One Shining Moment -

Georgetown's Backdoor Game

Great Stuff!

Peyton Manning's Competitive Fire

Article from Peter King during the Colts Super Bowl practices:

I want to give you a couple of examples of what makes Manning tick, and what drives him to be so good, from what happened in the Colts' Super Bowl practices.

There are two things I saw last week that I'll never forget.

I had the good fortune of seeing the Colts prepare for the Super Bowl last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at the Miami Dolphins' training facility. Each Super Bowl week, the Pro Football

Writers of America assigns one of its members to cover each team's practices, to report for all the press the basics and some color of the workouts. After each practice, I wrote about a 600-word dispatch, which was distributed in the press center.

Last Thursday, the CBS pre- and in-game crew, including Dan Marino, watched most of practice, and I led my report with one of the guys Manning admires, Marino, watching him work at his old practice fields. The last thing the Colts do every Thursday is the two-minute drill, first offense versus first defense, and here's what I wrote in the PFWA pool report:

Manning had a little of the clutch Marino left in him at the end of the two-hour, nine-minute practice, conducted with crowd noise piped in from speakers on the sidelines. On fourth-and-10 with nine seconds left in the two-minute drill that closes every Thursday practice for the Colts, Manning, working with the first-team offense, drilled a perfect 23-yard touchdown strike to backup wideout Aaron Moorehead in the back of the end zone.

"Peyton practices like that every week ... like it's the Super Bowl,'' said coach Tony Dungy at the end of practice. "It rubs off on the entire offense. This is about our 20th week of practice, and I think the defense stopped the offense once or twice all year. When they stop them, we give out game balls.''

A Colts safety, and I don't recall whom, took his helmet off and slammed it to the ground. This was big stuff, really big to the Colts, on both sides of the ball. As Manning walked off the field after the practice Thursday, I intercepted him and said: "What a great drive to watch. Pretty intense," I said.

"Yeah," Manning said. "I wanted it. Wanted it bad."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

This type of attitude is one reason why the Colts were Super Bowl champions. The competitive spirit and drive to excellence every single day seperates the contenders from the pretenders.

Bird on Basketball

These are just a few comments from Celtic great Larry Bird:

*Championship teams are built on concrete defense

*Defense is floor burns, bruises, and jammed fingers. It's a skill with no scoreboard. It is hard work with no headlines. There is no good reason for a player to work hard on that end of the court, unless, he wants to win more than anything else

*Winners win. They do because they are different from the rest. They push themselves past the point of pain and exhaustion. They do whatever needs to be done to grab a victory from a challenger. And they don't really know why. There is just a fire inside them that pushes them past the limits of their energy and ability.

*Mentally defense is tough. You have got to use your mental toughness to constantly push your body around the court so that it says no to your opponent. No, I'm not going to give you a good shooting position! No, I am not going to let you drive around me! No, I am not going to let you get rebounding position on me! No, I am not going to let you do what you want with the ball!

*A defense works better when it communicates. So help out your team and communicate.

*You may only play basketball at the high school level. But, if you can truly say that you became the very best basketball player that your God-given talent would allow, you have accomplished as much as an NBA superstar. You have performed to the limit of your potential. And that's what a winner is all about.

NBA TNT Fundamentals with Carlos Boozer on POST MOVES

NBA TNT Fundamentals with Dwight Howard on REBOUNDING

NBA's leading rebounder, Dwight Howard

NBA Fundamentals Bruce Bowen on Man-to-Man Defense

San Antonio Spurs veteran Bruce Bowen discusses one on one defense

Great Comback Story

Great story on a 37 year old college wrestler that has overcome many obstacles in his life, including drug addiction.....

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8836514752312121623

Coach Dan Hawkins Website

Great stuff for both coaches and players:

http://www.coachhawkins.com/blog.htm

Notes on Magic Johnson

Notes from one of the most enthusiastic players in NBA History: Magic Johnson



* Magic was always in better shape than anyone else. He could play all day long. He loved to play with the worst players to prove he could beat anybody.

*Used the summer to do things he wasn't comfortable with

*One year Coach Pat Riley asked Magic to score more points next season. He asked if that was ok with Kareem, the most focused player he has ever seen. Kareem agreed. The answer was posting him up more

*He made the game easier for everybody. It may have cost him shots early in the game, but it helped the team.

*When Kareen was injured in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals, Magic knew he had to take over and play center. He knew that the other team couldn't hold him in the post and he could match up defensively and they could keep the tempo very fast and win. He sat in Kareem's seat on the plane to tell teammates, "Never fear, Magic is here!" The Lakers, led by Magic's 42 points and 15 rebounds (while playing center) won the finals.

*Magic would swing the ball to teammates to get them involved early in the game. This spread the defense for later in the game. If his teammates were hitting, this opened the game up for Magic to destroy his defender 1 on 1.

Your Best Effort

Your Best Effort

From "Stuff" by Dick DeVenzio

What excuse do you give yourself for not doing your best every play of a game or every drill in practice? Have you ever considered a coach could watch you play, even on a night you score 20, and he could tell you dozens of things you never bother doing?

Undoubtedly there are many things that you should do that you don't. But if you really want to be a good player..if you strive to do the little things consistenly, there won't be any doubt in anyone's mind what kind of player you are. People may not say that you are great or wonderful or fantastic, but coaches will do better than that. They will say YOU CAN PLAY.

There is not higher compliment in the game.

John Wooden - Poem

NBA Fundamentals: Shane Battier - Taking a Charge

Energy from the Bench

Ronny Turiaf- Heart and Soul of the Lakers

His stats will not impress you but Laker forward Ronny Turiaf brings an energy level that has helped the Lakers to one of the best records in the Western Conference. With the addition of Paul Gasol, the few minutes that he already had will become even fewer. However, that will not change his spirit and enthusiasm. Here are some excerpts from an article on nba.com


Luckily for both the Lakers and Turiaf, it looks like they made the right decision as the forward has flourished under the leadership of Phil Jackson, providing an energy level that is unmatched in the NBA.

“I was just talking to one of my teammates the other day,” said Turiaf. "I wasn’t doing my job as far as the energy guy and stuff like that and he was like, ‘Ronny, it’s your time to shine right now, it’s your time to get us pumped up.’ I really enjoy doing that. I really appreciate the way my teammates look at me.”

Wherever Turiaf goes, he is all about spreading the love—and if his contributions on and off the court in his few years in L.A. offer any indication, the Lakers have joyfully returned the forward’s giant bear hug.

With 71 games to go this season, Turiaf knows he will be relied upon to instill his contagious enthusiasm and work ethic into a young, impressionable Lakers squad. Luckily for him, it is a role he has been fine-tuning his entire life.

“I’m just going to go out there and do what I have to do—playing hard, doing the same thing I’ve been doing off the bench, trying to be opportunistic, block shots and stuff like that,” said Turiaf. “Nothing has changed in my role.”

“Overall, I want to look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘Ronny, you’ve done a better job, you’ve improved yourself and your teammates. Your coaching staff and your fans are looking at you like you’re a true part of this team where you really feel like you belong.’ That is what I want to feel like at the end of the year,” Turiaf said.

For a man that has lived in many countries, Turiaf has never had trouble belonging. In the process, it looks like he has finally found a lasting home with the Lakers.

Weekend Split

Another wild weekend of Metro Conference basketball as the Titans went 1-1 losing to Millard West 51-49 and bouncing back to defeat Millard North 65-59. Friday night was a tough one as we only scored 14 points in the first half. As they have all year, the boys showed some toughness by storming back to tie the game after being down 11. Unfortunately, we came out flat in the first half and just ran out of time. Hopefully we learned that you can't come out flat for 2 quarters and expect to win in the Metro. Congrats to Millard West.

Saturday was a big test for our team to see what kind of toughness we had. For the most part, the players responded very well and beat a much improved Millard North team by 6. The effort and attitude were much better on this night compared to Friday night.

We finish next week with Millard South on Friday followed by Omaha South on Saturday. The Titans are 14-6 right now yet there are many improvements to be made before districts!

Champions don’t look at it as a sacrifice. Champions choose to live as champions.

CHAMPIONS BECOME CHAMPIONS BECAUSE THEY DO WHAT CHAMPIONS HAVE TO DO!

Great Offensive Videos

Good thoughts on shooting from Ray Allen.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IPuD8bGdts&feature=related

Richard Hamilton moving without the ball (this one is very good)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwqzC2sTKzI&feature=related

Tom Brady Article

A look inside as to why Tom Brady is so successful.....

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/columns/story?id=3219092

UCLA Defense

Great effort!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHvWHtRDPVo

Poise in a hostile environment

Last Thursday, UCLA freshman Kevin Love who is from Oregon, returned to his home state to faces the Oregon Ducks. The student section was on him and his family the entire game, enough so that the Oregon AD had to apologize to UCLA and Love. Love finished with 26 points and 18 rebounds, not to bad for a freshman. Here is a great quote from him in dealing with the adverse conditions:

"I can't tell you if there was a better feeling in my whole basketball career than just walking off that court, taking the higher road and just feeling good about that game," he said. "Coming back from down seven with seven minutes to go and hitting those big shots in such a hostile environment; it was one of my favorite games ever to win."

1. He doesn't let outside influences effect his play

2. He loves playing in adverse conditions

3. He is a competitor!

Never accepting 'NO'

Great article on Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker, who was turned down by numerous Division I schools, not selected in the NFL Draft, and cut from the San Diego Chargers. Needless to say, he has turned out alright....

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/news/story?id=3214646&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1

Lockdown Defense!

One of the best defensive teams in the country!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QycCLSsgcaQ

Rollercoaster Weekend

This past weekend was definitely an emotional rollercoaster for the team. Friday night the Titans scratched and clawed their way back from a 15 point deficit with 7:00 to go in the game to win by 4. The guys showed alot of heart coming all the way back like they did. The easy thing to do would be to just say it wasn't our night or 'we'll get them next time' but when you have worked as hard as these players have, it is difficult to surrender. Great job Friday night!

Saturday night we probably felt what Benson did on Friday night. Having a 16 point lead in the 1st half, the Titans lost a tough one by 3 points. Give credit to Kearney for having the toughness to keep battling even when things looked bleak for them. This was a tough one to swallow. Hopefully we learned some valuable lessons with this game. We could make lots of excuses but it is important that what you accept in victory you must accept in defeat.

I saw a story about a year ago on ESPN that involved the famous boxing trainer Teddy Atlas. Atlas talked about what he called 'The Gray Room' for boxers, which is the moment of truth for a reeling boxer. The boxer has a choice: he can retreat to the darkness, surrendering to his opponent, or fight his way back to the light.

This can be used in any other sport or more importantly any part of life. When the tough teams enter 'The Gray Room', they know that in order to break through, they must make the choice to continue to battle, never surrendering to their opponent. They must have a voice inside their head that pushes them to new heights, breaking down any barriers that were previously in the way. Championship caliber teams have the ability to fight through adverse conditions on a consistent basis. We have done a good job with this all year, and continue to strive to reach this level on a consistent basis!! There are only a handful of teams that will improve the rest of the year. These are the teams that can successfully break through 'The Gray Room'!

We look forward to preparing for a very good Papillion-LaVista team on Saturday night. The players remain focused on the task at hand: striving to play hard, play smart, and play together!

"4 is to 1 as mental is to physcial" - John Wooden

-Coach Cooley

Keep on fighting the good fight!

The guys played really hard all weekend. The week started with a come from behind victory over Omaha Burke on Friday night. Down 10 at half and without starter Kendall Wehrle, it would have been easy for the team to pack it in and use excuses. However, the guys kept battling and picked up the intensity for a big victory to improve to 10-3.

Saturday night was a tough one. The Titans led by double digits early but could not hold on as the Junior Jays won a tough ballgame. Immediately, the loss was very draining for all involved. However, there were plenty of good things that came out of the game that we can build on in the upcoming weeks. The effort displayed so far has been as good as it has ever been for the Titans. We all just need to remember to keep things in perspective and keep fighting the good fight. Keep battling, keep encouraging, keep competing, keep the heads held high!

With a big game this Tuesday against a very good Omaha North team, there is no time to feel sorry for ourselves. I have no doubt that the guys will bounce back quickly. They are a very resilient!

Go Titans!

-Coach Cooley

The Leadership of Brett Farve

Article on Brett Farve and his leadership qualities



David Bohl of the Small Business Times has the story:





Here are a few pointers from Brett Favre's Playbook on Leading With Humility:


*When we lead with humility, we devote ourselves to "we" instead of me.


*Even when he was set to break records, Brett always maintained that winning the game for his team was more important than his personal accomplishments. That's a humbling sentiment if you stop to think about it. How many of us would trade winning one game for a chance to be remembered as the sole holder of a record? Sadly, not many. But that's exactly what Brett has brought to the game.


*Humility is about putting others first. When we focus on the betterment of the group instead of ourselves, we sacrifice attention, recognition, our time. We often relinquish our "moment in the sun." But we do this so that we may bring others to the place where we have arrived - a higher place of understanding. Imagine what kind of impact one single individual can have on human progress, simply by being other-people oriented.


*To lead with humility requires an understanding of our own, dual nature. How can a man be meek and bold at the same time? Well, just take a look at Brett's nature on and off the field. When he's playing, there's no greater competitor. He's tough, he's dedicated and he gives 100% to win. Off the field, he's the simple southern boy he always was. Rather than showing off or getting caught up in activities that have brought down so many other professional athletes, Brett steers clear of controversy, opting for the simple life of hunting, fishing and being with his family.
Likewise, men and women of substance know that no matter what kind of power their title or position brings, there will be periods when we must return to that state of being the student and not the teacher. This requires mental flexibility. When we are rigid in our outlook, closed to other viewpoints and staunch in our beliefs, we stagnate, run in circles, and stunt our personal growth. Deep down, we can sense when this is happening. Titles and prestige hold no fulfillment unless we can connect with our roots and our center of being. It takes an understanding of the duality that lives within every one of us. Are you willing to bend?


*Leading with humility means owning up to our shortcomings.


Brett Favre is one of the most respected leaders of any professional team. He's a man who probably knows more about the game of football than many of today's coaches. And yet, Brett - for all his fame - has never been above being coached. Compare that to the players that refuse to listen to their coaches, or worse, bad mouth them the minute the cameras are rolling.

Looking back a few years ago, many people thought that Brett should've retired. Green Bay struggled for wins and Brett seemed to be at the end of his career. To be sure, he could have walked away without regret. He had a Super Bowl win, the respect of players and fans, and was a cinch to make the Hall of Fame.


So why did he stick around after having accomplished so much? Because he wasn't finished. During those years it's true that Brett wasn't getting much protection from his offensive line. But he was also making mistakes that he wouldn't have made in his glory days. Even so, he didn't want to go out like that and he didn't want his team to continue on that path. Brett worked harder, owned up to his shortcomings and dedicated himself to getting the Packers back to their winning ways.


The opposite of humility is pride. Where would the Packers be today if Brett Favre had let pride rule the last leg of his career? How many times in our lives have we offered Pride the upper hand... refused to admit that we could have done something better, didn't give it our all, could stand some improvement, or maybe we were actually wrong about something? Where did that get us in the end?


When we take stock of our shortcomings and own up to our weaknesses, we open the doors to self-betterment. When we let our egos "sit this one out" in favor of accepting constructive criticism, we emerge stronger in the end. That's humility at work, making us more powerful, helping us grow and become all the richer for the experience.


*Humility involves knowing that you already have everything you need.


Today, Brett Favre is playing smarter football. He's taking his career one play at a time and his focus is still on winning rather than breaking records. He can still bring it when he has to, but as always, he relies on his team to win games. And even though the Packers are playoff bound and the records are falling, he's still out on the field - not trying to be the best, but doing the best he can. What kind of player are you?

Trying to reach that championship level......

Good article here on the Denver Nuggets and head coach George Karl trying to reach a championship level. It is never as easy as just having a couple of star players as Dave Kreiger of the Rocky Mountain News reports:

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jan/15/krieger-karl-continues-stress-team-first-attitude/

Staying Together

Tough loss for the Titans Saturday night against Central. Congrats to Central for a hard fought win. The Titan players showed alot of fight after being down as many as 14 points in the 1st quarter. Some teams might have just packed it in and called it a night. It was great to see the team fight until the final buzzer. The effort and attitudes were tremendous throughout the evening. Although it was a very difficult loss emotionally, the players know that if they continue to work hard and be great teammates, then the results will show throughout the year.

Whether it be a win or loss, let there be joy in the journey!

-Coach Cooley

Good Article

There is no stopping this Iraq War veteran from running in the Seattle Marathon to honor is 48 fallen buddies.....

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrybrewer/2004030460_brewer23.html

PLS 61 Omaha Bryan 60 2 OT- Fans your were awesome!!

What an unbelievable game last night!! A special thanks goes out to the parents and students, especially the Black Hole for bringing the energy to Titan Arena!

The players showed great resiliency throughout the evening, coming up with several clutch plays when we needed them. It took a great effort from everyone involved to get this victory. One of the best things to come out of the game was senior guard Ben Williams' comments AFTER the game. Ben was asked to talk to the Omaha World Herald and instead of speaking about himself the whole time, Ben spoke of teammate Sy Hueser:

"He's definitely our team leader," Williams said. "We got together when he
fouled out and we knew it was all on us. It was a good team win."

Great to see that out of a senior leader!!

Coach Hueser was speaking to our 8th graders earlier this week in practice and he mentioned that the 5 seniors have put in a combined 600 hours in the morning at 6:00 a.m. throughout their careers. When I think of this I remember what former Northern State player and current Northern Illinois assistant Sundance Wicks would write in his journal everyday:

WDTWT!- We Deserve to Win Today!

Our players were very deserving last night. Once again, thanks to all the fans out there last night. The players and coaches really appreciate the support!!

"Stay humble or we will crumble" -Marquette Basketball

-Coach Cooley

Welcome!!

Welcome to the T-Ball Blog!! This website will be for T-Ball players, fans, and coaches, along with all basketball enthusiasts. We hope to bring you a variety of different topics, along with giving you a day to day look of T-Ball. Enjoy!

-Coach Cooley