Philadelphia Freedom Stars
Had a very nice weekend participating in the Philadelphia Freedom Stars tournament last weekend. GraceAnne got to spend some time with family outside Philly and played against two very competitive teams in an excellent facility. In pool play GraceAnne's Game7 team won the first game against a good Buck's county team and then lost to the host Freedom Stars. That was enough to get into the semi finals against the same Buck's county team but this time Game7 lost. I really feel like her AAU team needs to be practicing more than once a week. This could be an exceptional team but they sometimes do some strange things on the court. The effort is always there but the execution seems to be lacking at times... missed layups, poor shot selection, failure to move the ball and get ALL teammates involved. The defense is pretty incredible and has come a very long way so if their offense does come around they will be extremely hard to stop.
Practice tonight and then the Metro Regional Tournament this weekend. Not sure the team is prepared but they should do well anyway and the tournament is on Long Island this year which makes it easier. Got an email for a clinic later this month run by the St John's Women coaching staff and GraceAnne will probably attend. Also, Game 7 Boot Camp starts this Sunday so hopefully we won't have a late game Sunday and can work that into our schedule.
A lot of people seem to think that game experience is the biggest factor in creating good players and a good team. Game experience is definitely important but I think emphasizing that at the expense of preparation is kind of lazy. You need both.
"Drilling creates a foundation on which individual initiative and imagination can flourish." ~John Wooden
I think the game experience view also underestimates and de-emphasizes the importance of practice to the player, working together as a team towards a common goal, team bonding and creating good cooperative work habits. A good, healthy work ethic translates to everything else in life as does working hard in concert with others to achieve a common goal. I really feel like teams are built in practice, games are won and lost in practice and that practice also teaches positive life lessons. Same as any other endeavor, make a habit of working hard, solid preparation, knowing what to expect, thinking things through, knowing what your responsibilities are and then, when the time comes, put in maximum effort and execute. You can't just expect excellence and its resulting success unless you prepare to be excellent.
Practice tonight and then the Metro Regional Tournament this weekend. Not sure the team is prepared but they should do well anyway and the tournament is on Long Island this year which makes it easier. Got an email for a clinic later this month run by the St John's Women coaching staff and GraceAnne will probably attend. Also, Game 7 Boot Camp starts this Sunday so hopefully we won't have a late game Sunday and can work that into our schedule.
A lot of people seem to think that game experience is the biggest factor in creating good players and a good team. Game experience is definitely important but I think emphasizing that at the expense of preparation is kind of lazy. You need both.
"Drilling creates a foundation on which individual initiative and imagination can flourish." ~John Wooden
I think the game experience view also underestimates and de-emphasizes the importance of practice to the player, working together as a team towards a common goal, team bonding and creating good cooperative work habits. A good, healthy work ethic translates to everything else in life as does working hard in concert with others to achieve a common goal. I really feel like teams are built in practice, games are won and lost in practice and that practice also teaches positive life lessons. Same as any other endeavor, make a habit of working hard, solid preparation, knowing what to expect, thinking things through, knowing what your responsibilities are and then, when the time comes, put in maximum effort and execute. You can't just expect excellence and its resulting success unless you prepare to be excellent.
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