Game 2: Dec 15, 2013, Sun, Framingham - 31 Southboro - 15

Normally, starters for each game will come from FIRST the top defenders (A and B+ defenders), THEN from the top re-bounders and if that does not give us five starters, I will look for the top shot percentage person.

This game, everyone did so well on defense, everyone earned the right to start the next game. So after watching game film, I came up with:

1. Vienna for her 11 rebounds.
2. Jazlynn for her consistently good play on both sides of the ball.
3. Celine for not giving up even though her shot was not falling.
4. Sofia B for her amazing week of work at practice.
5. Paige for her team high shot percentage.

All 12 will have then started a game.

Nilijah, Tayja, Hannah, Brooke and Katie started game one based on their  endless work on their games this summer.


Tayja, Hannah, Brooke, Chloe and Sophia F started game two based on their play in game one.

Southboro was a middle of the pack D4 team last year. Arlington did not have a 6th grade girls team in the Metrowest Basketball Leauge.


Pregame I had the girls channel their inner Wonder Woman.

I believe that is why we jumped off to a GREAT start. We had 23 first half steals and 4 different first half scorers (6 for the game.)

Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how "power posing" -- standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don't feel confident -- can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.

Here are links to Amy Cuddy explaining her research.


http://youtu.be/Ks-_Mh1QhMc

http://youtu.be/1YyH2frFL1A

http://youtu.be/phcDQ0H_LnY

	Turn Overs	Shots Taken	Shots Made	%	Offensive Rebounds	Defensive Rebounds	Steals	Assists	Blocks	Jump Balls	Defensive Grade	Challenge	Did Well	Goals for Week
Jazlynn	0	6	1	16	2	1	0	0	0	1	B	Must talk on Defense	Took 2 more Shots!	4 rebounds 4 shots 1 trip to foul line
Celine	3	11	0	0	1	1	2	0	0	1	B	Go in for LAY UPS!	Great HUSTLE	3 rebounds 4 LAYUPS 1 trip to foul line
Chloe	1	4	0	0	2	2	1	1	2	1	B	Lower dribble. Keep face to basket with ball.	Nice job bring ball up.	2 rebounds 1 shot per shift
Hannah	2	3	1	33	0	3	2	1	2	0	A	Shoot! Drive! Make them foul you.	Excellent HELP Defender!	4 rebounds 4 shots 1 trip to foul line
Katie	4	2	0	0	2	4	1	0	1	1	B	Shoot! Drive!	Good job keeping ball in front of You.	4 shots per game
Nilijah	0	8	0	0	0	0	3	0	1	1	B	Control your Body.	Constant Energy.	2 Jump Balls 1 shot per shift
Sofia B	1	0	0	0	1	2	1	0	1	1	B	SHOOT!	Good job on ball Defense	1 rebound 1 shot 1 jump ball per game
Tayja	1	15	7 (Made 1 of 5 foul Shots 20%)	47	9	2	12	0	2	0	B	Rebound with TWO hands. Don't slap at ball.	Good job driving for Lay ups.	10 rebounds 3 assists 75% fouls shots 20 points 5 trips to foul line per game
Sophia F	1	3	0	0	0	1	2	1	0	0	B	SHOOT!	Great movement without Ball.	2 shots per shift
Brooke	2	7	4	57	0	1	5	1	0	2	B	Run the Offense. Drive! Look AHEAD on Break.	Great shot Selection!	50% foul shots 1 rebound 2 shots per shift
Vienna	0	10	2 (Made 0 of 1 foul Shot)	20	4	7	2	0	1	0	B	Look AHEAD on fast break	EXCELLENT GAME!	2 rebounds 1 drive to the basket per shift
Paige	0	2	1	50	0	2	1	0	0	1	B	Rebound.	Good job on ball & off ball Defense	1 rebound 1 shot per shift
TEAM	15	71	16	23	13	26	32	4	10	9	B	STOP BALL. TALK! RUN on cuts. Move ball towards basket. Less than 10 TURNOVERS! Ball is GOLD!	We got off to a quick Start!	Everyone taking a shot. 7 people making a basket. 2 trips to foul line each quarter. Making 50% free throws.
	Turn Overs	Shots Taken	Shots Made	%	Offensive Rebounds	Defensive Rebounds	Steals	Assists	Blocks	Jump Balls	Defensive Grade	Challenge	Did Well	Goals for Week

Game 1: Dec 8, 2013, Sun, Framingham - 43 Newton - 46 Double Overtime

Player Notes

Most of you went home pissed last night. I am glad. Use it for fuel going forward. Prove to me that you should close games and get more minutes. Prove to me that you are a great defender.

Understand that if you don't play defense, you will not play for me much. After every game you will get a team report card listing everyone's successes, challenges, grade on defense and individual goals for the next game. It will also note who will be starting the next weeks game. Every game is a clean slate for every player.

Starters for each game will come from FIRST the top defenders (A and B+ defenders) from the previous game, THEN from the top rebounders and if that does not give us five starters, I will look for the top shot percentage person.

For next game that is:

1. A and B+ Defenders - Hannah, Sophia F, Tayja
2. Top rebounder - Chloe
3. Top shooting percentage - Brooke

TRAVEL teams are not equal playing time teams. Minutes are earned. On this team you earn floor time by playing defense correctly. This year everyone who attends practices will play 10 minutes spread over the first three quarters.

1. People playing defense well while meeting their assigned goals will play in the 4th quarter.

2. The players with the best defense during the first three quarters will close the game.

3. The players who catch us up, or send us in to over time, will play that over time.

Not playing defense would shorten your shift on the floor. Not everyone failed in any given shift, however, basketball is a team sport. The failure of one person will shorten the shift for everyone. If your shift gives up 2 baskets in row without a stop, your shift is over. If a "back" gives up two lay ups in a shift, your shift is over.

You have to TALK to each other and help each other on defense. We MUST stop the ball EVERY TIME. Defense is about effort. You have to want to be good at it to be good at it. You must SPRINT in transition to get in front of and stop the ball. It is the hardest work you will do in basketball. A lot of time and effort is needed to become successful on the defensive end of the court.

If you don't understand the defense, ask questions now.  We have two - Havoc (soccer man to man) and Double D ( a 1-1-1-2 hybrid man zone match up where we play the BALL, not a spot on the floor.) By seasons end we will have 4. Those four we will use for the next 5 or 6 years. Each will get better and better the more you use them.

Chloe set the rebounding bar high during the second half of the game. She had 7 to go with her 2 in the first half. I rewarded her with a dollar for each second half rebound. Any one (who is not Tayja) who surpasses 7 rebounds in a half or 9 in a game that will earn the same reward while setting the new standard for the season. (The preseason standard was 4 in a half set by Hannah, Paige and Katie . The preseason standard was 6 in a game was set by Katie and Brooke.) Chloe also had the second highest shooting percentage for the game.

Coach Robin

 

	Rebounds	Shots Taken	Shots Made	%	Defensive Grade	Challenge	Did Well	Goals for Week
Jazlynn	1	4	0	0	B	Must talk on Defense	Great tenacious Defense	1 rebound 2 shots per shift 1 trip to foul line per game
Chloe	9	5	1	20	B	Keep ball HIGH. Stay hard on ball on defense. Go after ball until you win.	2nd 1/2 rebounding! Got 7 after only having 2 in first	2 rebounds 1 shot per shift
Hannah	3	4	0 (Made 1 of 2 foul shots. 50%)	0	A	Brush it off! Shoot! Drive! Make them foul you.	Lock down Defender! Excellent HELP Defender!	50% foul shots 1 rebound 2 shots per shift 1 trip to foul line per game
Katie	2	1	0	0	C	Shoot! Drive! Hold your position on defense. Stand Strong.	Close out Queen!	1 rebound 1 shot per shift
Nilijah	1	2	0	0	C+	Close out to the Ball. Know YOUR job on Defense.	Queen of Jump Balls! Constant Energy.	2 Jump Balls 1 shot per shift
Sofia B	0	0	0	0	C	Don't pick up dribble until ready to pass	Good job on ball Defense	1 rebound 1 shot 1 jump ball per game
Tayja	17	31	14 (Made 3 of 8 foul shots 37.5% )	45	B+	Fewer floaters. Drive to lay up. Make them foul you. Rebound with TWO hands. Don't slap at ball.	Great give and go. Nice effort on Rebounds.	10 rebounds 3 assists 75% fouls shots 20 points 5 trips to foul line per game
Sophia F	1	8	1	13	B+	Shoot early in game to get your Rhythm.	Solid game on both sides of the ball.	2 shots per shift
Brooke	2	16	3 (Made 0 of 2 foul Shots)	19	B	Use good form! Don't just fling the ball towards the goal and hope it goes in!	Great give and go	50% foul shots 1 rebound 2 shots per shift
Vienna	2	0	0	0	C-	Work hard EVERY play. Shoot. Drive. Rebound. Stop the ball. Hands UP. KNOW what defense we are playing. Play games like you Scrimmage.	Good job bringing the ball up the Court.	2 rebounds 1 drive to the basket per shift
Paige	1	2	0	0	B-	Get off your mark and HELP!!! No free passes down the lane. Put ARC on your shot. Rebound. Hands UP. Stop layups when playing Back.	Good job on ball Defense	1 rebound 1 shot per shift
Celine	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
TEAM	37	65	19	26	C	STOP BALL. TALK! Help on defense. Finish cuts. RUN on cuts. Move ball towards basket.	We did a good job sharing Ball.	Everyone taking a shot. 6 people making a basket. 2 trips to foul line each quarter. 10 rebounds each quarter. Making 50% free throws.

Preseason Game Statistics

We played in two preseason tournaments this year during the bookend weekends of Thanksgiving, the Hoop Classic at Mass Premier Courts in Foxboro and the Turkey Shootout in Natick. We did better than I expected in both. The girls were aggressive, committed and happy. Our challenges are finding the bottom of the basket and defense. Everyone shoots now.

Here is the 5 game statistical over view:

 

Sunday, Nov 24:  Framingham - 36    Milton - 20

Milton has two D4 teams. I don't know which one we played in the Hoop Classic at Mass Premier Courts. Last year one team finished with a 1-8 record, averaging 26 points a game, and moved down to play in the D5 tournament. The other, averaging 26 points a game, finished 6-3. We will not play either Milton team during the regular season.

Sunday, Nov 24: Framingham 22  Newton D3 - 35

Newton D3 had a 6-5 record last year while averaging 26 points a game and holding opponents to 27. This is not the Newton team that we will play in our first game. That team, also a D3 team last year, finished 2-9, averaged 18 points per game and held opponents to 27. One of the two teams that they beat was the Newton team that we played. The coach told me that the Newton teams talent was spilt evenly however, last year his team was in an easier divisional pool. Both Newton teams were eliminated in their first games in the D3 tournament. We will play Newton's D4 team on Dec 8 at Bigelow Middle School in Newton as our first game of the season.

Friday, Nov 29: Framingham - 21    Needham D3W - 33

Needham D3W was the top D4W team last year. They finished with a 9-2 recorded losing to Easton and Walpole. They averaged 27 points a game last year while holding opponents to 17 points. They finished second in the year end tournament to Milford (D3N) a team that moved down from D3 for the tournament. They are playing in D3 this year.

Friday, Nov 29: Framingham - 28    Sudbury - 23

Sudbury tied us for second in the standings last year, 9-3. We spilt games during the regular season and we beat them 27 to 14 during the play offs. Sudbury averaged 23 points per game during the regular season while holding opponents to 17 points.

We play Sudbury again at home on Feb. 16.

Sunday, Dec 1: Framingham - 35    Natick - 32

Natick finished 4 - 6 last year, averaged 22 points per game and held opponents to 25.

We play Natick again away on Jan. 12.

Turkey Trot

The Winter Team and several family members ran in the 19th Annual 2013 Framingham Turkey Classic Road Race. This was the first 5K run for any of the girls.

Here are our results:

 

PLACE	NAME	AGE	TIME	PACE
187	DAVID SPARLING	dad	24:39.80	7:57
331	CHRISTOPHER PEARCE	dad	26:50.50	8:39
452	TYLER SPARLING	16	28:54.90	9:19
454	ALISHA SPARLING	22	28:55.20	9:19
636	MCKENZIE SPARLING	17	32:03.70	10:20
697	TAYJA SALLIE	11	33:33.00	10:48
NONE	Hannah Carroll	12	33:35:00	10:50
704	CHLOE PEARCE	11	33:39.50	10:50
837	PAIGE SPARLING	14	37:40.40	12:08
857	JOHN KIRWAN	dad	38:32.90	12:25
897	NILIJAH ROSE	12	41:03.90	13:14
904	PRISCILLA MEDINA	mom	41:37.40	13:24
905	BRITTANY KIRWAN	12	41:42.80	13:26
911	TINA SPARLING	mom	41:58.70	13:31
913	BROOKE SPARLING	12	41:58.90	13:31
915	JAZLYNN LEUNG	11	42:07.40	13:34
916	KATIE ELLSWORTH	12	42:07.70	13:34
NONE	Celine Al Nammari	11	42:07.90	13:34
956	HANNAH PEARCE	11	45:16.20	14:35
957	ELIZABETH LEHNERTZ	mom	45:19.20	14:36
Walkers	CECILIA LEUNG	mom
Walkers	THERESA ELLSWORTH	mom

Our First Win of the Season

"Children with high levels of hopefulness have experience with adversity. They have been given the opportunity to struggle and in doing that they learn how to believe in themselves."  - Brene Brown

I like that phrase – the opportunity to struggle -- much more than "fail."

Children who have learned to deal with adversity and have had the ‘opportunity to struggle’ learn a whole host of skills that help them become successful in their academics, their personal lives, their future careers and their relationships with others.  They learn that, when faced with a challenge, they have the skills to persevere, problem-solve, find patience, learn dedication, and ultimately overcome and succeed.

To help set the tone for this season, our team mantra, stolen from USA soccer, is "Respect everyone, fear no one."

Yesterday's scrimmage was good for us.  We faced the top town travel team in our age group in our state. We faced them without fear. The score was 28 to 90. And yet we played on with joy.

As a coach I try to practice patience and allow time and space for players to keep trying, struggling, practicing and eventually mastering the skills. Parenting my own child, I often struggle to find the same patience.

Yet I know that it’s in this struggle that kids learn that, with practice and dedication, they can master something that was initially difficult, such as inbounding the basketball against the press.

One of the reasons that I use a player-lead motion offense is that it gives the players choices. Sure, it will look ugly and chaotic for the next two years or so. It gives our athletes a chance to problem solve. Their self-confidence grows because THEY figure out what to do.

Some times it worked last night. The shifts that ran the motion offense got a lot of shots up. The shifts that ran it without excessive dribbling got quality shots up. Not many found the bottom of basket as we made 14 out of 76 attempts (19%).

I think that the value of players learning to work through hardship is greater than the value of trying to tweak every little thing for the players. They are learning to play instead of learning set plays.

Our girls are learning to adapt, persevere and ultimately prevail on the court which I hope carries over to the other parts of their lives. The win at all costs attitude is what is ruining sports for children. I don't think that I am wired for it. Since my job security is not tied to my win loss record, I will never need to go there.

We have a team where some of the kids have very high goals for themselves while other kids are merely playing for fun (while their parents have high goals for them.) This is "normal." This is one of the reasons coaching a youth sports team is in many ways more challenging than coaching a high school team.

Learning to play, work and compete together in this situation is one of the great lessons sports can teach. I have to help all players understand that everyone has talents they can contribute to our team effort. For me, this effort applies to all areas of the game, from skills to sportsmanship to being a great teammate.

Motivating pre-teen girls to spend their time in becoming better basketball players is a tough task.

Because most of our team is playing up a grade or two and we will struggle, I will be looking for fun things to do as a team away from the court. The girls came up with a great list to get us started. We will add to the list and play through it. I will create social time outside of the gym for the team to come together.

Always keep in mind and help your child keep in mind that games are won and lost in practice; during the preparation. Everyone wants to win. And everyone plays as hard as they can come game-time. But only a few are willing to PREPARE TO WIN. That means the off-season as well as in-season practice.

There’s a big difference between losing and simply not-winning. Last night we did not win according to the score board. But we did not lose either. Every kid improved as the game went on. That is all I expect.

Legendary Hall of Fame football coach Bill Parcells once said, ‘In order to win, you have to figure out what makes you lose.’

During our scrimmage we did not win on the score board because:

1. We could not hit the ocean with a basketball.

2. Our defense has holes in it large enough to drive a tractor trailer through.

3. We could not inbound the ball against the press.

4. The lowest percentage shooters on the team took the majority of the shots.

And yet we are ahead of our development schedule. Of the 14 who played, only one did not attempt a shot. Our team percentage is up 2 points from this summer. One player made 50 percent of her shots. One made 40 percent. Two made 33 percent. Eight players scored. No one gave up.

At this age it is not winning that matters — it’s competing and as cliché’ as it sounds — trying your best. My job is to get the players out of their comfort zone, to push past levels of fear in order for them to understand what their best is.

Once we master the fundamentals - my time frame is 2 or 3 years from now - we will set ourselves up for the best possible chance to win in almost any situation.

This will be an interesting season. Thank you for joining me for the ride.

Winter Practice Plans

Winter 2013

Week 1 

Tuesday, November 5
Baseline Testing: Top of Key 3s, Foul Shots, Elbow Jumpers, Sit Ups in a minute, Push Ups in a minute, Burpees in a minute and dribbling down a back.
Teach a Group warm up
On the line: Dribbling Down and Backs, hesitation dribble, Change of speed, whirl, between legs, behind back
4 on 4 scrimmage make it take it, no dribble, change and switch
Shooting Group jumpers using Hoover form.
Fake Sandwich lines from each wing
Close outs to give and go layups
Shell defense


Thursday, November 7
Baseline Testing: Top of Key 3s, Foul Shots, Elbow Jumpers, Sit Ups in a minute, Push Ups in a minute, Burpees in a minute and dribbling down a back.
Form shooting at arrival
2 Dribbling shuffle runs
Foul shots
On the line dribbling
Scrimmage
Two ball dribbling on the move
Two ball passing from two ball dribbling stationary pounds
Self Shooting - Shoot to self
Line Shooting - Shoot to teammate down a line
Star passing to elbow jumper
2 continuous Cell phone suicides
Group jumpers: 3 at a time jumpers
Wing to elbow catch and shoot

Week 2

Next week
On the line
~1. Reverse (back up) dribble
~2. Step through with a both high low sweeps (Footwork)
~3. Lay up leap (Footwork) holding ball over head

Chicken dribble drill
~A. Crossover dribble with speed right hand / left hand
~B. whirl right hand / left hand
~C. Hesitation with a step-back cross over right hand / left hand

Under the basket
~1. Quick feet up back up back spin lay up
~2. close out, slide, back pedal, slide
~3. Star passing to a layup (Three basic passes – chest, bounce and overhead
~~◦Step to meet the pass and shorten the pass
~~◦Show a target)

Paired drills
~1. Two ball dribble passing
~2. Leaning two ball dribble
~3. Step thru rips high and low
~4. 10 second pivots and drive
~5. 10 second dribble and drive
~6. Leaning crab dribble

Offense building
~1. give and go with close outs
~2. Crab hand off
~3. Fake hand off pass to roller

Circle Trapping
Pass, cut, pick
Set Plays
◦Inbound "Stack"
◦Inbound Press Break "Flat-line"

WINTER UPDATE

Hi Parents,

1. TRAVEL practice starts TOMORROW at 7 PM to 8:30 pm at  St.
Stephens. We will go Tuesday and Thursday this week and next at St.
Stephen's. Those dates are Nov 5, 7, 12, and 14. Uniform payments are
due at the first practice. Checks are to be made out to Framingham Jr.
Flyers Basketball. Payment to the YMCA is due before the first
practice at the YMCA.

2. Have your daughters bring an empty binder and a pencil to their
first practice. I was told that most of last year's team can not find
their play books so we will start over. They'll need to bring their
binder to every practice. Email me if you daughter still has her play
book so I don't over print.

3. After two weeks  (this and next) at St Stephens, we become nomads
for two weeks since the Y will not have a place for us to practice
until the week after Thanksgiving. Our week 3 practice will be
Wednesday Nov 20 at 6 pm at Ashland Middle School with the Ashland 7th
grade team. We will have one other practice or scrimmage that week at
a time and place to be determined. We WILL NOT practice during
Thanksgiving week. With the race and two tournaments, we have enough
going on.

4. We will play in two pre season tournaments on the bookend weekends
to Turkey Day. We will play in two games on Sunday, Nov 24 at Mass
Premier in Foxboro. We will play a total of 3 games in the Natick
tournament during the weekend after Thanksgiving. Those games could be
Friday, Saturday or Sunday and will be over two days. We will play in
the tournaments as DESTROYERS not FLYERS since the entry fees are
coming out of the FADS funds.

5. The race Thanksgiving Day morning is full. If you did not get your
daughter registered, no worries. They can run with the unofficially.
Building team unity is the goal. I will have Destroyer tshirts for
every travel team member and practice player to wear on race day.

6. Our YMCA practice times and days are yet to be determined. I do
know that they are trying to get us into Walsh on Mon, Wednesday or
Thursday or Friday at YMCA. We will be given two practice times a
week.

7. I ask that during the winter basketball season that BASKETBALL come
before every other sport. The rest of the year it is okay to put the
Destroyers on the back burner as long as your player is doing a little
basketball year round. From mid November to mid March attendance at
two basketball practices a week is expected. One a week is required.
The required practice will be where new concepts will be introduced
and or challenges from the previous game will be ironed out. It will
be the most important practice of the week and will be clearly flagged
on TeamSnap. It is the practice that I would like every member of the
team to attend so that everyone is prepared for that week's game. That
is also the practice to which I will peg your daughter's playing time
for that week.

8. Make sure that your daughter information is entered in to TeamSnap.
Please use TeamSnap to mark your child's availability for games and
practices.

9. Figuring playing time: *Players who miss the mandatory practice
before a game will play but not equally. They will be worked into the
game in such a way and in such times that they will not disrupt the
progress of the players who were at that practice to learn that week's
new concepts. They may play only 5 or 6 minutes in that weeks game. I
will do as equal as I can playing time for each regular season game
for the girls who attend practices.

With 13 girls each player will play about 12 minutes per regular
season game. I will also change the groups from game to game so every
player gets a chance to play with each other, gets to start some games
and everyone also gets a chance to close out some games.

When our team is entered in a tournament where we need to win a
specific game in order to advance and keep playing, I will rotate
players fairly equally in the first three quarters. Everyone who met
the practice requirements for that week will play a minimum of 8
minutes split over the first 3 quarters, most likely in 4 minute
shifts.

I will play our current best players in the fourth quarter in the
"life or death" games. The demarcation line for "current best" for me
is when preparation, talent and athleticism meets an indomitable work
ethic demonstrated by showing up for and working hard in most of the
offered basketball activities in the week leading up to the
tournament.