Chase Greatness..

An article about greatness..

The Sandwich Approach (positive-negative-positive). 

https://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/podcast/4-ways-a-bonus-to-chase-greatnessnot-mistakes/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_campaign=Newsletter%20(1,3)%20-%2002-25-20%20-%20Ralf%20Mistakes&utm_campaignid=1078378339

NBA Finals Recap - Toronto Raptors 2019 NBA Champions!

Yes, we all believed!  
Toronto Raptors are the 2019 NBA Champions!

They have beaten the Invincible Golden State Warriors Team that was plagued with injuries coming to the finals.
Included in the Injury Lists is Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson who tried to make a comeback but was ably contained by super performances by Superstar Kawhi Leonard and a hardworking Raptors crew of Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, Fred Van Vleet, etc.

It was also a miracle gift for unsung hero player - Jeremy Lin (Linsanity) who was traded to the Raptors halfway of the season and was instrumental in providing fresh legs during the regular season.  He was earlier plagued with injuries prior to the Championship season.

It was the First Championship for the Canadian franchise which joined the NBA since 1995.

Lebron James 2020

LBJ Updates..

After leaving Miami where he got his 2 rings, Lebron was able to give in 2016 the Cavaliers their first ever Championship Title against Golden State Warriors.

Golden State later continued on to win Back-to-Back Dynasty Rings after Lebron brought the Cavs again to the finals the next year and lost.

He later moved over to the Lakers where he suffered an injury in 2018 for a losing cause of hope for a playoffs run.

The Lakers in 2019-2020 are in a good run for Playoffs and Finals contention following the arrival of Anthony Davis who opted to join forces with Lebron.

IT and Hoops

Combining IT and Basketball/Sports

https://news.microsoft.com/transform/machine-learning-unlocking-secrets-human-movement-reshaping-pro-sports/?ocid=lock

Ginebra as Champs again!

Ginebra! Ginebra!
Yep they were champs again!  and again together with Justin Brown Lee!
Yeah Baby!

Gin Kings - PBA Governors Cup Champions 2020

ctto: Inquirer.net

Basketball Burnout

Basketball Burnout

Basketball is still Basketball.. :)

Kobe's Legacy in Life and Death

Kobe Bean Bryant  

1978 - 2020

It was a devasting news for the Hoops World.

Kobe is the best definition for Basketball - Love and Hate, both Good and Bad.  His Legacy of Glory, Honor and Controversy are already written in the future Hall of Fame. 

All his entire colourful career he has experienced the extremes in Life. He has his Loyal Devouted Fans which ranges from Actors, Politicians and Common Folks.While on the other side Longtime Gritty Haters such as the Boston Garden and MJ comparison and Laker Critics including Shaq's followers.

He retired from Basketball since 2016, but has since transcended himself as Mentor, Consultant and Ambassador for the World of Hoops.

The Old Fame of Hate and Glory for Rings and Trophies, has been replaced by Global Basketball Guru and Father Figure.

It is so sad to see a Basketball Legend like him to pass away in such tragic fashion.  It is much more sadder knowing his loving daughter Gigi also an aspiring Basketball star, died together with him in his loving arms.

Rest In Peace Mamba and Mambacita..

Reborn at year 2020

Back from a long Hibernation..

Summary of what happened during the Long Deep Slumber:

1. Kobe dies in a fateful Crash Accident at 41 Years old this January 2020
2. Ginebra as Champions again (2020) together with Justin Brown Lee 
3. Lebron is now with Purple and Gold together with Anthony Davis, after a few years of getting a Championship Ring for Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Donald Trump is currently the President of the United State of America
5. Toronto Raptors got its first Championship via Kawhi Leonard
6. Golden State Warriors Dynasty has ended with injured Kevin Durant (who left for Brooklyn) and Thomson.
7. NBA ex-Commissioner Stein died January 2020
8. Linsanity Happened (Jeremy Lin/JLin) and won a Championship Ring afterwards.
9. New NBA Rookies and Sophomores: Doncic (DAL) Trae Young (ATL), Devin Booker (PHX), JA Morant (MEM), Barett (NYK) and the Popular Zion Williamson (NOL)
10. Philippine Player Kai Sotto is the one of the youngest upcoming superstars maybe in Asia or NBA (Hopefully)

Keeping your Championship Ring

There's is no perfect formula for a championship.

nor is there an existing formula that keeps your team to be Champions.

our Team W is on the right direction to maintain that championship fever.

together as team, we can make the right adjustment to keep that level of competitiveness.

I'm glad I was able to impart good knowledge to our other players [mostly support units].

without them our main players cannot achieve to what we are today.

There's a lot of trial and errors that needs to be done, but it can be achieved thru right communication and selfless sacrifices.

                                                                          

As such as the same to the Bulls Dynasty, they cannot achieve the perfect season without their role players like Bill Cartwright, Bill Wennington, Stacey King or the likes of Steve Kerr.

I do firmly believe that this philosophy of developing a supportive team to your core players, would bring higher success rate to great championships and beyond as players.

Just ask Coach Steve Kerr of the 2015 champions - Golden State Warriors team.

It's the Championship mentality that gets into you that makes you CHAMPIONS.

A different kind of Hoops..

I am elated to be given a 2nd chance of basketball life, by having an opportunity to coach a Girl's basketball team and it's 18 and under! talking about lucky and privileged! It reminds me of my becoming a fan for uConn College Girls basketball team including their player - Rebecca lobo.

I was privileged to be part of mentoring program under Coach A who has taken extra effort to take us under his wing and give us pointer as a coach.  His teachings are much more valuable in game time than the subjects taught in classroom.

The team is also unique.
Last week, we started with 7 players and we are able to beat a taller opponent with having only 4 players at the last minutes,  with all other players having to fouled out of the game.   The remaining players are able to play smart and make some decisive plays until the last second.

Today it's a different ball game.   With our 2nd unit providing support, the players were able to show their true colors of great hustle and steals that put us a big margin over opponents [around 40+ points gap] through our transition game.

I do hope to extend my service on which I can offer to Coach A and the team so I can be with them until championships.

it's an answered prayer to a simple wish.  And it was a big favor to my basketball soul as I needed this kind of support and healing as a person as a whole.

Wish us luck and we will keep you updated.

I'm Back!
 

years of hiatus and finally I'm crawling my way in.

Life is never easy, yet it is beautiful to learn.

Passion never stops, and yearning is always endless.
2 rings this year and more is coming.
There is more rain to expect, yet more rainbows to see unnoticed.

Life goes on!

Champions - Big and Small, Short and Tall

My 2nd team are minor league Champs!

and my other players teams are major league Champs!

Double Champs - my friends, my boys, my players!

It's great to see your success double up with the people you play with and the friends you share your passion.

This is a great weekend for me.

The FEU tamaraws recently visited our small island nation and it feels like dejavu again for those NCAA-UAAP days a decade ago.

It's great to see this young players take on the torch of leadership with great power and responsibility. I would bet a thousand dollars that a lot of them would be future PBA pros in the next years ahead.

Also, it was a good moment for me since this is my 2nd championship experience with a very young team. As the saying goes, basketball is played by five people, not one. Our victory only shows that thru hard work and determination, added with a grain of luck and a lot of a heart, small people can be made into Winners.

We have fought back in the last 2 games, with very convincing wins on a come from behind story.

Our championship was a picture of David vs Goliath, with our players fighting on the ropes trying to put the score on an evenly match game. At one point in the 2nd quarter, bad luck struck us again when our star Player-A landed on the wrong foot and suffered a terrible sprain.

Nevertheless, our other players played with pride and heart and didn't give up fighting every score to match the game until the 4th quarter. My strategy was to delay Player-A's return until the crucial 4th quarter, but he hobbled off the pain and the other players took the leadership slack and combined great plays and scoring load. Players added dagger after dagger of great shots when it trickled down into the crucial minutes. It was a good win combined with a lot of drama and intensity.

Now this championship is worth savoring.

Congrats to Dallas Mavericks 2011 NBA champs

Congrats to Dallas Maverics 2011 NBA champs!

This may be late and I am routing for Lebron, Wade and the Heat, but understandably and convincingly Dallas deserve to be Champions.

I always liked Kidd and Nowitzki, and much more Mark Cuban who is the coolest-bad-ass Team owner in US of A.

They deserved to be champions and their win is unexpected, imagine elminating the defending champions Lakers to a 4-0 sweep and further winning the Larry O' Brien trophy.

Their championship is a result of dedication, hardwork and I would say a lot of PATIENCE.

Mark Cuban has matured not using his loud-mouth starting playoffs until the finals series.

It must be inner pain for him not to let his emotions take over, but only releasing it all not until the final seconds. It took him a lot of years to put a championship team, even gambling on acquiring Jason Kidd and maintaining franchise player Dirk Nowitzki. This championship story is a result of good team management and critical decision over the last five years.

Hats off to this great players and team owners!

coming from http://www.americancoachingacademy.com/mvn/

Here's a list of 23 *new* ways to say "Good Job"to your team.
1) You're on the right track now!

2) You've got it made.

3) You're really working hard today.

4) You are very good at that.

5) I'm proud of the way you worked today.

6) That's the best you've ever done.

7) I knew you could do it.

8) You are learning fast.

9) Couldn't have done it better myself.

10) You did it that time!

11) Nothing can stop you now.

12) That's the way to do it.

13) You've got your brain in gear today.

14) That was first class work.

15) That's better than ever.

16) You must have been practicing.

17) Good job, (person's name)

18) You outdid yourself today!

19) Good going.

20) Now you have the hang of it.

21) Sensational!

22) That's the way!

23) Aren't you proud of yourself?

notes: Coaches should be motivators and not dictators.

Coach Phil Jackson is a good example where people regard him as a Zen Master, rather than a literal coach figure.

This is a good principle where the objective was to emphasize positive perspective rather than highlight the negative action. I believe this theory improves the player's brain to imprint the positive aspect and replace the negative action previously committed. This provides better output as well as complementing the 'flushing' effect of players to recover from sports pressure especially in crucial moments of the game.

Lessons Learned Tips

Although it's always hard to accept your fate when you are in the losing end, there are always golden nuggets to learn so you can rectify this mistakes the second time and finally grab the 'W'.

Golden Nuggets:
#1. Have a last-second Defensive Play.
this I learned last game that last-second Defensive Play is much important with the last-second Offensive Inbounds play which is very crucial in WINNING. We are up by 3-pts and we didn't hustle very well and didn't defend the 3-pts area totally.

#2. Have your good defenders inside the court during the last-second Defensive Play.
as much as you want your good shooters during the last-second offensive play, you may think about putting your best defenders in the court for the last seconds to defend those high-percentage shooters from your opponents. Most normally, put bigger guys on the right position and quicker guys to be flexible enough to make the steal or tap the ball for a few seconds delay.

#3. For last-second plays, always put on your best shooters and quick-hitters.
Last game, we got 1.2 secs left after the game was tied with a hail mary shot from a good shooter of the opponent. I have the mental lapse of not putting in my best shooters in the field as I am confident enough that I have 5 good players who stayed in the last crucial minutes. But bringing in your best shooters and quick-hitters might provide a lot more luck and higher percentage of making the shot just as like winning the lotto is much possible if you have a lot more tickets in your hands.

#4. For last-second plays, AIM FOR THE WINNING SHOT not the tie-breaker.
As I noticed, if two good teams play in the same level and it goes to the last crucial moments - it's usually the one who is hungry to win that gets to WIN the game. Good Intensity+Determination+Heart is what makes a great and perfect play.
Last-second plays should be on this principle - don't just get that shot up but PUT ON A WINNING SHOT! A Winning attitude provides players with confidence and good morale for the team brings it over to Overtime regulation time. if players encounter setback because of a good shot from the other team, sometimes all it takes is a little prayer and faith on your on players to bounce back...

A Sad Day to Lose..

We lost 2 crucial games in the eliminations and the QFinals to a heavy-favorite team with good players...

One thing to learn, when you lose a good game, it is your BEST vs their BETTER...

no excuses, the Better Team always wins no matter how good both teams play.

there will always be someone on the losing end, and that's the worst part to accept.

The good part when you lose, is to learn from your mistakes and from your Opponents. The only way for a team to mature is when you play Better teams and you adjust accordingly to good players that beats you.

I learned that in Tennis, where the principle is - It's better to lose to a better team with your best, than to lose a game and not giving all yourbest.

I maybe sad for our loss, but I am happy how we played our game..
We lost fair and square, no ifs no buts, no regrets, no frustrations no disappointments.
you just yearn for the big "W".

maybe time will tell.. there are more battles to fight and more victories to earn.
One Step at a time.

I have long been a fan of Coach Pat Anderson.
notably, his videos and basketball materials are really a good help to any team..

check out his online basketball drills..

http://www.online-basketball-drills.com/

I receive this email regulary.
This is good advice for Sports Coaching principles.

As I observed, Athlete coaching in sports requires more than time and devotion. It also requires care and nurture of your Athletes.

I always admire college coaches way better than NBA coaches as they are much focus on Team play rather than player potentials. Coach Mike is a good example as he brings his ante up from the College level to Team USA.

read on...




Ben Baker here from the American Coaching Academy.

http://www.americancoachingacademy.com/sl/12.php

Today's e-lesson is on Mental Game Planning.Everyone should have a game plan for competition. When a player consistently gets nervous in front of a crowd or gets psyched out after making a mistake, a contingency plan routed in sports psychology can help them get back on track and forget the earlier problem. Learn how to motivate your athletes by walking them through this exercise.Each athlete should have a contingency plan that includes the following: * Pregame preparation * Plan for errors during the competition * Avoiding competitive stressPregame preparation should be a routine that the player chooses that helps them focus and calm themselves before the game. For some players, this includes listening to music or meditating. For some, it involves warm-up drills or visualization. Help your players identify what gets them prepared, focused, and confident, and work with them to create a routine that prepares them for the game.Errors are going to occur during competition, but the players that have a plan for getting back on track are more likely to bounce back and succeed. Sit down with players to find out what motivates them after they make a mistake. With that knowledge, help them devise a strategy for dealing mentally with errors that happen during the game. Perhaps they should take a few seconds to say silent affirmations, such as "I am good, I am worthy, I can do this," or maybe they should visualize making their next play perfect. Whatever works for players is the right contingency plan.Finally, help players avoid competitive stress by taking steps to eliminate the unknown. Explain what players should expect during every game. Work with them to channel their nerves into power. Nerves are a natural part of competition, but those players who learn to control those butterflies in the stomach are the ones who come out as winners. Teach players to take deep breaths, focus on one thing at a time, and believe in themselves. With that plan, competitive stress becomes an asset, not a liability.Stand Out,Ben BakerPS - We are currently accepting new students into our Coaching Certification program.

Get the details here:

http://www.americancoachingacademy.com/sl/12.php American Coaching Academy 2533 N. Carson Street Suite 3303 Carson City, Nevada 89706

2010 - Playing Hard and Playing Heart...

YEAR-END SUMMARY:

This Hoops year was a year of Hard Work and a lot of HEART.

Yes, we never got to achieve our main objective this year, but our littlest accomplishment highlights our biggest challenges.

We achieve our team wins by gaining above .500 which is high already comparable to our previous years. This puts our team on the level of one of the top teams here in the country.

Definitely, we have put our mark as one of the top teams in the competitive ballclubs, earning our spot to challenge all bigger teams and stronger players.

Looking back, I saw our team fighting towards disappointment and frustration, but never failing to prove ourselves worthy of playing hard in every game - win or lose.

Our team - coaches and players alike, have proven ourselves confident and worthy enough to encounter different obstacles and overcoming this challenges to turn them into victories and accomplishments.

We may have come short of attaining our main objective of becoming Champions, but we will never rest until we have proven satisfied of rewarding ourselves worthy of that crown.

The trophy may have eluded us, but this have been rewarded back by recognition and respect both from our true opponents and peers. Now players and teams looked into us with fear and respect, knowing that we always play and fight hard with heart and fire in our hearts. Fans and observers are now eager to watch our games always expecting a thriller game with a fight to the finish.

Am proud of what my homies have accomplished.

They deserved to be champions, but not yet. Maybe not yet, but just a little more. A little more hard work and a lot more heart. We will continue this culture with passion and focus.

I will leave this hoops year with frustration and disappointment, but with a bright hope for the next year ahead.

The team is in the right direction, and I believe this will be our inspiration to strive more to become better and work hard to achieve our greatest goal.

We are already champions by nature, and this time around the challenge is how to mantain that level with all this changes coming around.

The only thing left for us is to take that 1 more step towards greatness. Destiny here we come.

True Heart, Friendship and Team Work

We won our Quaterfinals! We won it fair and square!

We won it with heart and great pride!

Our team conquered our biggest blunder on this year's big tournament.

We won over a team laden with Superstar players and Big men!

We started slow, cramping our way over a 0-6 lead by our opponent.

But we never doubted and we never faltered.

By the third quarter we are already up by 12 points and momentum was with us.

Our flaws were covered by our desire to win and too much team effort.

Our second and third support units are giving their all to make this our best game ever.

No ifs, no buts, we are giving it all, as though our lives depended on it.

It was a classic game for a rivalry long etched in our memories both as Friend and Foe.

My philosophy proved correct - different people, different talent - big and small.

True Friendship and Teamwork conquers all odds.

Semis here we come!