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Tryout Success

In Basketball by Brock Bourgase

During the spring and summer season, basketball teams roam the continent, pursuing elusive scholarships, hype and respect. Camps, travel teams and training camps hold tryouts to determine which athletes should be selected and parents and players attend these sessions en masse. Consternation abounds but is this energy directed in the appropriate direction? Following some simple guidelines and putting forth one’s best effort will enable athletes to make the programs that they desire. Athletes succeed not only because of their bodies but also their minds. It’s not necessary to solve any mystery in order to make a basketball team but a …

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Building a Culture

In Leadership by Brock Bourgase

Creating a culture that lasts from season to season is one of the coach’s most challenging tasks. When all team members buy in, significant successes can be reached so it is worth the effort. For a culture to truly come to life, the responsibility for its development must be shared by players and coaches alike. Give Players Ownership When New Zealand All Blacks coach Graham Henry took over after an unsuccessful 2003 Rugby World Cup, he began by making players responsible for the team. At first, the coaching staff identified some players who were negative influences in the clubhouse and …

Duke’s First Practice

In N.C.A.A. Basketball by Brock Bourgase

Mike Krzyzewski talks about building a team culture with the 2014-15 Duke Blue Devils. Concerns for the coach included developing leadership on the court, planning and periodization with only ten scholarship players (which later became eight) and creating a team identity after a summer spent training in smaller groups. The team is seen working on fundamentals – such as a variety of passes and footwork – and defense, two excellent building blocks for any team. Even on the first day, the team is shown getting after it on double teams in the post and downing and hedging screens. Read and …

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Coaches Challenge Themselves

In Coaching by Brock Bourgase

He’s always challenging himself.  He has this saying about, ‘Take the lid off it. See where it can go.’ You can tell he’s done all these great things, and he’ll continue to do great things as long as he’s coaching. Tom Thibodeau on Mike Krzyzewski

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F.I.B.A. World Cup Trends

In International Basketball by Brock Bourgase

The United States S.M.N.T. won their second consecutive F.I.B.A. World Cup, behind Kyrie Irving’s adroit ballhandling, tremendous outside shooting, intense ball pressure and countless dunks by Anthony Davis and Kenneth Faried. Pundits may have expected the U.S.A. to struggle against Spain in the final but like 2010, Spain was upset earlier and a young American squad captured the title. The team struggled at the beginning of the final defensively but DeMarcus Cousins helped recapture the paint and Irving began penetrating the Serbian zone and getting to the rim or finding open shooters. What may have been an upset actually showed how …

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Alex Ferguson

In Coaching by Brock Bourgase

This week, Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the most successful coaches in recent years, inhabiting the same rarefied air as other legends like Phil Jackson and Mike Krzyzewski , retired from his post at Manchester United. Ferguson had served as manager at Old Trafford for twenty-seven seasons and captured thirteen English league titles, two Champions League trophies and countless cups. Since 1986, other rivals have come and gone while United has remained at the top, providing an example that other coaches around the world can follow.

Duke Tournament Losses

In N.C.A.A. Basketball by Brock Bourgase

Recent Duke losses in the NCAA Tournament, from LSU in 2006 to Arizona in 2011 to Lehigh in 2012 all follow a similar narrative. Duke’s strength is their consistency but it can fail them because they have a hard time adapting to adversity.

What I Learned this Summer, Part III

In Books by Brock Bourgase

Earlier, I wrote about trying to learn as much as possible from other sports. According to a moderately recent study, the skills and attributes that volleyball coaches believe are important to success are not necessarily those that determine the winning team during each match. For whatever reason, the coaches put more value on physical attributes and experience when victory was actually primarily determined by the ability to pass the ball, agility to change direction, and shoulder flexibility (Marey, Boleach, Mayhew, & McDole, 1991, p. 163). This is not merely an indictment of volleyball coaches but an advisory that coaches of …

What I Learned this Summer, Part II

In Coaching by Brock Bourgase

This was probably the area where it is most difficult to evaluate my progress. Largely because I have not had any specific feedback from students about my lesson plans. I enrolled in a OISE/UT Additional Qualifications course and was able to communicate and exchange ideas with a plethora of business teachers facing similar concerns. Consequently, I have a much better idea of what I teach, why I teach, who I teach, and how I should teach. Even if I forget the entire Business Studies component of this course, I will remember to ask myself those questions. Throughout the course, we …

What I Learned this Summer, Part I

In Books by Brock Bourgase

Earlier, I described a desire to become a more empathic leader. I hoped to become better at building relationships with other coaches, players, and people in general. I endeavoured to become more sensitive as to what others were feeling and discover how I can help student-athletes on and off the court and inside and outside the classroom. To do so, I read a couple of books which described examples of excellent relationships that resulted in personal development and basketball championships: Red and Me and The Gold Standard. Bill Russell’s tribute to his mentor Red Auerbach was a quick read that …

Tourney Concerns

In N.C.A.A. Basketball by Brock Bourgase

Last night’s narrow victory over Belmont exemplified the glaring weaknesses of Duke since J.J. Reddick was recruited in 2002. The lack of penetration and interior presence become severe obstacles when the game becomes a halfcourt contest or the Blue Devils are faced with an athletic team. Television views have seen this situation unfold twice, during the final regular season game versus North Carolina and the 71-70 First Round victory. When pressured, Duke’s two guard front is neutralized. When Jon Sheyer and Greg Paulus dribble or pass the ball back and forth, several turnovers seem imminent. On the other hand, due …

Exogenous Events

In Mental Training by Brock Bourgase

Like all the exogenous events inspire the price of crude to surge, bandits raiding a village and seizing the barley crop should drive the cost of the commodity to new highs. Amid the death and destruction, farmers face financial ruin and decide to take action by hiring a number of samurai to protect them. Showcasing innovative cinematography and a tremendous score, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai illustrates the significance of trust and teamwork and the importance of brains over brawn. Initially, tensions prevent the ronin and the town’s residents from working together well. Nobody wishes to risk their life to save …

A March to Madness

In Books by Brock Bourgase

The execution during the second half of Tuesday’s Duke-Carolina was poor. There were some very sketchy turnovers and players did not display good awareness of the time and score situation. Case in point, the Heels were down three with about eighteen seconds to play. Two-for-one is a viable strategy but you need to go for the quick two quickly. Instead, Carolina ran around with like chickens with their heads cut off, tried a two with mere seconds remaining, missed, and fouled. Carolina had used their last timeout after a score to set the defence. They executed good ball pressure and …

Professional Athletes

In Sports by Brock Bourgase

Vince Young declared for the N.F.L. Draft today. In professional sports, always follow the money for this reason. Good idea Vince, there was nothing left to prove in Texas. (In retrospect, Carson Palmer definitely made a great decision by signing an eight-year extension last week.) The only difference between college and professional sports is that the professional athletes can get paid above the table. In college, Coach K gets the American Express commercial because Christian Laettner made a turnaround at the buzzer back in 1992. In the N.F.L., when the Patriots win three Superbowls, it’s Tom Brady and his offensive …