mobility (not to mention natural movement). Given how important the feet and ankles are, why would you do something that makes them weaker and less mobile?
Every time you run or jump, you do what is called triple extension. That is extension at the ankles, knees, and hips. If any one of those joints is not working properly (weak or tight), it limits the function of the other two. So weak, tight ankles limit a player’s ability to run and jump to their potential. Having weak, tight ankles will also cause the body to compensate in a variety of ways during movement… which can lead to knee and back issues. Remember, everything starts with the feet.
So how do you strengthen your ankles and feet? By setting them free and taking off your shoes!
When you work out in your bare feet (or with socks) you can feel all of the intrinsic muscles of your toes, feet, and ankles. At first, this will feel liberating (and probably awkward) because you rarely get to feel these muscles when wearing basketball shoes and ankle braces.
NOTE: I am only suggesting barefoot training for players with healthy feet and no pre-existing conditions (unless cleared by a doctor). Players with excessively high arches, previous stress fractures, or ankle sprains should avoid barefoot training (or at least make severe modifications) to reduce the chance of injury.
How much is the right amount of barefoot training? Once a player has has been acclimated to some rudimentary barefoot exercises, they should do as many things barefoot as they can in the confines of a safe, controlled training environment. For most players, 5-15 minutes per workout is a good rule of thumb.
If you have been wearing ankle braces regularly for an extended period of time, you need to gradually wean yourself off of them. Don’t go from wearing them all the time to not at all. Your ankles and feet aren’t ready for that. You are begging for an injury. You need to begin a progressive, structured ankle and foot strengthening program, while at the same time slowly decreasing your dependence on the braces.
What should you do in your bare feet? Many of the same things you do with shoes on! Squats, lunges, dynamic flexibility movements, and low level hops are all great to do shoeless.
If you want to see several dozen exercises we use to strengthen our player’s feet and ankles, check out: http://tinyurl.com/StrongFeet
We don’t do all of these exercises every workout. We pick a few and rotate them. Some are geared towards strengthening the feet, while others are more focused on the ankle. We begin with the most basic exercises and have the player progress as they become acclimated and their feet become stronger. We perform our barefoot exercises on an appropriate surface (cautious of impact, slipping, etc.). Our goal is to improve foot and ankle strength, mobility, and proprioception (the body’s perception of movement and special awareness).
In addition to adding some barefoot training to your regimen, our 12-Week Basketball Off-Season Agility & Conditioning Program will available very soon. It was designed to be done in conjunction with the strength & power portion (currently for sale). You will be able to purchase it at http://Shop.StrongerTeam.com. These two programs are exactly what a player needs to get stronger, quicker, more explosive and in great basketball shape. Remember, the best players are in the best shape!
ATTENTION! ATTENTION!
I have added two new FREE sections to the Media Gallery at www.StrongerTeam.com (please use Internet Explorer to view):
Coaching Nuggets: http://www.strongerteam.com/Global/Gallery/Default.aspx?aid=20
A collection of tidbits and handouts I have compiled over the years from some brilliant coaching minds. I am not the original author of any of these nor have I edited them in any fashion. I will add one new coaching nugget per week!
Exercise Library: http://www.strongerteam.com/Global/Gallery/Default.aspx?aid=23
A vast library of exercises for basketball coaches and players. Clips fall under one of ten categories: pre-hab, warm-up, dynamic flexibility, plyos, agility, core, lower body, upper body, finisher, and cool down. Included is the intro (explanation) for each section. I will add one clip per day for 100 straight days. I began on May 1, 2010).
If you like motivational quotes, please follow me at www.Twitter.com/AlanStein.
Please let me know if I can ever be a resource to you for your program. I would be honored to help. You can email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.
Train hard. Train smart.
Alan Stein
Comfort Zone, by Alan Stein
Friday, May 7th, 2010I wanted to share something I just read as a follow up on last week’s blog, Brand You 2.0. Hip hop superstar 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) is having a majority of his tattoos removed in an attempt to help land more movie roles and give off a more professional appearance.
He is making a distinct change to his brand’s image to achieve an even higher level of success. He is reinventing himself, which in my opinion, is a brilliant move on his part. He has conquered the music industry (sold millions of albums). He has conquered the business world (sold his stock in Vitamin Water for $400+ million). Now he is going to conquer Hollywood!
One of the most significant ingredients to success is your ability to be comfortable being uncomfortable.
Your comfort zone is your enemy. It makes you soft. It leads to complacency.
You have to constantly and consistently step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. There is no reward for always playing it safe. The player who can push themselves further once the situation gets uncomfortable is the one who will win. That is what makes Kobe so lethal. He thrives in adversity.
In addition to helping players get stronger, quicker, and in great shape, it is my job to push players out of their comfort zone on a regular basis. It is my job to help them increase their tolerance for discomfort (mental and physical). I want them to train hard so the game becomes easy.
I tell my players of the time during our workouts, “Temporary discomfort leads to permanent improvement.”
I also tell them, “You can have the pain of discipline or the pain of regret… take your choice.”
Both of those quotes exemplify the same point – if you are willing to step out of your comfort zone now… you will reap the benefits ten times over in the future. But you have to have the courage to sacrifice your immediate personal contentment.
When you are lifting weights, do you stop as soon as there is a slight “burn”… or do you push through and do a few more reps?
When you are running sprints, do you stop as soon as you are a little “winded”… or do you suck it up and run a few more?
When you are working on your ball handling, do you spend extra time on your off hand even though you make more mistakes? Or do you just keep doing the drills you are already good at?
When you are getting up shots, are you a “casual shooter” or do you run through every rep at game speed? Do you come off of imaginary screens and make hard cuts… or do you simply do spot shooting?
The answers to these questions will determine how successful you will be next season.
Remember, you have to deserve success. And to do that you have to leave your comfort zone now.
If you want to see some of the exercises (and equipment) we use to make our players step out of their comfort zone, check out: http://tinyurl.com/MetabolicWorkout.
I want to clarify two things about this video. One, these exercises and “toys” are not the foundation of our training program, but rather a way for us to add variety and make things mentally and physically challenging. Two, I don’t sell equipment nor do I get paid to endorse any equipment. I merely share the stuff I like! I realize most players and coaches are on a very limited budget, so any time I can offer insight into which products I like the best… I feel compelled to do so.
A colleague of mine turned me on to www.HyperWear.com a few months ago and I immediately gravitated towards their HyperVests and Sandbells. And I love using them! Why wouldn’t I want to share that? If people like my stuff, I hope they share it with others!
Our 12-Week Basketball Off-Season Agility & Conditioning Program will available soon. It was designed to be done in conjunction with the strength & power portion (currently for sale). You will be able to purchase it at http://Shop.StrongerTeam.com.
As always, if I can ever be a resource to you for your program, please let me know. I would be honored to help. You can email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.
Train hard. Train smart.
Alan Stein
Great Players, by Alan Stein
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010Most people get uncomfortable when they hear the word “change.” Some actually fear it. But to be successful in any walk of life, from business to basketball, you have to learn how to embrace change. Change creates opportunities. There are those who see an opportunity and there are those who seize an opportunity. Successful people obviously do the latter. The world is changing on a daily basis, and if you don’t change with it, you will be left behind!
Why am I harping on the concept of change? Because that was the deciding factor in my decision to resign as the strength & conditioning coach with the basketball program at Montrose Christian and accept a similar position at DeMatha Catholic High School. I was ready for a change. I was ready for a new environment. I was ready for a new challenge. I was ready to learn from a new coach. I was ready to take another step forward in my professional development.
It was not an easy decision, but one that I evaluated thoroughly over the past several months. I confided in, and listened to, my inner circle of family and friends. I heavily weighed the pros and cons. And in the end I decided that it was the right time to move on. And I am 100% confident in my decision.
Montrose has been an overwhelmingly important part of my life for the past 7 years. I will always be eternally thankful for the opportunity Coach Vetter gave me. I got to work with and develop lifelong relationships with coaches and players. I got to meet some amazing people, go some amazing places, and do some amazing things. Montrose opened a lot of doors for me. Equally important, I got to learn, grow, and develop as a coach. I got to work on my craft every single day. I am a better coach and a better person for having been a part of the Montrose program.
But it was time to move on.
I have known Coach (Mike) Jones for several years and have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for him as both a coach and as a man. I am so excited to be a part of his staff and a member of the tradition rich DeMatha Basketball Family. I look forward to being an asset to their all ready successful program as well as begin a new chapter in my life and career. I have an opportunity to be a part of another one of the nation’s top high school programs. I will get to see how someone else does it. That can only make me better.
I get several dozen emails (as well as Twitter/Facebook messages) asking me “what it takes to be a great player.” Here are a few of my thoughts:
Over the past three weeks I had the opportunity to work the nation’s two premier high school basketball All-Star events – the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand All-American Classic. As always, being a part of such prestigious events is both an honor and a privilege. Having access to the nation’s top high school players for several straight days gives me valuable insight into what makes them great players.
With very few exceptions, elite level players absolutely love to play basketball. They want to play 24-7. Whenever possible they have a ball in their hand and they are always trying to get up shots. They would rather play basketball than do just about anything else (the only thing that even comes close is chasing girls!). When they aren’t playing basketball they are watching it on TV. The game consumes them. And most of them have been this way since they were young. Do you have the same love for the game? Do you have the same passion? I am not implying or suggesting that basketball should be the most important thing in your life… but it should be up there. If you truly want to be great you have to genuinely love the game.
I also noticed that the most elite level players are super competitive. They hate to lose. Whether they are playing NBA Live ‘10 or a game of H-O-R-S-E, they always try as hard as possible to win. They never concede. Winning matters. Especially when they are playing against their peers or when bragging rights are on the line. Does winning matter that much to you? How hot does your competitive fire burn? If you want to be a great player you have learn how to compete. Winning has to matter.
Despite being the top players in the nation, most of them still fit into one of two categories: those who have a tremendous work ethic and those who are lazy. Unfortunately, many of the players who are the most naturally gifted are also the laziest because they haven’t had to work hard to be successful. They have been able to rely solely on their size, strength, quickness and explosiveness. They aren’t hard to spot. Heck, I can tell in the first 5 minutes of warm-ups which guys like to work and which guys don’t. Regardless of how naturally gifted they are, it will eventually catch up to them… at either the college level or the pro level. Do you enjoy putting in the hard work necessary to be a great player? Or do you constantly look for short cuts and the easy way? The best players look at every workout and every practice as an opportunity to get better. As Kevin Eastman of the Boston Celtics says, “great players look to get from the workout, not through the workout.”
Another thing I noticed about the talented players that play in these games are the intangibles of attitude, enthusiasm, manners, punctuality, and appearance (how they present themselves). Most of the players are energy givers, not energy takers. These players think “we”… not “me.” Their attitude and enthusiasm raises the level of those around them. They are polite, friendly, and engaging. These are the guys who will make it. I will admit the committees that select the players for these prestigious events do an outstanding job of taking character into account. It is very rare that a jerk makes the team. This means if you want to be an All-American you have to be an outstanding player and an outstanding person. Are you an energy giver or an energy taker? Are you always on time? Do you say please and thank you? Those might sound like “small” things; but they aren’t.
Obviously, the players who have the best chance to excel at the next level (whether college or the NBA) are those who combine natural talent, solid fundamentals, an unparalleled work ethic, and have a fantastic attitude. Kevin Durant, the youngest NBA scoring leader in history, is the epitome of those qualities. KD loves to play more than anyone I have ever worked with. KD loves to compete. KD works his butt off every single day. KD is an energy giver. Despite his money, fame, and success, KD is as humble as the day I met him. KD is pure class.
If you haven’t already done so, it is time to start thinking about making your off-season as productive as possible. What you do this spring and summer will determine how successful you are next season. Championship programs and elite level players are built in the off-season! That is why THE BEST PLAYERS ARE IN THE BEST SHAPE!
Whether you are a coach or a player, here is a three step plan to how you should approach this off-season:
1) Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses (athletically and fundamentally)
2) Create a comprehensive plan to improve (prioritize AAU vs. individual development)
3) Implement your plan with effort, enthusiasm, and consistency (deserve success!)
I will be traveling to Wisconsin this weekend to speak at a Nike Championship Basketball Clinic as well as to conduct one of my Cutting Edge Reaction and Quickness for Basketball clinics. If you would like more info on either event, or if I can help you in any other way, please email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.
Train hard. Train smart.
Alan Stein
Off Season Training – Part II, by Alan Stein
Thursday, March 18th, 2010One of my favorite lines from the movie Christmas Vacation was when Cousin Eddie asked Clark W. Griswold if he was surprised by his unexpected visit, to which Clark replied, “Eddie, if I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet I wouldn’t be as surprised as I am right now.”
That is exactly how I felt when I got the news that we (Montrose Christian) got an invite to play in the 2nd Annual ESPN RISE National High School Invitational. A week ago I figured our bubble had burst after we suffered our first home loss in 8 years and an uncharacteristic 5th loss of the season. I honestly didn’t think we had a shot and I truly believed our season was over. But then a few schools declined invitations because of their opposition to playing on Good Friday… and next thing you know… we were in!
The folks at ESPN RISE do a tremendous job and everything they do is first class. Their goal, over time, is to create a legitimate high school national championship, a high school version of March Madness. And they are well on their way. I support their efforts 100%.
For background info and details on this year’s tournament, please visit http://tinyurl.com/ESPNNHSI.
As you will see, we drew the 8th seed and will play the tournament’s #1 seed, Montverde Academy (ranked 9th in the nation by ESPN) at Coppin State (Baltimore) on ESPN U at 2:00pm on Thursday, April 1st. For those of you who have been keeping up with my blog, you’ll remember that Montverde beat us in late January by 2 points… which in retrospect was the exact moment our season began to unravel (considering we lost our next two games). So we are excited to have the opportunity to play them again! National powers Oak Hill (VA), Findlay Prep (NV), Winter Park (FL), and Christ School (NC) are also playing, making this the nation’s top post-season high school tournament.
Now before any heckling begins, let me say that I am well aware we are not one of the top 8 teams in the country (this year). I know our performance this season didn’t warrant an invite. I will happily admit we got the nod over a few other schools based on our national reputation and program history. Regardless of the reasoning… we are in! So now it is time for our program to refocus, put all of our recent trials and tribulations behind us, and start fresh. We have been given a second chance and we need to do our best to make the most of it.
While obviously we want to win… our primary concern is getting our guys to play as well as they are capable of playing. They haven’t done that since the beginning of the season. So the next 15 days will be interesting to say the least. One of my favorite quotes comes to mind when thinking of how we will approach this:
“If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you will keep getting what you’ve been getting. If you don’t like what you’ve been getting, then change what you’ve been doing.”
Seems pretty simple, huh? We need to shake things up the next two weeks and have an entirely different approach. We need to make things fun, make things competitive, but make sure our players enjoy and value this experience. We need to get back to the basics and leave the past behind us. We need to get back to playing hard, playing smart, and playing together.
To initiate this “new beginning”, we decided to have the team come over to my training facility for a team workout, instead of having a normal practice. We wanted to get their competitive juices flowing. So I put them through an intense circuit training workout… very similar to how we began our pre-season workouts in late August. I filmed the workout and will be posting it in three separate segments at www.YouTube.com/StrongerTeamDotCom:
Team Warm-up
Team Circuit
Team Competition
You have to see these videos!
I already posted the first segment (Team Warm-up) and will post the remaining two videos next Monday (3/22) and Friday (3/26). I will also post a blog on that Friday describing the workout in great detail in case you want to implement something similar with your program this off-season.
In addition, I will post periodic updates with insight to our preparation for the NHSI tournament at www.Twitter.com/AlanStein and will most certainly recap our entire experience in my first blog of April.
Even though we aren’t in our off-season just yet, I know many programs are. So let me get back on track and discuss some of my key off-season thoughts.
I am well aware that most basketball players don’t really have an off-season anymore, they simply go from the high school season to the AAU season to the summer camp circuit. This makes the approach to training even more important!
An off-season strength & conditioning program is the foundation of championship programs and elite level players. A solid strength & conditioning base gives you the potential to take your basketball skills to another level. You obviously aren’t going to be a very good player or team if you can’t shoot, pass, defend, rebound, or handle the ball. That is a given. But what if you can shoot, pass, defend, rebound, handle the ball… and you are quick, explosive, and in great shape?!
About a year ago I adopted the tag line, “the best players are in the best shape.” The same can be said for teams, “the best teams are in the best shape.” Think about it. Who are currently the two best players on the planet? Kobe and LeBron. Have you noticed what kind of shape they are in?! Do you think those guys work hard in the off-season? You better believe they do.
If you need help in planning your off-season, or you are interested in my thoughts on AAU, testing and evaluating, and the most common mistakes players/coaches make, I highly recommend you read the two-part series I wrote last year as my thoughts haven’t changed a lick:
http://blog.strongerteam.com/post/2009/03/16/Planning-Your-Off-Season3b-Part-I.aspx
http://blog.strongerteam.com/post/2009/04/03/Planning-Your-Off-Season3b-Part-II.aspx
If you need additional help or guidance with your off-season program, I am currently finalizing a 12 Week Off-Season Basketball Strength & Conditioning Program. This program will outline exactly what needs to be done this off-season – exercise by exercise, day by day, and week by week. It will include dozens of digital pictures and exercise descriptions, all of which utilize standard equipment (DBs, free weights, bodyweight, etc.) to make sure the program is easily adaptable to everyone’s respective situation. There will be a strength/power component as well as a quickness/agility component (each sold separately). The program will be available online as a downloadable PDF; so you will be able to save it to your computer as well as print copies. I am projecting the sales price to be around $39.99 for each component. Believe me; it will be worth every penny! It will be sold at http://Shop.StrongerTeam.com.
Also a reminder I am also launching a YouTube series called “Can He Dunk,” where I will select a handful of high school age players who are close, but can’t currently dunk. I will document their training for 12 week and post video highlights from their workouts as well as 3 weekly dunk attempts (to monitor their progress). HoopsKing, Ganon Baker Basketball, Hoop Connection, and SLAM Online have all partnered with me on this project. You won’t want to miss this! Make sure you subscribe to www.YouTube.com/StrongerTeamDotCom.
I know you will be glued to the TV for the next three weeks watching the NCAA tournament… but if you get a chance to switch channels in between games, I highly recommend you watch ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks” as well as HBO’s “Magic and Bird: A Courtship of Rivals.” Both were very well done and really brought back some amazing childhood memories for me (I am 34 years old). I recommend younger players watch both of these as well… so they can get an appreciation for the game’s recent history. I think some kids today think the NBA started with Kobe and LeBron!
And if you need a good book, I am reading an old classic by Steve Alford called, Playing for Knight (1989). It is fascinating. Coach Knight has always been one of my favorite coaches and I have so much respect for him. Say what you will, but the man is authentic! I am going to get a chance to finally meet him in person in April and May as we are both scheduled to speak at the same Nike Championship Basketball Clinics in Wisconsin and New York.
As mentioned before, I will post a blog next Friday (3/26) which will be a full description of the Montrose Team Workout I took our players through as well as provide links to all three videos.
On a personal note, our latest doctor’s appointment leads us to believe that my wife will be delivering our twin boys sometime next week…
If you need anything else, or if I can be of service in any way, don’t hesitate to email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com. I will respond as quickly as possible.
Play hard. Have fun.
Alan Stein
No Guarantee, by Alan Stein
Friday, January 15th, 2010The word on the street is Mark McGuire read the second half of my blog post from last week (“Random Thoughts”) and finally decided to admit he took steroids. Thanks Big Red, it only took you 10 years. And it wasn’t the slightest bit obvious (insert sarcasm). All joking aside, the year he broke the home run record, the measured circumference of his right forearm was an inch and half bigger than my neck! How in the hell could that be natural?!
OK, back on topic.
One of the toughest things to deal with as an adult is the concept that nothing in life is guaranteed. Except for death and taxes. And while I certainly despise paying taxes, my gut feeling is I would like death even less.
This concept of “nothing being guaranteed” is so evident in sports. Jim Valvano, the late coach of NC State and one of my favorite motivational speakers, once said something to the effect of:
“Just because you work hard doesn’t guarantee you will be successful. But not working hard guarantees you won’t be.”
Reigning NCAA National Champion coach Roy Williams said something similar:
“Working hard doesn’t guarantee success, but without it, you have no chance.”
Have you ever spent hours upon hours studying for a test… and still gotten a poor grade? Has your team ever spent hours upon hours practicing all week… and still lost the big game?
Of course you have; it happens to the best of us. Working hard and not achieving success is a tough pill to swallow. It is hard in basketball and it is hard in life. But it is fact. And it is something every player and coach needs to come to terms with… because no one is immune. And when a minor setback (or failure) occurs, you have to learn from it, move past it, and get back to working hard again!
A young lady I had been working with for over a year, and who is a very accomplished high school player, tore her ACL a few weeks ago in a holiday tournament. She was having a phenomenal season (team was 7-2) and a stellar game (had already hit five 3’s) up to that point. Then, early in the second half on a drive to the basket, she landed awkwardly while being fouled. BAM! Just like that, she tore her ACL and her season was over.
Her father called me to tell me the bad news and told me she was devastated. As a senior, she was being recruited by several Division I schools, but unfortunately was waiting until the spring to sign… and she was distraught with thoughts that “no one would want her now.”
Personally, I was crushed by the news. I couldn’t sleep for two days. I really care about all the kids I work with and I felt terrible she was going through this. She is such an impressive young lady, both on and off the court.
Unable to sleep, all I kept thinking was, how could this have happened? She worked so hard this pre-season. She did everything I asked of her and did it to best of her ability. After a couple hours of staring at the ceiling, I went down to my office and reviewed my notes from our sessions. I took solace in knowing we did everything possible to try to reduce the occurrence of this happening. We incorporated numerous exercises and drills, every single workout, to reduce the likelihood of an ACL injury. We worked on proper landing. We worked on proper cutting. We properly strengthened every muscle and joint in her lower body. Honestly, I wouldn’t have done anything different. So thankfully, I don’t have to live with the woulda, coulda, shoulda’s. We worked hard all pre-season and literally did everything we could have done to prevent this. Yet unfortunately, it still occurred.
I went to one of her team’s games last week to say hello, offer my support, and to speak to her father. We had a wonderful conversation and I promised him I would help her with every step of her recovery. I also told him I was confident she would still play college basketball. The road will be tough, and it is (obviously) not guaranteed, but my advice to her was to stay positive, get ready to get back to work… and things will work out for the best.
Now, I am a strength & conditioning coach… not a psychologist by any means. But I really believe after her short grieving period is over, she will need to re-focus and get back to working as hard as possible. I understand she is entitled to a period of time of feeling disappointed and depressed… but what’s done is done. She tore her ACL; it’s a fact. Nothing can be done to undo that now. Just like an errant pass or a missed shot, it is time to move on to the next play!
The most influential factor in her future success on the court will be how she responds to this setback. This will be a real test of her character. I have full confidence she will come back better than ever because she has a tremendous attitude, relentless work ethic, and the mindset of a champion.
I am proud and thankful to claim an exemplary record over the past 10 years, with a particularly high rate of success for both injury prevention and performance enhancement. And even though I can say, with full confidence, we did everything “right” in regards to her pre-season preparation… an injury still occurred. We worked hard… and as we learned… success was not guaranteed (at least success in this particular instance). Fortunately, this is not the final chapter in her playing career.
It is imperative you understand you can’t second guess the importance of working hard and of doing what is right just because things don’t turn out the way you want. You still need to make the conscious choice to consistently work hard in every aspect of your life (especially in your training). While the possibility of not achieving success is always looming, it is nothing to be feared, and certainly nothing to give in too. If you make a daily commitment to excellence… you will absolutely “win” more than you “lose.” And I am not talking about the scoreboard.
If you read my recent blog post, “What We Do”, you can see the lengths the Montrose Christian basketball program goes to in order to be successful. And yet we still (occasionally) lose games. Do you think losing a game causes us to second guess “What We Do?” No way! And when you have a setback it shouldn’t cause you to second guess yourself either.
If you have any questions about ACL injury prevention (or recovery), or if I can ever be of service to you or your team, please don’t hesitate to email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com. I promise to respond as quickly as possible.
If you haven’t done so, please check out (and subscribe) to www.YouTube.com/StrongerTeamDotCom. I just posted two videos of the Montrose Basketball Pre-Game Warm-up (one before we take the court and one on-court). Next week, I will post clips from a recent in-season strength training workout.
Also, for those of you who follow me at www.Twitter.com/AlanStein, or are my “friend” at www.Facebook.com/AlanSteinJr, I will be holding weekly trivia questions for folks to win some HOT prizes – like Nike and Jordan gear! All of the questions will come from my blog archive… so make sure you read past posts and study up.
Play hard. Have fun.
Alan Stein
Twenty Ten, by Alan Stein
Thursday, December 17th, 2009I am extremely fortunate to you let you know I am writing this blog as I sit poolside at the Alana Doubletree Hotel in Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. I am here on a trip with Montrose as we are playing in the 26th annual Nike Iolani Classic. I have been privileged to have taken this trip six times over the course of my seven year stint as Montrose’s strength & conditioning coach. This trip is always extremely therapeutic for me. The long flight as well as the daily morning workouts on the beach give me ample time to reflect and evaluate the past year as well as brainstorm and plan for the New Year.
This post will give you some insight to the myriad of new programs, events, and products I plan to launch in 2010 (Twenty-Ten). I am going to take my game to the next level this coming year and I hope to assist and motivate you into doing the same!
On a personal note, my beautiful wife and I are expecting twin boys in late March. We are absolutely elated and look forward to the joy (and challenge) of raising children. I plan to give them the first few years of their life off before the mandatory workouts begin. Just kidding… official workouts won’t start until they are at least 8 years old. Hey, they’ve got to be focused early if they want to be the starting back-court in the 2028 McDonalds game! All kidding aside, we are overwhelming excited and thankful to welcome children into our lives.
OK, now on to business. Here is a glimpse of what’s to come in 2010:
1) Clinics: My Cutting Edge Reaction, Quickness, and Agility for Basketball clinic series was a raving success this past fall. I got an opportunity to impact hundreds and hundreds of players and coaches. I am currently finalizing my spring tour schedule and have tentative agreements to hold clinics in Virginia, Florida, Wisconsin, Maryland, Ohio, Texas, Missouri, Iowa, and Georgia. I hope to finalize exact dates, times, and locations in January and will post the schedule on my homepage.
2) Downloads: I am pleased to have received tons of positive feedback about the downloadable documents I have for sale at http://Shop.StrongerTeam.com. I plan to offer nearly a dozen new downloads in January and February on these topics:
- ACL Injury Prevention
- Training Young Players (ages 10-13)
- Basketball Jump Rope Program
- 10 Best Speed Ladder Drills
- Mental Toughness Training
- Common Mistakes & Myths
- Treadmill Conditioning Program
- 8 week programs (for individuals and teams):
- Speed & Agility
- Strength & Power
- Reaction & Quickness
- Conditioning
3) Online Training Programs: I am thrilled to announce I have partnered with two different nationally renowned basketball training companies and will be offering customized, online basketball specific strength & conditioning programs. These revolutionary programs will include detailed workout plans along with video clip instructions and demonstrations. They will be designed for every level (beginner through advanced) and for every portion of the training year (off-season, pre-season, and in-season). I have been working on this for well over a year and can’t wait to launch them!
4) YouTube: I have put an inordinate amount of time and effort into researching the ways I can make my social media presence an even more valuable resource for basketball players and coaches. I will continue to write this weekly blog as well as post daily motivational quotes on Twitter (www.Twitter.com/AlanStein) and Facebook (www.Facebook.com/AlanSteinJr). I will run numerous promotions and give-a-ways so followers, subscribers and friends can win FREE downloadable documents, magazines, and DVDs. I want to make sure I always give back to the folks who support my work. The major change will be the added focus and attention put on my YouTube channel (www.YouTube.com/StrongerTeamDotCom). I recently purchased a new HD video camera and wireless microphone to improve the production value. I have three killer concepts:
- 100 exercises in 100 days – I got this idea from the folks at Hoop Connection. I plan to post an innovative basketball specific strength & conditioning exercise or drill every day for 100 straight days (beginning April 1st) to create an impressive exercise library for coaches and players.
- Will He Dunk? – I got this idea from a promotion ESPN did last year. I plan to pick a high school aged player who has the goal of being able to dunk a basketball… but isn’t quite there yet. I will then film excerpts from his weekly training program as well as his weekly attempt to dunk (to monitor progress). He will get three chances to dunk a ball at the end of each week. The goal will be to get him throwing it down at the end of the12 weeks!
- Every Basketball Move – I plan to partner with various skills instructors to break down actual on-court basketball moves and then prescribe the two or three best strength & conditioning exercises and drills that are most appropriate to supporting that drill.
5) Certification: After a year in the making, I will finally release my new online certification for high school and AAU coaches: Certified Basketball Strength Coach (CBSC). I realize most coaches do not have the luxury of hiring a strength & conditioning coach for their program nor is this type of training their main area of expertise. This online certification is designed to lay the proper foundation needed to design, supervise and implement a comprehensive, basketball specific, year round training program. It will focus on the specific needs and demands of a high school (or AAU) coach; without diving too deep into physiology. I am not trying to develop professional trainers; just provide a base level of working knowledge for basketball coaches. The course will include online study materials and an online exam consisting of one hundred randomly selected multiple choice questions such as:
- What age should a player start a training program?
- What should females do differently than males?
- How can I help a player gain weight?
- What is the correct form for a lateral lunge?
- How can I reduce the occurrence of ankle injuries?
- What is the ideal pre-game meal?
- How does the off-season program differ from the pre-season program?
- What are the dangers of plyometrics?
- What constitutes a quality pre-game warm-up?
Also note, while my goal is to help and positively influence all basketball players; there are two specific groups I plan to pay special attention to in 2010: female players (specifically ACL injury prevention) and younger players (ages 10-13). I am going to dedicate a specific portion of my website to each of these groups and disseminate a plethora of info on the best practices for training them.
I want to apologize for disabling the “comments” feature on my blog (http://Blog.StrongerTeam.com). I was flooded with dozens of automated SPAM comments each day. I am taking steps to alleviate the issue and plan to re-open and comments section in the New Year as I very much value your feedback. In the meantime, please email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com to let me know let me know your thoughts and suggestions on these new programs, events, and products as well as if there is anything I have missed.
My next blog, which I plan to post on Wednesday December 23rd, will be my last post of 2009. I will give a full re-cap of the Iolani Classic as well as post insight on “What We Do” (a behind the scenes look at the intricacies of the Montrose basketball program).
I want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who has helped me and supported my work this past year. I look forward to, and am honored, to serve you in 2010.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday season.
Play hard. Have fun.
Alan Stein
Question Yourself, by Alan Stein
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009As most of you know, I focus a lot of my energy on my own professional development and improvement. I am relentless in my quest to become the best basketball strength & conditioning coach I can be. If you are looking to be the best coach or player you can be, I certainly suggest you do the same. One of the most important ingredients of effective development and progress is constant evaluation. You have to know where you are… to get to where you want to go!
Self reflection and evaluation doesn’t need to be a long process. I recommend taking 30 minutes (with no distractions… no TV, no cell phone, and no computer) and honestly answering each of the following questions:
Overall, how do you rate this past pre-season?
- Did you get stronger? Quicker? More explosive?
- Did you get in great basketball shape?
- Did you improve your ball handling? Shooting? Passing?
- Are all of these things showing on the court?
Overall, how do you rate the first few weeks of practice?
- Have you been on time, to every practice?
- Have you been injury free?
- Have you been a great teammate? Coachable? Enthusiastic?
- Have you given a great effort? Do you practice hard even when you don’t feel like it?
- Have you played as well as you are capable of playing?
- Have you communicated effectively with your coaches and teammates?
If you want to have a remarkable season; you need to be tough and you need to be 100% committed to yourself, to your team, and to your coach. 99% isn’t good enough. As the legendary Pat Riley says about commitment, “you are either in or you’re out – there is no such thing as in between.”
How tough are you?
We have a 9th grader in our program named Yuki. He moved to the US from Japan in August. He speaks very little English and is thousands of miles away from his family; which I am sure is difficult for a 15 year old to handle. During our second official practice, Yuki got elbowed in the mouth and had his front tooth knocked out. Without saying a word, he casually picked his tooth up off of the floor, jogged over to the sideline, set his tooth on the bleachers, and jogged back into the drill! Now that is tough.
How committed are you?
What are you willing to sacrifice to be the best player you can be? I have an 8th grade client who just started working out with me and he pays for our training sessions with his allowance! He is so committed to being the best he can be he is willing to sacrifice every dime he has toward getting stronger and more explosive. Now that is commitment.
Here are 5 more questions aimed to help you maximize your potential this season:
1) Are you giving your best effort every day in the classroom and on the court?
2) Are you doing things in addition to practice to improve your game (like watching film)?
3) Do you think “we” before “me” (are you a team player)?
4) Are you taking care of your body and mind (sleep, lifting, tending to injuries, etc.)?
5) Are you having fun?
If you can sincerely answer “yes” to all 5 of these questions; you are doing everything you can to have an impressive season.
Here are a few more things to think about:
What do you watch for when you watch college and NBA games on TV? Do you watch as a fan or do you watch as a true student of the game? Do you always watch the ball or do you watch what players do to get open to get the ball? Do you always watch the shooter or do you watch the player setting the screen to get the shooter open? Do you always watch the player guarding the ball or do you watch the player in help-side position? Now, I am a huge basketball fan… and I understand watching games for the love of the sport… but if you want to get better, you need to learn how to watch games as a means to improve.
How will you prepare for games? Does your preparation start the night before? Do you eat a good dinner and get plenty of sleep? Do you eat breakfast the next day? Do you double check to make sure you packed everything in your bag you will need for the game? Do you eat a specific pre-game meal? What method prepares you the best? Listening to music? Sitting in silence? Do you even know? Do you review the scouting report on your own? Do you do any visualization exercises before games? Here is a visualization technique I use with Montrose before every game: I have them sit with their eyes closed for about 2-3 minutes and visualize a specific time in their life when they played the best basketball they have ever played. A time they vividly remember when they were in the zone – when every shot they took went in and every pass they made was on the money. I encourage them to engage every sense. What did the gym look like? Sound like? Smell like? How did they feel? This technique puts them in a confident frame of mind when they take the court.
How will you focus during games? Will you be focused on the task at hand or on the crowd, opponent, or cheerleaders? Your focus is crucial to playing well. It is imperative you focus on what you want to happen; not on what you don’t want to happen. Why? Your mind can only focus on one thing at a time. For example, when you are shooting a free throw; think something to the effect of, “nice and easy, over the front rim”… instead of thinking, “don’t shoot it short.” If you think “don’t shoot it short”… 9 times out of 10, you will shoot it short because “short” is the only part of that thought your subconscious mind remembers!
Still don’t think focus is important to performance? Think about this:
If I laid a ten foot long, wooden 2” x 4” on the ground and asked you to walk across it; you would do it easily because you would be focused on the task at hand (walking across the board). But what if that ten foot long, wooden 2” x 4” was 100 stories high and connected the top of two buildings? Would walking across it be easy then? Why not? Although the task wouldn’t change (walking across a ten foot board); you wouldn’t think it was easy because you would be focused on falling… not on the task at hand. The same can be said with shooting a free throw. Shooting a free throw in an empty gym after practice is the exact same task as shooting a free throw with 2 seconds left and the score tied… if you stay focused!
I hope answering these questions helps you have a memorable season.
This past January I set the lofty goal of reading 50 books in 2009. I am proud to say last weekend I finished my 50th book of the year! In next week’s blog I will list and rate all of the books I have read as well as offer my thoughts on a few of them.
Until then, if I can ever be of service or help you or your team in any way, please don’t hesitate to email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.
Play hard. Have fun.
Alan Stein
The Low Man Wins, by Luke Meier
Friday, November 27th, 2009My girlfriend and I recently got a puppy named Eddie. Although he doesn’t understand that he shouldn’t go to the bathroom on the carpet or that everything in the house isn’t a chew toy, basketball players at all levels can learn something from this little pup because he plays low. One of Eddie’s things to do is try to rip a little, red stuffed animal out of my hands. He quickly realized that the only way he can pry his toy out of my hands is to get low and use all the leverage that he can muster.
We always say that players need to “live low.” It doesn’t matter if you are an NBA all star or the last guy off the bench, playing low in a universal stance (knees bent, hips dropped, straight back) is something that any player can employ to improve their game. If you are playing on ball or help D, boxing out, spotting up for a jumper, or driving to the rack, staying low will do several things to help your game.
1) You will be in a better position to create and take contact from other players.
2) Being low puts a player in position to be as explosive as possible.
Think about it. If you were testing your vertical would you jump from a straight up and down position or would you squat down and then explode upward. Obviously you would choose the latter.
Although playing lower is something you can do to make yourself better right now, you need to train you body to be able to stay in a stance at all times. In workouts, practices, and games make a conscious effort to monitor the height at which you play the game. Once you become accustomed to playing low it will be second nature. If you don’t know if you are playing low enough, remember that it is close to impossible to play “too low.” You can ask me or you can ask Eddie, but we will both tell you the same thing: The Low Man Always Wins.
Motivational Quotes, by Alan Stein
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009I have been a self diagnosed “quote nerd” for as long as I can remember. Back in high school in the early 90’s, I started with a spiral notebook and a pen and wrote down every quote I found inspiring. Quotes from movies, coaches, books, signs… you name it… if I saw it or heard it, I wrote it down. Years later, I converted the growing collection into a computer database and added to it as often as I could.
As a professional basketball strength & conditioning coach, a big part of my job is to motivate my players to work hard consistently; to get them to do the things they don’t’ want to do because I know it will help them get to where they want to go. So there have been countless occasions where the inspiration from a specific quote has come in handy. I use quotes as tools to motivate my players as well as motivate myself. While I am strength & conditioning coach by trade, my overall goal in life is simple; to inspire, to motivate, to influence and to help anyone who is passionate about basketball and training. I have found quotes are a valuable tool in doing just that. I am extremely thankful to have platforms like Twitter, Facebook and my blog to impact players and coaches of all ages and levels… all over the world!
If you have followed me on any of those social media platforms, you know I have been posting 5-6 quotes a day for the past year. I have received a ton of positive feedback in response to the quotes I have shared and have had dozens of folks ask me to compile them in a book. So that’s what I’ve done! I just recently compiled my favorite inspirational quotes in a new e-book:
534 Motivational Quotes to Inspire Success On and Off the Court
It is important to understand this e-book is merely a collection of my favorite quotes. I am not the original author of any of the quotes. I intentionally chose not to list the original author for any of the quotes for the simple fact I only know around 20% of them (and didn’t want to put “unknown” or “anonymous” for the remaining 80%)!
I am sure you have heard (or read) many of quotes I compiled, but I am confident there are several that you haven’t. I tried to pick quotes that transcend sports and are applicable to life as well. After all, life is the game we are all playing.
You can purchase a downloadable copy of 534 Motivational Quotes to Inspire Success On and Off the Court at http://Shop.StrongerTeam.com. In addition to the 534 motivational quotes, I added a bonus section: 27 Books Every Coach and Player Should Read. This e-book is an invaluable resource for coaches and players at every level.
Here are 5 of my favorite quotes from the e-book that are too long to post on Twitter:
- 1. Persistence and patience is exemplified by the stonecutter who hammers away at a piece of rock. He may hit the rock 100 times without so much as a crack showing. Then, on the 101st hit, the rock will split in two. It was not that hit that did it, but an accumulation of all that came before it.
- 2. Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. Moral? It doesn’t matter who you are, when the sun comes up, you better start running!
- 3. If you can’t risk, you can’t grow. If you can’t grow, you can’t become your best. If you can’t become your best, you can’t be happy. If you can’t be happy, what else matters?
- 4. Watch your thoughts, they become your words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become your habits. Watch your habits, they become your character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
- 5. Champions do not become champions on the court. They become recognized on the court. They become champions because of their daily routine and commitment to excellence. Players do not decide their future; they decide their habits and their habits decide their future!
I hope you enjoy these quotes as much as I do and use them to motivate yourself and those around you. I wish each of you the absolute best this season. Please keep me posted to how you are doing and drop me an email if I can be of service in any way (Alan@StrongerTeam.com).
Play hard. Have fun.
Alan Stein
