Showing posts with label Youth Basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Youth Basketball. Show all posts

Monday, December 3, 2012

'Tis the Season

Posted by Anonymous | Monday, December 3, 2012 | Category: , , , , , , , | 0 comments

When thinking about what I should blog about next I decided to go with the theme of the seasons.  As Thanksgiving just passed and Christmas is just right around the corner I decided to look back and take a moment to be thankful and truly see and appreciate the life I have been fortunate enough to be blessed with.  To start, I have an amazing job that I am thankful for everyday.  Who would ever complain about being able to wear sweatpants and Chucks to work?   Yes there are days that I just want to lay in bed and be lazy, but I think everyone has those moments.  I am fortunate enough to say that I do something that I am truly passionate about as my career.  I get to teach the youth not only basketball but life skills.  Nothing makes me feel better than seeing a player grow in many aspects, on and off the court.  Right there I need to give a giant thanks to all of you out there reading this who has given me the opportunity to train your children.  Without you, I would not have a job (and of course, my boss).

Basketball is not just a sport to me; it is a way of life.  It has taught me so many valuable life lessons.  I have had an amazing playing career that some can only dream about.  I cannot be more grateful for those experiences.  I have learned a ton about myself through basketball.  Who would think that a 28.5 orange ball could take me to where it has?  Something that is so small and simple has changed my life.  Because of basketball, I have made amazing friendships and relationships that will last a lifetime.  I know what it means to take it the next level, how to push through when the going gets rough, what teamwork is, being disciplined, mental toughness, and great time management.  I could go on forever on this part but I will spare you. 

I am thankful for my family and friends who have always been there for me.  My parents did everything they could to help support me with my dreams.  They mean more to me than I could ever say.  They never once shut me down.  They went above and beyond their parental duties to help me follow my dreams.  My dad used to drive me 2 hours each way on Sunday mornings so I could go to shooting coach for a workout at 8 am on his day off, let alone paying the price of the coach.    My parents sacrificed every weekend for my AAU tournaments and driving my teammates and I around.  I am pretty sure I am the only person in my college summer league that had their entire family come to every game (grandparents included).  I owe them the world and thank you could never ever express my gratitude for them. 

Sometimes we tend to let life take us out of our element.  Times can get hard and trying.  But when it gets to be too hard, we need to take a step back and look at everything we have.  I always say the little things mean the most to me in life.  We all need to take a look at those little things that we have and are blessed with them and truly appreciate their value.  You never know when it could all be taken away from you. 

Life is a rollercoaster, and rollercoasters are supposed to be fun.  Enjoy every moment and make the most of those moments.  Learn from the challenging moments; don’t wish they didn’t happen, because they are learning experiences.  Life will never throw anything at you, that you can’t handle.  Accept and embrace challenges, obstacles are just a test of strength.  But most importantly, take time to appreciate what you have and what you have been blessed with.  Give thanks to those who have helped you and take the time to help others. 

In closing, I want to say thank you to all those who have helped me throughout my life and my career.  I would say names but than this blog would go from 1 page long to 200 pages.    I am really appreciative of everyone who has helped me so far and cannot wait to see what the future holds for me.  Thank you to Elite Hoops and everyone who continues to work with us!  ‘Tis the season!

Michelle Manfredi
Elite Hoops Basketball

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Fundamentals vs. AAU

Posted by Anonymous | Thursday, November 1, 2012 | Category: , , , , , | 0 comments

These days it seems as though AAU has taken over the basketball world.  Everywhere you turn there is a another AAU team, and these teams all start at such a young age.  Every parent wants to have their child involved in AAU at such a young age that they are forgetting about learning the fundamentals.  Fundamentals are an extremely important aspect of basketball. 

One of the things I noticed while coaching college the past 3 years is that our players were lacking these fundamentals.  They would come in with a bad shot, horrendous footwork, or a weak handle.  I didn’t understand why they were lacking such important pieces of the game that I worked on at a young age.  I feel a lot of it is because parents are so worried about AAU at a young age that they are skipping over learning the basics first.  I like to compare it to building a house.  In order for a house to be sturdy and last a long time (without multiple repairs) it needs a great foundation.  The same comes with basketball, in order to be a great player, a solid foundation needs to be laid first. 

Does a great shooter become great by walking in the gym and shooting 3’s for the first shot?  The answer is no, they start in close and work repetitively on their form.  When I say repetitively, I do not mean 20 shots, I am talking about thousands of shots.  From there they have a solid foundation in which they can continue to increase their distance from the basket.  I see so many young kids come in the gym and jack up a 3 as soon as they touch a ball instead of staying close and getting their form down.  It is almost near impossible for an 8 year old to shoot correctly from the 3 point line, they just do not have the strength. 

AAU is a great tool for being recruited, and I am not trying to knock it any way.  I just know that without a solid set of fundamentals first, kids are missing an important aspect to the game.  People pay thousands to play AAU each year, and it starts at such a young age these days, that we are forgetting about the fundamentals.  I did not start to play AAU until I was in 7th grade, and even that was young.  I do not feel it is necessary for 3rd and 4th graders to play AAU.  From what I know, the whole point of AAU is to play on elite teams in which you get noticed by college coaches.  However, no college coaches are interested in recruiting a 3rd grader.  With the amount of AAU teams out there these days, are they even “elite” anymore? 

Everyone wants to be a great player and play at the next level, but are you willing to break down your game and develop the fundamentals first.  Yes, it can be tedious, but fundamentals can go a very long way.  It takes time, effort, and hard work, but in the long run it is worth it.  Like I stated before, build the foundation first and then work from there.  Get the fundamentals down and let the rest of your game develop around those skills.

Michelle Manfredi
Elite Hoops Basketball
  

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Expectations of Youth Basketball Coaches

Posted by Lee Miller | Thursday, October 11, 2012 | Category: , , , , , , , | 0 comments

On Saturday November 3, Elite Hoops will be hosting a Youth Basketball Coaches Clinic in Atlanta, that we call the Coaches Clipboard. This specific clinic is for 3rd-8th grade youth coaches who are looking to find the most effective way to teach and train their players. We'll spend 3 hours on Saturday morning discussing expectations we have for coaches and players, the most important skill development drills for your team, as well as offensive sets and defensive strategies that will make your players better. We will also briefly talk about what we think is hurting the game of youth basketball.

One of the main topics we will discuss at the clinic are the Expectations of Youth Coaches.  Elite Hoops has 5 Coaches Expectations that will help make your players better and help make you a more successful coach:

1. Teach Skill Development
2. Communicate Effectively with Your Staff, Team and Parents
3. Organize Workouts and Practices
4. Motivate Your Players and Bring High Energy
5. Prepare Players for their High School Coach

Right now you're probably wanting some more specifics on these Expectations, but you'll have to attend our clinic on November 3 to get that.  I will toss one more thing your way though.  What do you think is the #1 thing hurting youth basketball? No, not AAU or travel ball. It's coaches and parents worried about winning every game at every level.  As Coach John Wooden stated, "Success is a Direct Result in Self Satisfaction in Knowing You Did Your Very Best." When coaches AND parents want to win on the 3rd grade level, they focus more on the score than about their players getting better.  That means teaching a set play as opposed to teaching read and react. When coaches AND parents are stressed about winning their 5th grade weekend AAU tournament, they focus more on the score than about their players getting better That means running a frantic full court defense to speed up the game than on teaching sound man to man defense.

Starting this spring, we will be releasing one skill development video and one set play for FREE each week on our website.  We will also be offering ELITE memberships on our site for players and coaches that are interested in receiving ELITE versions and counters of those weekly drills and plays.

For more information on the clinic or to register click HERE.

Lee Miller
Elite Hoops
National Director
"Release Your Potential"


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