Athletic Director & Physical Education @ St. Philip | Basketball Assistant Coach @ St. Francis HS | Success isn’t owned, it’s leased, and rent is due every day.
Middle schoolers that aren’t taught man-to-man principles are really being done a disservice because once they get to high school, they will expect to get minutes, but will struggle with instinctually moving with the ball and calling screens.
#CoachingMatters
A HS coach can pour out their entire being to guide a team only to be scapegoated, railroaded and have kids looking to transfer b/c the coach is trying to do right by the team; not just one or two kids.
The profession is brutal, but the real will always rise
#StayStrong
🦾
High schoolers really think players end up at a JuCo because they are not good at basketball.
That rude awakening comes quickly.
There are players with league championships, league MVPs, All-Area, 1st & 2nd Section and State at these junior colleges.
Managers want to be on the team
Bench players want to be role players
Role players want to be starters
Starters want to play at the next level
People who are done playing wish they could go back and do it all over again
Make the best of your role. Someone wishes they had it.
There’s always one assistant on a staff that loves to get in extra work with players.
Players gotta find that assistant and get to work.
#NoMoreExcuses
Playing is not a right.
Basketball isn’t for everyone.
If you don’t work on your game CONSTANTLY, you are not going to outperform anyone.
There’s no secret to hooping.
The great ones all dripped sweat, threw up, iced and did it over & over again.
#BallDontLie
A NBA player about to play in one of the biggest games of his career...and some kids think this drill is too basic and a waste of time 😐
#FundamentalsOverFluff
In basketball, a shot can miraculously go in, a rebound can accidentally find you, but defense requires hard work, there's no miracles or accidents on that end of floor. 🔒⬆
#LockUp
#Defense
#Basketball
Middle school success will not follow you to high school
High school success will not follow you to college
College success will not follow you to the pros
Each level requires its own degree of focus & development
Don’t get caught because you’re staring in the rear view
Just because you’re in the gym shooting or dribbling doesn’t mean that you are getting better. If you’re not going game speed or you’re not mentally locked into what and/or how you’re doing things, you may as well not be in the gym.
#skilldevelopment
#getbetter
Most incoming HS freshman basketball players should understand:
🏀 Defensive Positioning (🐚 defense)
🏀 Pass & Cut Offense (at least 🤚🏾out)
🏀 Communication on the court is 👑
Players frequently ask coaches “what can I do to earn more⌚️?”
Most wanna👂🏾: “go be a🪣 ”
Few wanna👂🏾: “defend & rebound”
The 2nd one will always get⌚️not b/c scoring doesn’t matter, but b/c filling roles is a trust thing & if you can’t do that, you can’t be trusted to do more.
He never let me take the easy way so that I’d understand the road ahead...I now see the path and it makes sense. Thanks to my “Pops” and all the fathers, both biological and figurative, out there giving their kids the answers to the test
#HappyFathersDay
Sports is about trust.
Players and families have to trust the coaches’ intentions.
Coaches have to trust the players and families intentions.
Too many people in sports forget what trust entails and that leads to the erosion of sports as a vehicle for growth.
#TrustTheProcess
Wouldn’t trade the journey to this point for the world…the result stings 😢, but the process of learning who you are and what you stand for means everything and doesn’t end tonight 💪🏾
#TheJourneyContinues
As a Black man, I just want to know that right is right and wrong is wrong, no matter the color of your skin.
My prayer is that today is an indication of that being more of a reality.
As an assistant coach, you have to be willing to fill the gaps for the head coach; they have tons of major things they have to cover and you gotta be there to not let things slip through the cracks
#TeamGame
Heaven gained another angel. It‘s ain’t easy to see a loved one transition but I know she needed her rest. Say hey to the gang for me. I know y’all gone have a good time.
#RestEasyAuntieAnnie
Don’t be that coach that ONLY helps their own players.
One of your players, most definitely benefited from someone seeing them and vouching and you didn’t even know it.
The 🏀 community is small, we all need each other.
Being a coach is a real thing
Being a coach is an anywhere thing
Being a coach is an anytime thing
Being a coach is more than just a sports thing
Being a coach is a forever thing
More so now than ever before, being a coach means be willing to do anything
#CoachingMatters
St. Francis Basketball welcomes assitant coach Jeremy Major! Pasadena area raised 🌹 Coach Major went on to play D1 hoops at Pepperdine. After playing some hoops 🌎, Jeremy is back to help the SF hoops program. He is an elite skills trainer + fits perfectly with our culture. ⚔️
As a coach, I think Heat vs Nuggets is really what the world needs to see—teams with good cultures, sound coaching and player movement/ball movement
It’s been too many years of iso ball and poor decision making/bad selection on the biggest stage
Bring on the good basketball
There’s nothing wrong with a player “basic” game
1 or 2-dribble moves, fakes, jabsteps, pro hops, pivoting, floaters, pull-ups, left hand, right hand
That’s a lot without having to do euros, stepbacks and/or sidesteps (I don’t teach them until a guy can do all the above first)
It’s not hate when a coach tells you what you are deficient at
It’s love
The coach wants you to grow and be better
Take the intel, process it and use it
Get better
#DontPout
As coaches, we say “guys you gotta talk more”, but our players need to be taught what exactly to say.
It should be more of a conversation instead of mindless chatter.
“Ball, ball, ball”≠“I’m got ball”
“Help, help, help”≠“send them this way…I’m on your left/right”
I’m a teacher at heart.
I view hoops like I view a classroom, can’t expect a kid to do Trigonometry when that kid belongs in Algebra 1.
#CoachingMatters
Some parents make middle school sports miserable for their kids with the coaching from the sideline and crazy antics with the coaches or refs after the game.
Trust the coach/ref to have the best intentions or find a way to join the staff/reffing unit and legitimately help.
College basketball is different now.
Between holdbacks, prepping, JuCo and the transfer portal, there is no room for error.
Better take your opportunities serious and work on your physical and mental game.
Coaches are getting fired and looking for instant impact players.
Rule
#5
: Don’t take it personal when people let you down.
Judge the intention and operate accordingly.
Everyone isn’t out to get you and everyone isn’t in your corner.
#IntentionsMatter
#Development
season is upon us.
Players find a coach on the staff and bug the hell outta him/her to get in the gym.
Coaches drop those hints to players that need extra work.
This is when you begin to reach your season goals.
Everything starts with your belief in yourself.
Success has many steps and while every step is of the utmost importance, your “belief in you” cannot be neglected.
#believeinyourself
S/O to
@BeachCityHoops
for running an event that created a real basketball atmosphere.
#TheOrientation
put the attendees from the class of 2026 in some uncomfortable spaces.
FYI: That’s where the growth is.
#EarnedNotGiven
Trainers can help players get better, but players need to know what they are not good at to really get better.
If a player doesn’t know what they aren’t good at, they are not ready to get better.
Call me an
#OldHead
but when did it become cool to wear the gear of a team you left and no longer play for while playing for another team?
#EnoughIsEnough
Father God, I come to you because I am at a loss. Another black man is dead in a circumstantial shooting. I don’t know why these are so prevalent, but this world needs you more than ever. I can’t imagine what these families are experiencing. Be with them and us all. Amen 🙏🏾
Shooting is as much confidence as it is mechanics
Can’t shoot it if you don’t believe in your jumper
Can’t believe in your jumper if your mechanics are bad
#ShootTheBall
To all my coaching friends in the playoffs, let’s get it!
To my friends not in the playoffs, this does not define your impact on your players, keep grinding!
#HSBB
Unfortunately, not many kids are getting sound advice when they are faced with real tough decisions.
And if they are getting it, they assume it’s hate because it isn’t praise.
#ListenUp
Forgot to post yesterday:
I am going on a weight loss endeavor
I’ve hit a point where clothes have started to fit funny
Day 1: 10sets
1min jump rope
10 crunches
10 leg lifts
20 sidewinders
10 froggies (bottoms of feet together-reach for heels)
#OperationCoachGetRight