Coaching Youth Basketball: Can't Never Could Win

"Can't" never could win. "Can't" never could do anything.

Just how powerful is will power? "The phrase "where there's a will there's a way" has become cliche, but it's more than a phrase and when Coaching Youth Basket-ball, will power is a concept that should be taught, as it should be taught in all sports.

Legendary Coach Vincent T Lombardi once said, "The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will."

You may have also heard it said somewhere that the winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I WILL, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can't do.

Can't never could.

What it amounts to is a state of mind and ultimately a state of being. I call it a champion state of being. Players who fail to take hold of this concept are ultimately afraid or perhaps, unwilling, to try, for fear of failure. The fear in many cases comes from some perceived ineptitude that the player may or may not possess. One can never know what one can do or cannot do unless one simply tries.

But that's just the beginning. In order to truly try, to truly give yourself a chance at success, you really have to believe you can do something, otherwise you're just hoping.

Once again, we are at that point where sport meets real life, where a lesson of will power mastered on the athletic field can carry over into the office, a marriage, a PHd, a daily cross fit workout, a mid-term, or even baking a freaking cake, dunking for your students...actually scratch the last one, but the point is always the same... (INSERT OWN Challenge Here).

All things being equal, the player/team with the stronger will, wins. People will say "they wanted it more," and talk about "how they out-hustled" or "did the dirty things"...but it all boils down to will power.

So it follows the principle that teaching the youngsters the power of will and the power of exerting their will on the game in which they are trying to learn is paramount for their future individual success and the success of their team.

It's not a stretch to realize that the player who is able to successfully exert his will on the game when he chooses, not only grows in confidence, but is more likely to be clutch when the game is on the line.

Any coach who has watched his team finally "get it" and finally reach their true potential knows it's a special thing to watch the whole team do this. Coaches you know the times, it's beautiful isn't it when it seems like even the last person on the bench that you put on the floor is going out there and making big plays. It can happen in the blink of any eye, where all of sudden every player wants it so badly, all the practice, all the teaching and all the hard work gels and each player seemingly turns legend...Even if it's just for a half, it's a beautiful thing.

If only you can get them to play like that all the time. Hey, Coaches need to exert their will too!

ESPN Shattered Dreams Interview

Let me first begin by making a slight correction, I'm not actually 5'10, in fact in my college ball days I was listed at *cough* 6'0...I'm probably closer to 6'1, but my shoulders slope, and I've been told I look as tall as 6'2 on weekends, just to clarify...

So in the span of less than a week, suddenly this video goes viral... why? Was it because I broke the glass on a MISSED dunk while trying to show off/inspire the 14 and 15 year old St Patrick's HS team I coach?

They see me dunk it, and they see I'm not that tall, they think they can do that too, and I NEVER EVER tell them that they can't do or accomplish something/anything.

Maybe it's funny for other reasons...Wait, check that, not only did I break the glass and MISS the dunk, but I landed flat on my back and probably (if not for the grace of God) should have broke my neck...AGAIN! ...It's pretty damn FUNNY!

You know, I've been asked why this whole thing is so popular, and I don't know why. It probably means something different to everyone who watches it. To me, it's hilarious. I get a kick out of everyone's reaction to it. Perhaps one of the funniest reactions I've heard about, was apparently, someone wished that glass landed in my eye. LOL. It didn't, but I appreciate the love. Lol.

In all the inspirational sports screenplays I create and love there's always one theme that is consistent :

People love to watch someone try really, really hard to achieve something and then fall FLAT on their face...or in my case...my back. But you know what people love even more? They love it when you bounce back. Everyone loves the comeback. That's a fundamental part of every sports movie. Maybe people like it because my back bounced when it hit the floor.

Oh and btw, people have been asking me what I was thinking in mid air...Aside from expletives...At around 11 seconds, I was thinking

"I'm the biggest stud and loser all at the same time"

And then I remember I was slightly confused as to how that was possible.

But there was more to the story.

Back Board Breaking Dunk FAIL

When I'm not locked in my home office busting out inspirational sports screenplays, I coach a junior boys (Grades 9-10) basket-ball team at St. Patrick's Secondary school in Vancouver British Columbia. Great school, unbelievably awesome kids. But what happens when the team asks Coach Boateng, AKA Johnny SHOWtang, AKA Johnny Blaze to throw down one dunk for them? Of course he says NO at first..."He doesn't dunk on request"

"Please coach, just one. Please, you promised"

No, not today, sorry guys...Wait a minute...is that a SLOW CLAP y'all just broke out?