Today was the last of camp at McIntosh High School. The boys began their day with stretches and stations. Then the players competed in Living by Numbers and basketball games. Tobias Spence broke the Power Layup record of 10, by setting a record of 12. At the end of camp, there was an award ceremony, where coaches passed out certificates, evaluations and prizes. We enjoyed all the campers this week and want to wish them luck in their upcoming season.

For more information about our camps, visit wwww.elitehoopsbasketball.com

Elite Hoops Basketball has had a great week at Riverwood High school. There are over 50 campers from cities all around Atlanta such as Sandy Springs, Alpharetta, Snellville ,and many more. Campers have been working very hard on improving their skills this week and also are having fun at the same time. Alex Platt who attends the Epstien school says," My favorite part about camp is 5 on 5 games because I enjoy the competitive edge. I also really like the coaches because they all are very experienced and they know the keys to helping me become a better player." The Elite Hoops Camp has an excellent staff this week with college players and well known high school coaches from Atlanta. This has been a tremendous week and we hope to finish strong these last 2 days of camp.

Today at the Elite Hoops Boys Basketball Camp at McIntosh High School, the boys went through different basketball drills to build on technique. They played scrimmage basketball games to give them real game experience. Each day, the campers promise to get 1 percent better. This means practicing outside of camp on the techniques they learned inside of camp. They boys completed camp with Living by Numbers, to see if anyone could break any records.

For more information about our camps, visit www.elitehoopsbasketball.com

Today was the first day of Elite Hoops Boys Basketball Camp at McIntosh High School in Peachtree City. The boys started their day with stretches and warm-up routines. The boys practiced lay-ups and running across the court. The boys then broke into groups based on age and were assigned a coach. In the stations, the boys went through different basketball drills and techniques. Before and after lunch, the campers played five on five basketball games and at the end of camp, the boys started the Living by Number Drills.

For more information about our camps, visit www.elitehooppsbasketball.com

Yesterday was the last day of the Elite Hoops Boys Basketball Camp at Blessed Trinity. The players went through drills, 5 on 5 games and received certificates of completion at the end. Some players received special awards for breaking records or just their team spirit throughout camp. Campers and parents also had the opportunity to buy clothing, basketballs and candy during and at the end of camp. This group of campers worked hard this week and we wish them the best of luck throughout their season. See you next summer.

For more information about our camps, visit www.elitehoopsbasketball.com

Though today was the second day of camp, each camper vowed to get 1 percent better each day. The campers went through their stations of drills and techniques, while coaches asked questions about various plays. Each player was proactive with their assignments and never gave up. Before and after lunch, each player based on their division participates in a 5 on 5 basketball game, then ends the day with Living by Numbers. Living by Numbers is a chance for players to break records set by previous campers. For today's record, the campers focused on the Fig. 8.

For more information about our camps,visit www.elitehoopsbasketball.com

Today was the first day of the Elite Hoops Boys Basketball Camp at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School. Over 100 boys showed up to learn drills and techniques to build on their basketball skills. The boys were assigned a coach based on their age and completed different stations. We are excited about this group of boys and can't wait to see what this week has to offer.

For more information about our camps, visit www.elitehoopsbasketball.com

Today was the last day of the Elite Hoops Girls Basketball Camp. The girls completed the camp with championship basketball games. Camp certificates, evaluations and booklets were given to all the girls. Special awards were given to other campers from record breakers to team spirit. At the end of camp, the girls thanked their parents with a six-banger clap. This camp was exciting and we hope to see these girls next summer.

Today at camp, the girls went through their usual routines, which consist of drills in the forms of stations. Pictures were taken of girls who broke the living by numbers records. The record breakers were Megan Casey, Emily Waters, Leonor Nickell, Alexis Bourgeois, Lacie Johnson and Danielle Chandler. We are very proud of these young ladies and hope they continue to break records in the future. Tomorrow is the last day of camp and certificates will be given to all the girls for their hard work.

For more information about our camps, visit www.elitehoopsbasketball.com

Today at camp, Atlanta Dream's star Angel McCoughtry came to speak to the girls about basketball and life. McCoughtry emphasized to the girls how good it is to stay active, to not give up and to always have a backup plan. The girls also received Blessed Trinity basketball shirts and played 5 on 5 basketball games. We were excited about McCoughtry's visit and want to thank her for coming.

For more information about our camps, visit www.elitehoopsbasketball.com

On our second day of basketball camp, the lady campers eased into there stations with much confidence. Each player was proactive when a assignment was given and would not quit until the task was accomplished. Girls continued to show their skills when coaches asked questions about various plays, the campers were eager to answer. We are very proud of the lady players and hope they continue to work hard on and off the court.

For more information about about our camps, visit www.elitehoopsbasketball.com

The NIKE Elite Hoops Boys Basketball Camp at Greater Atlanta Christian in Norcross, Georgia began yesterday with 100 kids having one goal. Camp Director, Lee Miller, told all of the campers that their one goal for the week is to get "1% better each day." While 1% might not seem like a a big change, as John Wooden stated, "little things make big things happen."

Today, Elite Hoops Basketball Camp kicked off its first girl's camp of the summer at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, GA. Girls from all over Metro-Atlanta came to learn techniques and drills to improve their basketball skills. The campers were divided into groups by age and were assigned a 5on5 team, skill station group and a 3on3 team. Each coach worked with the girls, breaking down basic techniques for both offense and defense. We are excited about this group of girls and can't wait to see what the rest of the week has in store.

For more information, visit www.elitehoopsbasketball.com.

You hear players and coaches talk about having the Will to Win all the time, but it's rare when you actually see it. If you watched Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals you saw it. As the Magic's Dwight Howard came down after an offensive move his left elbow plowed into the face of Glen "Big Baby" Davis of the Celtics. After Howard's missed attempt, the Celtics grabbed the rebound and headed down the floor-all except for Big Baby. He fell to the floor after the elbow hit him and laid there for about 3 seconds. Then the Will to Win hit him. Big Baby who had 3 seconds earlier received a concussion from the elbow, tried to get get up off the floor to go help his team, but he couldn't The concussion had affected him so bad, he couldn't even gain his footing for 4-5 steps. Once he did, he was still trying to make it down the floor but was stumbling across the court. I would guess that 99% of all players and people for that matter would have just laid there and waited for help from their coach, trainer, teammates, or parents. We know Big Baby has the Will to Win. The question is...do you?

A 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 flexbility, 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

www.StrongerTeam.com