The Make Up of Team Chemistry

It has been a while since I have written anything. Usually I only write a blog when somethings moves me. This morning when I woke up I had multiple things on my mind, but by 6:20 I basically had this all in my head and thought I better write it down. So now, I am sharing it with whoever chooses to read it. Hopefully it helps you, but I think this will definitely help our program for sure next year as we try and build on court chemistry quickly with our incoming players.

Sometimes team chemistry is talked about like an abstract idea that just magically happens. However, I have noticed, there are specific things that need to take place in order for players to start understanding each other enough for it to "look" like there is team chemistry. Here is my short list.

• Players respecting each others talent enough to want to pass to the open player and make scoring opportunities for each other.
• Players knowing the offensive philosophy, and being discipline within it, so everyone is on the same page.
• Players knowing each others strengths and the opponents weakness so they are able to exploit the opponents' weaknesses, while putting their players in the best position to score, WITHIN the team's offensive philosophy.
• Players using verbal and non-verbal communication to stay on the same page.
• Players need to have a shared goal or goals.
• Players need a desire to win which is so strong that team success outweighs personal ego.
• Players need to feel accountable in their part of building the team's chemistry.
• Coaches have to communicate their vision with clarity and conciseness so everyone is on the same page. 

These were not put in order of importance. Please let me know what you think, or what else you feel builds team chemistry on the floor.

A Step Up Symposium - My Step Up in Faith

A Step Up Symposium - My Step Up in Faith So even though the Step Up Symposium was less than a month ago; I have told this story as much as I could. However, I felt like I might not be reaching as many people, or who God wants me to reach. So as I am on a flight to the east coast reading The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson, I have this overwhelming need to write this down. Maybe I should apologize now if I ramble, story jumps all over the place or whatnot. This pass month has been just so crazy. (Oh and the guy next to me ordered one of those little alcohol bottles of something and it smells so strong. I don't drink so it smells something fierce.) Ok so let's just start with the story. Last year I was an assistant coach at Shepherd Univeristy. And the head coach there is absolutely amazing. Because of her I was afforded the opportunity to go to the Women's Final Four in Indiana as well as the Nike Coaching Clinic in Pittsburg.  I saw the tweets about Felicia Hall's Assistant Coaching Symposium in Chicago, but couldn't get funds together and had to pass. Even thought about driving solo to the Symposium, but didn't want to run out of gas money and didn't know anyone going.  Fast forward to this year, when I started seeing the tweets I knew I wanted to go, but financially it was even harder since I was now in California and the symposium was in Dallas. So me being short on cash I figured I won't be able to go this year. But about a week later I had this feeling like I had to go this year. Even talked to my mom and of course she's like I don't know why someone so broke wants to go to so many clinics. On top of that multiple people told me I didn't need to go to an assistant coaching clinic. However, all that didn't matter; I felt like I had to go.  So skip a couple of weeks and I am still wondering how I am going to get to Dallas. I already committed to go back to VA, and Heather and I already said we were going to the Nike Clinic, so that was basically all of my money. And I can't imagine paying for airfare, registration, hotel, ground travel and food for the coaching symposium it looked pretty bleak. So I put it in the back of my mind (well as much as I could with all of the twitter and FB messages) and just concentrated on recruiting. Until I opened one of those million travelzoo emails I get. I was going to look for a flight to Vegas, but put in Dallas for some reason and found a round trip ticket for $198. I  was shocked it was so low. But still hesitated to buy the ticket. However the next day when I looked again, I took a leap of faith and bought the ticket.  So now I have a ticket, but don't know how I will pay for registration, and I definitely don't have money for hotel. So I call moms and tell her I just bought the ticket. She of course thinks I'm crazy, but says well I will help you a little. So I am thinking that's the blessing right there. Well then I am telling the head coach I bought the ticket, and she ask me if I filled out the scholarship application for the symposium.  I didn't even know that was an option. Of course that was pretty last minute so I turned it in basically 5 minutes before it was due. About a week later I got a call from Mrs. Felicia saying I received the scholarship and was so thrilled that I actually posted that on my Facebook. The reason that's a big deal is because I don't post my business on FB. I usually do quotes, scriptures, jokes etc., but I was so happy I had to share this blessing. Well after a couple of likes, my two guy friends asked about the symposium because they were interested in going. So I tell them where to register and I figure least that will be cool, I will know someone there. After they register, one hits me back did you get a room yet?  Nope, still trying to get some money for that, might have to wait last minute. Here is where the blessing gets amazing. They are bringing their spouses as a little mini vaca. One of them works at the Hilton, and I can stay for free.  What?!?!? Are you serious??? Isn't that amazing? God puts you where He wants you to be. If you listen to His voice, it doesn't matter your means, He will make it happen.  And all those blessings don't even compare to the blessings that happened once I got there. To hear those coaches and to see how the Allen's work in people's lives and to hear testimony after testimony was amazing. By the time I came back my focus had been shifted. I was definitely sent there to figure out my purpose. And the book I mentioned I was reading on the plane, was given to me by a coach while I was there.   I had one of those feelings again about sharing this story.  I just had to write it. I truly believe God will continue blessing you as long as you share your blessings with others. I will wait to share the other blessings happening in my life for another blog. Give me about a month because God is literally doing big things. But I had to share this one now.   Please be still and listen to God when He is saying you need to do something. Buying that airline ticket was putting my faith into Him, and He made everything else happen. Take a step of faith.  Thank you for reading, Toni

The Expectations of a Coach

What are the expectations of a coach?


Have you ever looked at three job openings for a college coach and noticed how different they were? One job its mandatory to teach classes, the next job will say build a competitive program, another will say must have great recruiting skills. Some jobs will list a plethora of duties that one person alone should not have to do (which is probably the one that pays the least ha). The hats a coach has to wear are not only different; some have incredible weight.

However, all those expectations the school has for you sometimes mean nothing compared to the expectations the players have of you.

Ok, some of you might have stopped and questioned that last sentence. I said it right. I am not talking about the expectations we put on our players; we talk about that enough. I am talking about what players feel they need and expect from their coaching staff. It might surprise you.

If you have never done so, may I suggest you put that question out to your team? In a team meeting, write on the board, “What do you expect from your coaching staff?” (I bet they do not say maintain the budget.) Write every word they say on the board and then go over the words with them to make sure you understand their meanings. Circle the words you agree with, that you believe you are there for, that you know you do, or willing to do. Explain why you do not agree with the ones you did not circle (ex. Friend: I am not going to the club with you, crossing boundaries.)

The list is always interesting. I have done this with three different teams. Based on how long the players have known you and your staff, your relationship through recruiting and their relationship with previous coaches; they might list everything under the sun. Some players hold coaches to a ridiculously high standard, because society does. That is why this is important. If a player has extremely high expectations of you, it might take longer to build trust with them. If their high school coach was everything to them, they might not understand college coaches cannot do the same. Or if their aau coach is single and off in the summer, they may not understand why their married high school coach, with 2 kids, can not spend that much time with them during the school year.

After you circle everything you agree with, and explain what you cannot do and why, I then suggest taking it to your A.D. They need to know what is actually important to your team, and what will build the trust between the coaching staff and players. Your boss will also see the additional things that go into your job and hopefully respect those things.

Lastly, your communication will be better with players. They will see everyone puts expectations on people in their lives whether it is stated or not. Our job as coaches is to state our expectations, and then hold players accountable in order to help them reach their individual goals, so we can reach a shared goal. Therefore, even if a player still looks at a coach as too demanding, they might realize coach is keeping up with my expectations, so I should do the same. If the players know, respect and love you, they will see that you are doing exactly what they expect of you and more.

Thank you for reading, and make it a great one.

Cocoon to Butterfly.... Well butterfly might be doing too much

After my first post, I received a message from a players' parent. It was very touching and meant more than she will ever know. Within the message she put, "Basketball limited your ability to reach the masses....".  Well after I thanked her for her words of encouragement and wiped some tears from my eyes, I really started to analyze what she put.

Ok commercial break, I am a Virgo. It is in my nature to analyze everything about 50 times, and then go back and analyze it some more. Now my friends and family would say that has nothing to do with my sign, more that I am a neurotic control freak, but wow blaming it on my sign sounds much more positive, wouldn't you agree?


Ok back to the regular scheduled program. Is it that the sport and career that I loved so much actually could be the thing that was limiting me? Keeping me in a box and controlling my freedom to fight for what I wanted to fight for, speak what needed to be spoken, and to lead the way I wanted to lead?

Now before I start, I do not think coaching is negative at all. I love being a coach and loved my experiences as a coach. I have met the best people in the world in my career, and will continue with that path. But you do have to have the right fit, have the right amount of freedom, and have the support of the people around you. That makes all the difference in the world. So it wasn't basketball that was limiting me, it was dependent on the program.

However she was correct, I could not reach the masses where I was. If you are in the right programs, you are given the freedom to help others outside of your program. The university, athletic director and colleagues will see the value and support your message. Coach Wooden for UCLA, Coach K from Duke, Coach Dungy from Indianapolis Colts all were able to reach the masses with their emphasis on building character rather than just worrying about the wins because people around them understood and appreciated the value in that. I, on the other hand, not so much. I was the only one who cared about my message, and more importantly that did not fit within their agenda. (Still not sure what the agenda is.)

My message was on education and character, I will go further into detail later. So I am at a fork in the road and I can choose to either continue to focus on basketball, or I can focus on what I think is lacking in athletics from CYO to college graduation. Hmmm.... I think I will focus on the latter.  And while I was debating this decision I have had a lot of signs from the Heavenly Father pointing me in a specific direction. And one of the signs, is a song, the link is enclosed in this posting. If you have the time listen to it, read the words and see if it inspires a change in you. We all have a calling, an intrinsic passion for our purpose and I have found mine. Basketball was/is a tool in order to build it, shape it and give me a platform in which to emphasize it, but now as my players' parent pointed out, it needs to reach the masses.


Check out the video for the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUrqFkR7QlI

So it starts today...

Welcome to my new journey. Although I will not reveal the 3 keys yet, I will share why the sudden change. In the middle of the season (whoops in bball terms that means January) my mom sent me an email. I had no idea of the relevance until in May I found out my yearly contract was up and the job would be posted. After being told I would have to reapply for the job and to think about what I wanted to do, I went home and decided I was not happy there. Hard to conceive being that everyone told me being a collegiate coach was a dream job. Maybe I heard it so much I just assumed it was my dream. Well we will save the progression for another day. Any way this email ended up allowing me to clear my head and quiet the noise. Maybe it will do the same for you. I have no idea who the author is, but I thank them tremendously as well as my mother, who always seems to give me exactly what I need.

CLEANING HOUSE 2010 


Last Week I threw out worrying, it was getting old and in the way. It kept me from being me; I couldn't do things God's way.

I threw out a book on MY PAST
(Didn't have time to read it anyway).

Replaced it with NEW GOALS, started reading it today.

I threw out hate and bad memories,
(Remember how I treasured them so)?

Got me a NEW PHILOSOPHY too, threw out the one from long ago.

Brought in some new books too, called I CAN, I WILL, and I MUST.

Threw out I might, I think and I ought.
WOW, you should have seen the dust.

I ran across an OLD FRIEND, I hadn't talked to in a while.

His name is GOD the Father, and I really like His style.

He helped me to do some cleaning and added some things Himself.

Like PRAYER, HOPE, FAITH and LOVE,
Yes... I placed them right on the shelf.

I picked up this special thing and placed it at the front door.

I FOUND IT- it's called PEACE.. Nothing gets me down anymore.

Yes, I've got my house looking nice.

Looks good around the place.

For things like Worry and Trouble there just isn't any space.

It's good to do a little house cleaning,
Get rid of the things on the shelf.

It sure makes things brighter; maybe you should TRY IT YOURSELF.
BE BLESSED AND BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE ELSE!!!! 
May the Lord open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that
You will not have room enough to receive it all.