tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69032304250725186772024-03-14T01:20:52.357-07:00Message from Coach MurrayMurrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479901702268497473noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903230425072518677.post-68327296307164072902009-08-04T10:42:00.000-07:002009-08-04T10:43:51.541-07:00Dribbling Tip: Dribble Firmly<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eq-IsRYSpOU&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eq-IsRYSpOU&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479901702268497473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903230425072518677.post-34685849875804220782009-03-07T11:35:00.000-08:002009-03-07T11:39:23.110-08:00<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w09rHCoZzIM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w09rHCoZzIM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Playing good defense means anticipating what the offense is going to do. Make quick adjustments. By sliding on defense with quick, level movements, keeping the feet on the floor as much as possible, will allow the defender to stay in front of the offense.Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479901702268497473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903230425072518677.post-24012882620471361242009-02-16T11:14:00.000-08:002009-02-16T11:16:41.534-08:00Defense PreparationHere are a few concepts to consider when preparing yourself to defend.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PP329J3CFY4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PP329J3CFY4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479901702268497473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903230425072518677.post-62150891575036202742009-01-26T20:14:00.000-08:002009-01-26T20:17:01.833-08:00Defensive Pressure - Correct Arm PositionCoach Murray has something to say about what hand should be up when putting pressure on the ball.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KKrTh7ls7l4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KKrTh7ls7l4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479901702268497473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903230425072518677.post-14170482540588215582008-12-10T11:30:00.000-08:002008-12-10T11:31:14.155-08:00Youth and School Based SportsMedia Scrutiny Can Magnify Misbehavior<br /><br />Is poor sportsmanship worse than ever? Two authorities say no. It’s just more visible.“Athletes today cannot afford the same misconduct on (and off) the field as they once could,” wrote Nate Barnett, owner of Your Sport Guru, a sports information website. “That is why positive sportsmanship is so much more important in today’s technological society.”He cites three reasons:<br />1.Fifteen years ago, there were no cellphone cameras or YouTube. The capability to capture, upload, attach, and send video clips did not exist then. Today, someone is always is watching – and filming.<br />2.Sports such as baseball are more popular today, and college and pro teams are pickier about which players to select. Result: If any phenom with baggage does something dumb, hundreds of kids are poised to take his or her place.<br />3.Bad sportsmanship equates to mental immaturity. As kids progress, the sports they play get tougher and the pressures mount. The more mentally mature a player is, the better his or her chances to stand out and advance.<br />Hall of Fame quarterback and Heisman Trophy runner-up Don McPherson believes that increased media exposure has actually made college and pro athletes better behaved than in years past. “The athletes in my day would not be able to handle the media scrutiny,” he told the Oregonian. Where misconduct has gotten worse, he says, is among youths. “If we don’t proactively teach what we expect out of sports, then the message of the larger sports culture is going to teach them something more dangerous.”<br />[ezinearticles.com, 6/3/08; blog.oregonlive.com, 10/20/08]Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479901702268497473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903230425072518677.post-45093804371152794842008-10-19T21:44:00.000-07:002008-10-19T21:53:08.892-07:00Preseason Training is crucialThe general purpose for pre-season basketball training is to prepare the athletes for the demands of the upcoming season. Talk to you school's Strength and Conditioning coach. It is their job to get the athlete in the best shape possible to cope with the rigorous practice and game schedule that will follow. If your school does not have one, Kitsap Sports in Silverdale has the Bodylink program which can help you build strength and endurance.<br /><br />The basketball season often begins 17th of November and continues until March. This five-month season is very demanding, even for highly trained athletes. Often the first two weeks of the season may include double sessions. This sheer volume of training is severe. Once the regular season begins, the on-court volume often decreases. The main objective of pre-season conditioning is to get the players ready for the end of November and to help them maintain that level of conditioning throughout the season.<br /><br />To successfully prepare the team for the season, you must not take lightly the conditioning demands of basketball. Remember, a basketball court is only approximately 30 yards in length. There is a lot of sprinting with start and stop motion. Also important to consider is the fact that slower teams usually lose. <strong>The focus of the training should be on speed, agility and anaerobic conditioning. </strong><br /><br />The objective of preseason training is to execute a sport specific conditioning program that will successfully prepare for the season. Hard work and a great effort are expected of every player. Training must be a five day a week effort splitting the time between strength training and conditioning. As you can see, the focus of our training is on specific conditioning for basketball. Agility, flexibility, strength training and conditioning are all addressed to make a complete program.<br /><br />Conditioning is extremely important during this training period. Conditioning takes place five days a week. Here are some ideas: <br />• Monday emphasizes change of direction type movement. <br />• Thursday is interval day, focusing on track work. <br />• Tuesday and Friday could be stationary bike workouts. <br />• Wednesday includes shuttle drill work.<br /><br />All workouts are preceded by a warm-up and flexibility session. Many high school athletes lack the needed flexibility to play at their potential. The key to any warm-up is to raise the body temperature. If you are able to do that, your flexibility sessions will be more beneficial.<br /><br />A pre-season program with different modes of training can produce improvements in the conditioning levels of basketball players. To handle the stresses and demands of a competitive season give our program a try. It is very worthwhile.Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479901702268497473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903230425072518677.post-10996770445146863972008-02-20T09:18:00.000-08:002008-04-14T20:29:07.020-07:00Individual skills development for team successMost kids think it all about "me". I need to get better for "I". But, Total Package Basketball philosophy is to get better to make your team better. There is no "I" in team. We are committed to developing players who want their coach and teammates to know they have solid skills and are well prepared for game situations. <br /><br /><strong>During workouts</strong>:<br /><br />1. Focus on task at hand - develop skills necessary to fit into the role being asked of in the context of the team.<br /><br />2. Talk to the coach to find what skills you need to develop individually and what you need to work on to fit the role being asked of you for the team.<br /><br />3. Know your limitations - understanding and developing your strength and weaknesses.<br /><br />4. Have the team goals and strategies in mind when you are preparing.<br /><br />"For a kid to even come in and play as a freshman, and then to have that go-to guy label on him, and to be able to be that guy, is very rare," said Craig Murray, a 1986 Garfield graduate and the director at Total Package, an AAU team in Bremerton.<br /><br />Being the "go to guy" is a dream for many players. The focus needs to be on "how can I make the team better", this will best prepare you to win the respect of the coach and the team to be successful.Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479901702268497473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903230425072518677.post-15459889376902751432008-01-11T14:05:00.000-08:002008-01-12T09:04:08.842-08:00Respect is earned.After a difficult loss the opposing team was overheard saying to themselves, "we are the best. That team shouldn't even been on the same court with us." Some people would say that statement was disrespectful to the losing team. What it did reveal was the losing team did not gain the respect from their opponent. <br /><br />Recently the Tacoma News Tribune reported the game bewteen CK and Lincoln. The title of the article was, "Abes' pressure deflates Central Kitsap." One of the Lincoln players said, “It was a hostile environment," Lincoln senior Rayshon Cranshaw said. "But we’ve played in hostile environments before, and we knew if we played pressure defense they couldn’t handle it.” Lincoln had the attitude it takes to success. The hard work and experience paid off in the end. Respect was the result.<br /><br /><strong>RESPECT IS EARNED.</strong> One cannot just say they are a basketball team, they the need to show they are a team on the basketball floor. The road to earning respect begins before you walk on the court at workout. I can't help but evisioning Tyler Hansbrough from North Carolina. He has earned respect from players, coaches and the media because of his work ethic. In a recent interview on ESPN, he acknowledged that he practices with an attitude and with passion. <br /><br /><strong>1. Have Attitude</strong> - as you get ready to walk on the floor, be ready to do everything correctly and with authority. Say to yourself, "No, one is going to steal the ball from me. My man is not going to get an easy lane to the basket. I am going to contest every shot. I will touch the endlines when we run sprints. I am going to be the hardest working player on the court." <br /><br /><strong>2. Have Passion</strong> - play hard, under control and with intensity. During workouts, many players pace themselves as if it is a long distance run. Basketball is a series of sprints: stop and go, dive and slide. Leave it all on the floor,(break a sweat, floor burns, lungs burn, muscles aches, horse voice) all for the love of the game. <br /><br />If you add these two qualities to your workouts, you will earn the respect from your teammates. As a team, you will earn respect from you opponants. Teams will not overwhelm you. You can handle whatever pressure they give, because you are preapred with the right attitude and passion.Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479901702268497473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903230425072518677.post-60607399563524241912007-12-27T12:38:00.000-08:002007-12-27T12:39:22.392-08:00Doing things right.<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tbsg1PSlowc"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tbsg1PSlowc" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed> </object>Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479901702268497473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903230425072518677.post-32713000036360618242007-12-17T13:23:00.000-08:002007-12-17T18:11:24.344-08:00"Perfect practice, makes perfect."We all know the saying, "practice makes perfect." Total Package takes it up a notch. I tell players, <span style="font-weight: bold;">"perfect practice, makes perfect."</span> Yes, yes, I know it is very unlikely that anyone will perform perfectly, but that is what I want players to focus on when they walk on the court.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">WHY perfection?</span> Because a player must not be content on just going through the motions of a skill, they must master the skill in such a way that they will out perform their best opponent under the most hostile conditions.<br /><br />The Total Package Basketball motto reflects this principle, <span style="font-weight: bold;">"You're only as good as your last performance." </span><br /><br />What needs to happen for a "perfect practice?"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. STAY FOCUSED FROM BEGINNING TO END<br /> </span> Before you step out on the practice floor, be <span style="font-style: italic;">committed to doing things correctly</span>.<br />Correct technique, game like speed, intensity - do not let players, coaches or yourself, keep you from the task at hand.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. ATTENTION TO DETAIL </span><br />Pay attention to the little things. Using proper footwork on defense, positioning yourself to receive a pass, setting up your man for a jab cut, close out with short, choppy steps, contest every shot, box out, step through the ball when going after a rebound are a few of the little things to be done to have a perfect practice. <span style="font-style: italic;">Do you have it in you?</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />3. SET GOALS<br /> </span> Set goals you can measure over time. You need to have goals and a time line to reach them. Just because you do something well a couple of times does not mean you have mastered the skill. Goals can be set in everything you do: shooting accuracy, defensive stops, rebounds, turnovers, box outs, steals, finishing a 17 in less than 65 seconds or 60 seconds. <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />An example:</span> make 25 layups with one dribble from the 3 point line in 50 seconds. Give yourself 2 weeks. If you reach your goal, decrease the time or increase the number of layups. Use your weak hand instead of your strong hand. Take it up a notch and say the basket does not count if it touches the rim when it goes through the basket; all net or no score.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. COMPETE AGAINST YOURSELF, ENCOURAGE OTHERS</span><br />Basketball is a team sport. You are not in this alone. Leaders want others to follow them. Be a leader. Encourage others to be their best and they will follow you.<br />Get a team mate or friend to help you reach your goals, and in turn you help them reach theirs.<br />You are not to compare what you accomplish with what someone else does. When you do this, you only become better than that person, but you will not be your best.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479901702268497473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903230425072518677.post-85212422285276157492007-11-13T09:06:00.000-08:002007-12-09T16:55:01.564-08:00Individual workouts are key to team success<div style="font-weight: bold;"><em>"If you don't do it in practice, don't expect to do it in the game.</em><em>"</em></div><br /><br /><div></div><div>You may have heard a coach say the statement above time and time again. Total Package Basketball emphasizes to players, if you work hard and focus on executing drills and plays to perfection <em>in practice</em>, you and the team will be able to play your best under the fast paced, high pressure situations of a game. Sometimes an outstanding play happens by chance during a game. It may provide some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">excitement</span> for the crowd, but solid preparation is needed for long term success. To build a winning program players need to practice and practice well the skills, moves and strategies they plan to use during a game.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>Keys to success:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Commitment.</span><br />Being at every workout and team practice to do the number of repetitions necessary to develop the skill and understanding each other as a team.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Conditioning</span>.<br />If a player is not in condition, he cannot practice at the speed that is effective and improve his skills. He will not perform at his best for the complete game.<br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Attitude.</span><br />Intentionally practicing with game-like intensity and execution will prepare you and the team for predicable success during the game. Leading by example will motivate teammates to do the same.<br /></div><br /><div> </div><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479901702268497473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6903230425072518677.post-34785947389485758742007-11-07T20:10:00.000-08:002007-11-07T20:23:46.336-08:00How hard are you working on your game when the coach is not looking?<p> It is much easier to work hard when someone is right there to motivate you. When a player walks into the gym for a Total Package work out, players know the coach is going challenge every aspect of their game. He requires everyone to focus on listening to the coach, running drills and execute plays accurately with game like intensity. If execution is sloppy, intensity is half speed and players seem to be focused on something other than the task at hand, expect consequences.<br /><br /> How hard are you working on your game when the coach is not there to motivate you? What are you doing beyond the weekly workouts to improve your game? If you are serious about playing at the next level, you will need to work on your game every chance you can get. The consequences for not working on your game is that you will get beat by the player who does. You need to have the attitude that you are going to prepare yourself to be your best when you play the best. To do so, only comes by consistently working on your game when no one is looking.<br />Here are some things you can be doing:<br /></p><ol><li><strong>Make time.</strong> Set a side an hour block of time each day to work on individual skills. Be consistent. Make it a goal to workout 6 or 7 days a week. Some days it may only be for 15 minutes, but it is something. At an open gym, spend 10 to 15 minutes working on the drills before going out to play.</li><li><strong>Have a plan.</strong> Write down the drills practiced during a Total Package workout. Use them as guidelines. When you need a breather, shoot 4 free throw.<br />10 minutes – ball handling<br />5 minutes – footwork – push step explosions/jabs/pump fakes<br />10 minutes – form shooting<br />5 minutes – rapid fire shooting<br />10 minutes – bread and butter moves<br />5 minutes – rebound off the back board and put backs</li><li><strong>Focus on correct technique.</strong> Do things correctly. “Perfect practice, makes perfect.” This is the goal. Few reach it successfully. Do not get frustrated if perfection is not reached. In the journey to do things correctly, one will improve their game rather than hinder it.</li></ol><p>Share what you do to improve your game when the coach is not around by clicking on Comments.</p>Murrayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01479901702268497473noreply@blogger.com0