Summer Reading for Coaches | Character Building

  In today’s newsletter, you’ll get access to 2 of our most recent articles, “Summer Reading! 15 Books That Will Make You A Better Basketball Coach” and “Why Building Character Also Builds Better Players.”  In the first article, “Summer Reading! 15 Books That Will Make You A Better Basketball Coach,” you’ll discover: - My favorite coaching books to add to your summer reading list - Harry Truman’s secret to leadership that can make you a better coach and leader Then, in the second article, “Why Building Character Also Builds Better Players,” you’re going to find out: - Stronger Values, Stronger Players: The Dual Benefits of Character Development - The rise of character issues in sports (and what you can do about it) - 3 reasons why camps should prioritize character development I hope you enjoy the content, and also, speaking of camps and summer, remember:   Your Special Breakthrough Basketball camp prize opportunity…  Where you can choose 1 of 3 special gifts when you [register for a summer camp]( for just a few more days. This offer is only available for a limited time, and you're limited to selecting just one prize for each camp registration, so make sure you choose wisely! Here's a quick breakdown of what each prize entails: 1 - Light Blue Breakthrough Special Edition T-Shirt: Show off your Breakthrough pride with our exclusive t-shirt.  (COUPON CODE: SHIRT)  2 - Shooting Analysis From A Breakthrough Basketball Coach: Get personalized video feedback, actionable tips, and specific resources/drills from one of our expert coaches to improve your shooting form.  (COUPON CODE: SHOOTING)  3 - $50 store credit: Enjoy store credit for ANY training video or coaching video on our Breakthrough Basketball website. This includes all of our most popular products that thousands of players and coaches have used to level up their skills.     (COUPON CODE: 50CREDIT) In order to claim your prize, you simply have to go to our camps website, register for a camp, and input the accompanying discount code for your prize at the checkout page. [Register for a 2024 Breakthrough Basketball Camp and choose your camp bonus prize! [EXPIRES ON THURSDAY]]( Okay, now back to Part 1 of the content...  Summer Reading! 15 Books That Will Make You A Better Basketball Coach  Mark Twain famously said, “The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”  In all professions, experience is a great teacher. However, you are slowing your growth if you only learn from your own experience.   The best learn not only from themselves but from others as well.   How can you speed up your learning curve? One great way to do so is by reading. You may not be able to talk to Bill Belichick, but you can read about him and learn his ways.  The summer is a great time to do this. You have more time to process than you do in the middle of the season.  So, kick your feet up and learn from some of the best minds around!  15 Coaching Books to Add to Your Summer Reading List  1 - The Coaches Guide To Teaching by Doug Lemov - this book is a master’s class in coaching methodology. Lemov uses data and stories to illustrate best practices on topics like giving feedback, working memory, asking questions, and building culture. Have a highlighter handy as this book has something for everyone.  2 - The Language of Coaching by Nick Winkelman - another book that focuses on the technical aspects of coaching, in particular how we choose and use our words. Winkelman goes in depth on feedback and cueing and provides useful strategies for communicating with athletes in a way that brings out their best performance.  3 - They Call Me Coach by John Wooden - this book gives an overview of the philosophy of arguably the most successful college basketball coach ever. Much of this book focuses on the soft skills that separate the good from the great. Readers will be struck by Wooden’s depth of character. It’s no coincidence that he was so successful.   4 - The Education Of A Coach by David Halberstam - this biography of Bill Belichick shines a light on the notoriously private coach. It shows how through hard work, Belichick became one of the greatest coaches in all of sports. Of particular note is the way Belichick learned from his first failed coaching stint in Cleveland.   5 - The Miracle Of St. Anthony by Adrian Wojnarowski - this book provides a behind the scenes look at the St. Anthony program. Woj, long before he started dropping Woj bombs, spent a year assisting and chronicling the Friars program. The book illustrates what made Bob Hurley Sr. such a phenomenal coach and a lasting influence in the lives of his players.  6 - Toughness by Jay Bilas - Bilas compiles lessons learned from his playing and announcing career to address what true toughness is. Too many players and coaches associate toughness with outward acts of unnecessary aggression. Bilas describes what true toughness is in ways that are applicable for everyone.  7 - Basketball On Paper by Dean Oliver - analytics are all the rage in today’s game. Oliver is considered the godfather of analytics in basketball. This book provides an overview of what stats matter. While many youth and even high school coaches have limited access to analytics, everyone can learn and use some of his insights.  8 - The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle - Coyle looks at talent hotbeds in disparate fields like music and sports. He then finds the similarities between those who excel. As coaches, we should look to apply his findings within our teams to help our players improve.  9 - [The 21st Century Basketball Practice]( by Brian McCormick - McCormick applies cutting edge methods to the game of basketball. While some might find him a contrarian, all will be challenged to think about the way they design practice in light of his ideas.  10 - Practice Perfect by Doug Lemov - another gem from Lemov. This book goes over 42 methods to design better practices. While you may already be doing many of these well, you undoubtedly will be able to learn a few new methods that will make you a better teacher and coach.  11 - The Score Takes Care Of Itself by Bill Walsh - Walsh, the Hall of Fame football coach, goes in depth on how he built the 49ers into the team of the 80’s. He gives readers many of the processes and protocols he used to build a great team. And as the title says, with the correct processes in place, the score generally takes care of itself.  12 - The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle - Coyle is back on the list with this follow up to The Talent Code. Coyle examines how the best teams (he looks at the Spurs) and organizations build great cultures. The book goes beyond theory to deliver usable content that any coach would benefit from.  13 - The Culture System by JP Nerbun - another excellent culture book. Nerbun creates an entire system to help build a winning culture. The system covers all parts of culture, starting with the coach. It is easy to follow, and will make your team a closer and more connected group.  14 - The Politics Of Coaching by Carl Pierson - Pierson explores the dark side of coaching. While we may wish these challenges didn’t exist, Pierson helps prepare coaches for how to deal with parents, boosters, administration and other issues that can present challenges to a coach. It’s a worthy summer read so that when situations arise during the year, you’ll be prepared.  15 - The Best Laid Plans Of A High School Basketball CEO by Matt Kramer and Randy Montgomery - this book is extremely actionable. It goes through many of the parts of the job (youth programs, hiring assistants, practice planning, scheduling, etc.) and provides insights into how to do them well. Kramer and Montgomery share their experiences as high school coaches so that we can all learn and be better.   One bonus: Wooden: A Lifetime Of Observations And Reflections On And Off The Court - it’s just too hard to sum up Coach Wooden’s knowledge in one book so here’s a second one of his books. A really easy read filled with pearls of wisdom that will make you a better coach and person!  Harry Truman's Secret to Leadership: Are You Following It?  We started with one quote. Let’s end with another.  President Harry Truman said “Not all readers are leaders. But all leaders are readers.”  You are a leader. The leader of your team.  Make sure you are a reader too. You’ll be a better coach for it!  —---------------------------------------------------  Okay, now onto Part 2 of the content, “Why Building Character ALSO Builds Better Players”…  The Reason This Legendary Coach Waited 20 Years to Judge His Team's Success  Alonzo Stagg was a famous football coach in the early 1900’s. After winning a championship, he was asked what he thought of his team.  “I’ll tell you in 20 years,” he replied.  The first time I heard that story, I was stopped in my tracks. It’s powerful. Here’s someone at the peak of his profession saying he can’t judge how well he coached his team until he sees what type of men they become.  All coaches should have this outlook.   At [Breakthrough Basketball Camps]( we believe character development is a major part of what we do.   As you look for the right camp for your child, find one that will make them not just a better player but also a better person.  The Rise of Character Issues in Sports (And What You Can Do About it)  I live in Ohio. In recent years, our high school athletic association has increased the penalties for behavior that results in ejections. This applies to players, coaches and fans.  When asked why they were doing so, the director said that it was in response to the rapidly increasing number of ejections.   That is sad but not surprising.  My third grade daughter recently played her first AAU tournament. On the first day of games, there were two altercations I witnessed between coaches and parents.   When kids see this, they think this is acceptable behavior. A quick search of social media will show youth players taunting and acting inappropriately.  All this goes to show that it’s not a foregone conclusion that “sports build character”. It may be more accurate to say they reveal it, UNLESS intentional steps are taken to develop it.   At some point, the ball will stop bouncing for everyone, even those who are good enough to play professionally. At that point, they will still have many years ahead of them.   Have they been taught more than how to put the ball through the hoop? Hopefully. . . and if not, that’s not just their failure but also the failure of those who coached them.  3 Reasons Why Camps Should Prioritize Character Skills  All coaches should focus on building character. However, we know that’s not the case. When the games start and people are keeping score, it’s easy to turn all our attention to the score.   But we must be better! If not, we won’t stop this trend of bad behavior.  People talk about ‘kids these days’. I would say it’s more of ‘adults these days’. This is learned behavior! And adults are the guilty culprits.  It’s time to flip the script. Basketball camps can be part of that solution.  Yes, camps should teach shooting, dribbling and passing. You send your child to camp to become better at basketball.   But you should expect more. You should expect them to come back as better people, too.  Camps offer a great setting to teach skills like work ethic, selflessness, and leadership.  Here are 3 reasons why camps are a great setting for character building:  1 - Winning isn’t a factor - earlier I cited this as a reason why character building gets pushed to the back burner. Even well intentioned coaches get blinded by the score.   At camp, the focus is not on winning or losing. It’s on getting better. This allows players and coaches to keep the main thing the main thing.  They can be intentional about character building and make it a part of every day. Building character is part of the daily win at a good camp.  2 - Camps are hard -  because camps are hard, good character matters more. When you are working on your game for a half or full day, it’s going to be tough.    Those who have resilience, a strong work ethic and a growth mindset are going to fare better and get more out of the camp.  So teaching those skills not only helps in the long run but also helps make the camp experience better.  3 - The value of a different voice - as a parent, you know that sometimes your child just needs to hear it from a different voice. This is also true for coaches.   It can be a great thing for players to hear the same thing from a different coach.   Maybe your son or daughter is lucky enough to play for a coach who emphasizes character. If so, they are blessed.  Even then, hearing the same thing from a new voice can help cement it. It adds credibility when they realize those qualities are valued by not just their coach, but other coaches, too.  From Court to Life: The Character Lessons Your Child Will Learn at Our Breakthrough Camps  At Breakthrough, we believe we offer the best teaching camps around. If you entrust us to teach your child the game, we are confident they will come back as a more skilled and confident player.  But our commitment goes beyond that. We also believe they will come back with stronger character.  Character development is a core part of our camps. It is included in every curriculum.  Every day starts with character reminders.  This puts it front and center in their minds.  Each day ends with a character word of the day. The word that ends one day begins the next, keeping it fresh.  Throughout the week, campers are exposed to thoughtful quotes that stress the importance of character.  Those who exhibit strong character traits are celebrated throughout the week.   Through these multiple exposures and positive reinforcements, campers develop a deeper belief in the importance of character in athletics.   The goal is for this to carry over into all aspects of their lives.   While the following list isn’t comprehensive, here are some key character-building skills you can expect your child to learn and develop at a Breakthrough Basketball camp: - Resilience - Selflessness - Leadership - Teamwork - Growth mindset - Work ethic - Integrity - Accountability - Adaptability - Empathy - Courage - Sportsmanship - Discipline - Humility - Determination - Communication Stronger Values, Stronger Players: The Dual Benefits of Character Development  It’s true that a big goal of youth sports should be to build character traits that last long after the game ends.  But I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out how strong character will also make your son or daughter a better player!  Who will fare better, a player who is resilient in the face of adversity or one who gives in? One who works hard at all times or only when convenient? One who cares about their teammates or one who only cares about themself?   The answers are obvious. When playing against a player of similar skill, size and athleticism, character often is the difference.   So by building it, your child will become a better player and a better person. If they leave camp having accomplished that, I’d say that’s a heck of a week.  My Personal Perspective on Why Character Matters More Than Points  A lot of camps can teach basketball (some better than others). As you look for how to best help your child, make sure they are learning more than just skills and drills.  All of us love seeing our child be successful in their play. But it’s even more rewarding to see that combined with good character.  At my daughter’s AAU tournament, she ran into a girl on the other team who she had never met before. The girl fell and hurt her ankle. My daughter immediately ran over to console her and hold her hand while they waited for an adult to come check on her.  That moment meant more to me than any shot she made.   It is my hope that in 20 years she will be a person of strong character, and that her sports experience will be one of the reasons why! Check out our [upcoming Breakthrough Basketball Camps](. Your child will improve on and off the court!   All the best,  Jeff Huber Breakthrough Basketball  This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you indicated that you'd like to receive emails and updates from Breakthrough Basketball on 2016-12-16 05:42:39. If you don't want to receive such emails in the future, please [Change Your Email Preferences]( or [Unsubscribe All]( Copyright © Breakthrough Basketball, LLC. All rights reserved. Breakthrough Basketball, LLC. | 5001 1st Ave. SE, Ste 105 #254 | Cedar Rapids | IA | 52402 [email.gif] . It’s our mission to build a strong community centered around basketball, personal development and most importantly - fun! We love to create extraordinary and useful products and share them with you! We love to help people learn how to enjoy the game of basketball at the next level by simply creating the right products that they use in their practices and games. 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