Quote of the Day:

The noblest search is the search for excellence – Lyndon B. Johnson

Quote of the Day:

You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins. – Jim Stovall

You don't "have to"; you "get to".

Here is a link to a great post written by Michael Hyatt entitled "How a Shift in Your Vocabulary Can Instantly Change Your Attitude"- click here.

3 Ways to Build Team Trust

Another great blog post by Stephanie Zonars (www.LifeBeyondSport.com)!!

As I gathered with a team for a Building Trust workshop last weekend, the assistant coach roamed around the room with a small box collecting cell phones. I’ve heard about coaches doing this, but it hadn’t happened at one of my workshops yet. Got me thinking about the impact of technology on relationships.


We’ve

Coach K's Most Important Ingredient for Success

-Post written by Stephanie Zonars (www.LifeBeyondSport.com)

Coach Mike Krzyzewski won his 903rd game a week ago, surpassing Bobby Knight as the winningest coach in men’s collegiate basketball. (Basketball super-fans know that Pat Summitt holds the overall coaching record with 1,071 and counting).

Amazing accomplishment for Coach K! He’s built the strong, winning tradition of Duke

Quote of the Day:

In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later. – Harold Geneen

Recruiting: Horse Race or Beauty Pageant?

GREAT article from Dan Tudor (www.DanTudor.com):

Your Recruiting Strategy: Horse Race or Beauty Pageant?
One of our clients alled a couple of weeks ago, and she was worried.
A couple of her new recruits hadn’t responded to her first two emails and was wondering if we needed to highlight more of the things her Division I college had to offer their students and athletes.
“I’m worried if we don’t

Quote of the Day:

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. – Charles Darwin

Making & Breaking Habits

 The hard must become habit.  The habit must become easy.  The easy must become beautiful.  ~Doug Henning
We are all creatures of habit; basketball players are no different.

Using the left hand on the left side of the backboard...applying ball pressure...sprinting the lanes...boxing out. All of these are habits that can be established or demolished.

Coaches get frustrated when players

Quote of the Day:

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Thoughts are things! And powerful things at that, when mixed with definiteness of purpose, and burning desire, can be translated into riches. – Napoleon Hill

Quote of the Day:

"We first make our habits, then our habits make us.  Habits, good or bad, begin as innocent companions.  Later they become our masters."

"Everybody works hard when the feel like it, but only the best do it when they don't feel like it."

- Peter Vidmar, 2-time olympic gold medalist, gymnastics.

Quote of the Day:

Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. – Vince Lombardi

Quote of the Day:

To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult. – Johann Wolfgang Von Goeth

Quote of the Day:

Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy. – Norman Schwarzkopf

Quote of the Day:

The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer. – Nolan Bushnell

Culture beats strategy...All day long!

How Do You Weigh Strategy, Execution, and Culture in an Organization's Success? -Article from Harvard Business School by Jim HeskettStrategy, execution, and culture: Do we have our priorities right? 
"An outstanding strategy weakly executed will always be trumped by a weak strategy with outstanding execution.
What if you had a plan to be president of the USA? You could have a perfect plan. A

Quote of the Day:

"Culture beats strategy all day long."-Apple

(Creating a positive culture) is the most important thing a leader can do because culture drives behavior, behavior drives habits and habits create the future.

CyberMonday: Patagonia says "Don't buy (our) jacket!"

A post that is much more important the athletics: the impact of consumerism on the environment.

Patagonia sent me this email today (with the subject "Don't buy this jacket"):

Today is Cyber Monday. It will likely be the biggest online shopping day ever. Cyber Monday was created by the National Retail Federation in 2005 to focus media and public attention on online shopping. But Cyber Monday

Book Giveaway!

To enter, simply RETWEET, REPOST, SHARE on Facebook or  FOLLOW OvertimeHoops.com blog.
This book has been on my "to-read" list for quite some time. By mistake I received 2 copies...so, what better time for another book giveaway?
Review:From Stephen R. Covey's eldest son comes a revolutionary new path towards productivity and satisfaction. Trust, says Stephen M.R. Covey, is the very basis of

Quote of the Day:

"Don't be afraid to fail. The greatest failure of all is failure to act when action is needed. Use the information that you've acquired in the past through the experiences you've had and act with self-control; but act". -John Wooden

"Toughness" Drill

Quote of the Day:

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat. " -Mother Teresa

Sport Nutrition Quick Hitters

Here are some "quick hitter" notes that I took down when Lesli Bonci spoke to the athletic department while I was working at Roger Williams University:
-After practice or competition, eat a snack within 15min! "Eat to Replete". Trail mix, nuts, bars, fruit.
-Gulp fluids, don't sip (quicker hydration).
-5hr energy/Redbull/Monster energy drinks are stimulation, NOT energy.
-If you drink 1 light

Quote of the Day:

"The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing". -Anonymous

Quote of the Day:

"There are those who work all day. Those who dream all day. And those who spend an hour dreaming before setting to work to fulfill those dreams. Go into the third category because there's virtually no competition." -Steven J. Ross

My relationship with Kurt Budke

Terrible news this morning: Oklahoma St. women's basketball Head Coach Kurt Budke and Assistant Coach Miranda Serna were killed in a single-engine plane crash last night coming home from a recruiting trip.
I first met Kurt at the Final Four in St. Louis 2009. He was part of the "Male Coaches of Women's Basketball" presenter panel along side Tom Collins (head coach at Arkansas) and others. I

Aspects of Peak Performance- Sport Psychology

My wife Christine has shared many great articles with me as she was getting her Master's Degree in Sport Psychology. Here's a great one:

Although peak performance at times may seem illusive, there are universal aspects of performing well. Loehr et al. (1995) found from research that athletes performing at peak levels are physically relaxed, mentally calm, and exhibit focused and flexible

Quote of the Day:

"Hard work spotlights the character of people. Some turn up their sleeves. Some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all." -Sam Ewing

13 Key Habits to Help You "Seize the Day" Part 2/2

From Success Magazine, Paul J. Meyer, 2009.

Part 2/2


7. Be a giver!


8. Be positive: Being positive has the potential to turn the worst situations into victories.


9. Smile a lot and laugh at life: Adversity is a stepping-stone, not a road block. Why not laugh in the midst of challenges?


10. Live life with enthusiasm: Why not give it your all?


11. Enjoy life!


12. Find a hobby you enjoy

13 Key Habits to Help You "Seize the Day" Part 1/2

From Success Magazine, Paul J. Meyer, 2009.

Part 1/2


1. Be an inverted paranoid: Believe that the whole world is conspiring to do good things to you.

2. Be a quick forgiver: We don't have time to waste in unforgiveness.

3. Be optimistic: Believing the best of people and circumstances is a sure way to find the best.

4. Be thankful: Always give thanks for the blessings in our lives.

5. Be

Quote of the Day:

"Remember this your lifetime through,tomorrow there will be more to do,and failure waits for all who staywith some success made yesterday.Tomorrow you must try once more,and even harderthan before."-John Wooden

Quote of the Day:

from "InsideOut Coaching: How Sports Can Transform Lives" by Joe Ehrmann -->
"An InsideOut coach's answers are radically different from the responses our contemporary sports cultre expects, or rather, demands. An InsideOut coach resists the transactional impulses and asserts that the right way, indeed the only way, to coach young people is to seek to transform their sense of their own worth,

There is no magic forumla for success...

Success is determined hard work:
"In 1948, I began coaching basketball at UCLA. Each hour of practice we worked very hard. Each day we worked very hard. Each week we worked very hard. Each season we worked very hard. Four fourteen years we worked very hard and didn't win a national championship. However, a national championship was won in the fifteenth year. Another in the sixteenth. And

Quote of the Day:

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” -Peter F. Drucke

Quote of the Day:

"Be more concerns with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others things you are". -John Wooden

Quote of the Day:

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit". -Aristotle

Quote of the Day:

-Loyalty-
"If you work for someone, in heavens name work for them: speak well of them and stand by the institution they represent. Remember, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness. If you must growl, condemn and eternally find fault, resign your position and when you are on the outside, damn to your heart's content....but as long as you are a part of the institution do not condemn it-

Communication: Do they know what to say?

A thought occurred to me last night after watching a great, high energy practice: we preach communication, and there was a lot of 'talk' during our practice, but do the kids know what to say?

For example, when moving from one drill to the next, there was a lot of “Let’s Go” or “Keep it up ladies”. That’s talk....and talk is better than silence...but is an even better communication something like

Quote of the Day:

"When you can't be on time, be early" -Unknown

10 Proven Teaching Methods for Coaches (Part 2 of 2)

 from Winning Hoops March/April 207

6. Effective Motivation
Find something positive to say ti every athlete at every practice. This satisfies the athlete's need for attention, recognition and appreciation. Be specific with your praise- specific praise is used to reinforce the "WHY" of pracitce. Always attempt to find more positives than negatives while constantly praising effort.

7. The Hoopla

Yesterday....

Quote of the Day:

"Remember this your lifetime through, tomorrow there will be more to do,and failure waits for all who staywith some success made yesterday,tomorrow you must try once more,and even harderthan before."
-John Wooden

10 Proven Teaching Methods for Coaches (Part 1 of 2)

"Productive coaches spend 75% of their time teaching the sport to their players and the other 25% of the time coaching."

1. Understand Your Passion For Basketball...First.
Before jumping into coaching, coaches first must understand their passion for the game. Having a high level of passion for basketball tremendously influences your energy, creativity and ability to motivate players. Passion is

Quote of the Day:

“Believe that the loose ball that you are chasing has your name on it.” -Coach K

Quote of the Day:

 "Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation."

4 "MUST HAVES" in Your Drill Work

1. Weak Hand Development2. Footwork and balance emphasis3. Playing through contact4. Contesting shots
-Kevin Eastman

The Theory of Two

It takes 2 minutes to show you a new skill.It takes 2 weeks of practicing the skill before you are comfortable.It takes 2 months of consistent practice and execution before it is "game ready".

Quote of the Day:

"Leadership is inspiring others to action"

Book Giveaway!

Remember to FOLLOW this blog by entering your email address in the box below the "Overtime" banner at the top of the page to enter to win Vince Lombardi's "WHAT IT TAKES TO BE #1".

Winner will be announced Friday.

9 Important Teaching Points for Your Drills

The following are notes from Morgan Wootten's Basketball Camp around 2005...these were given to Joe Wootten from Kevin Eastman (Boston Celtics Assistant Coach) and passed on to the camp staff:

1) Basketball is a game of inches (John Stockton; slow, but sure)- Attack ankles/Attack hips, etc.

2) Pound dribble for better handle on the basketball

3) Play the game low to high (on screens: cutter's

Quote of the Day:

"I am a great believer in LUCK: the harder I work, the more I have."

Quote of the Day:

"I can check the level of your honesty and commitment by the quality of your effort on the court.  You cannot separate sports from your life, no matter how hard you try.  Your personality shows up on the court.  Greed, indifference, whatever, it all shows up.  You cannot hide it. -Pete Carill

Steve Jobs on time & dreams

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

A Rebounder's Mentality

"It's not what you teach that's important; it's what you emphasize that counts".

That phrase rings true for me in many situations.

In the game of basketball, there is a ton of focus (and rightly so) on technique. We want our players to execute skills in the most efficient manner possible. Is there a point when this emphasis on technique becomes overbearing and the ?

I love this one simple rule

Quote of the Day:

“Believe that the loose ball that you are chasing has your name on it.” -Coach K

Quote of the Day:

“Confrontation simply means meeting the truth head-on.” -Coach K

Quote of the Day:

"Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle" -Abraham Lincoln

Quote of the Day:

"Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be" -John Wooden

Sideline OOB Play for 3

Courtesy of FastModel and Maryland's Video Coordinator Mike Bowden (http://www.fastmodelsports.com/playoftheday/?article_id=277)

Book Giveaway!

I'm giving away "WHAT IT TAKES TO BE #1: Vince Lombardi on Leadership". To enter, simply subscribe to my blog by entering your email address in the box at the top of the page below the "Overtime" banner. Winner will be announced next Friday, 11/4.

Flip Saunder's Defensive Rules

Thanks to Forrest McKinnis for sending me these great points:

General rules followed by Coach Flip Saunders of the NBA's Washington Wizards, critical for building any defensive foundation.

We give the players these simple, general rules:

Never leave the dribbler alone.
Never let the offense penetrate the defense, either with a dribble or a pass.
Sag towards the ball, forming triangles on

Get Connected

There aren't many secrets in coaching. I heard the following story: at a coaches clinic years ago, a very successful coach from a BCS school was giving a presentation about their offense. In the crowd were opposing coaches from the same conference who were frantically writing down every BLOB play and quick hitter. The presenter paused, looked around the room and said "Coaches, you can write down

Quote of the Day:

 "Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation."

Quote of the Day:

"Leadership is inspiring others to action"

1/2 Marathon

Have you ever reset your car's odometer and really watched to see how long 13 miles is? Whether you're driving, walking or running:  69,168 feet is a long way to go.

I had the awesome pleasure of completing my first 1/2 Marathon on October 15 in Baltimore, Maryland. What made this race so special was not just the race itself, but what I was running for.

Let me be very clear: I HATED running.

Quote of the Day:

“One who asks questions is a fool for 5 minutes; one who does not ask questions remains a fool forever.” -Chinese Proverb

Pat Summitt on "Goals"

Before each of the 34 seasons that Summitt has been a head coach of some of the most accomplished teams of all time, she and her captains have committed a set of goals to writing. 


“We always make sure,” Summitt says, “that our plans for the season can be achieved. Setting goals is incredibly important to

Here's to the crazy ones...

A + B = C

A (event) + B (attitude) = C (outcome)

Good or bad, if something happens- it happens. It's done. In the books. We can't control it and shouldn't waste our time wishing it hadn't happened.

Our attitude, or reaction to the event, shapes the outcome. Many people get caught in the orbit of a negative event- possessing a pessimistic or victim-like attitude, and thus negatively affecting the outcome

Quote of the Day:

"I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done." -Buddha

10 Secrets of Successful Leaders (Part 2/2)

Part 2/2

6. Create a 'team charter.'
Too many new teams race down the road before they even figure out who they are, where they’re going, and what will guide their journey, says Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One-Minute Manager (William Morrow & Co., 1982) and founder of The Ken Blanchard Cos., a workplace- and leadership-training firm. Just calling together a team and giving them a clear

Quote of the Day:

"Pressure can burst a pipe or pressure can create a diamond" -Robert Horry

10 Secrets of Successful Leaders (Part 1/2)

Part 1 of 2.