Big Daddy Weave: Redeemed

 

 

 

I spoke at our church this Sunday at the Borden Church of Christ.

 

 



Guest Author, Kyle Ohman

Coach Ohman reached out and offered his insight and I am happy to post it here:

Motivating the Right Way
by Kyle Ohman
www.BasketballHQ.com

One of the biggest responsibilities a basketball coach has is to get the most out of their

players. Coaches are supposed to figure out how to motivate each player and maximize that
players abilities on the floor for the betterment of the team. This concept is not something that
is new and has been used by coaches of all different sports for a long time. However there are
different ways that coaches can do this, some better than others. Here are some tips that you
can use as a coach to getting the most out of each of your players.

During my collegiate and professional basketball playing career I was able to play under
several different coaches, and during this time I was able to experience multiple different
basketball coaching styles. I have seen coaches use different tactics for trying to get the most
out of their players. I have seen the exact same tactic work well on one player and then
completely fail on another. So the first thing that you need to do is get to know each player on
an individual level and figure out why they are playing the game and what motivates them.

Once you have done this you can adjust how you coach them. If you tell someone ten different things about themselves, nine of those things positive and one negative, they are only going to hear and remember the one negative thing. It is just the way that we are wired. So as a coach if you want to keep your players motivated and working hard you have to make a conscious effort to stay away from being too negative in your coaching style.

There are going to be times when you are doing basketball workouts or having practice and
you need to get on your players and light a fire under the butts for doing something wrong, but
if this is an everyday thing then you will find your players losing interest in what you want them
to do. Also when you get the chance to praise your players for doing something right take
advantage of it. This will not only reinforce what you want from them, but it will also balance it
out when you have to get on them.

People are more likely to do something for someone that they know and that they have a
personal relationship with. If a family member asks you to help them out with something you
are more likely to say yes then if a complete stranger asked you to help with the same thing.
The reason why is because you know them, you have a relationship with them, and you know
that they have your best interest in mind. Your players need to have this same feeling toward
you as a coach, and the only way to get to this point is spending time getting to know your
players. It is important that you spend time getting to know your players outside of basketball,
not only because it will help you get more out of them on the floor, but also because coaching
is about developing lasting relationships with people.

Conclusion
There are many different ways that you can use to motivate your players, but from my
experience this is the best way. You will not only be able to maximize your players
performance but you will be able to do it the right way by developing lasting relationships with
your players.

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Author Bio
This article was written by Kyle Ohman. Kyle Ohman was a thousand point scorer at Liberty
University (div. 1), was ranked the 19th best shooter in the country by Fox Sports his senior
year. Kyle has also played professionally in Spain. Most recently he coached a high school
team that played on a national level and beat the 12th ranked team in the nation. Coach
Ohman is the Co-Owner and founder of BasketballHQ.com

A Zeller Family Program

This past weekend, I got to be a part of something that I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into.  I had a good idea, but you never know when you go to work a new basketball camp.  DistinXion, A Zeller Family Program is a character based basketball camp that is held throughout the state of Indiana, and Chapel Hill, N.C. but this past weekend, they stopped at Silver Creek High School in Sellersburg for three days.

I had heard of the camp before and wanted to work it, but when I found out they were going to be in my backyard at S.C., I went through the volunteer process online and was accepted (whew!).  Why the name DistinXion?  They claim they want to be different in a positive way, and they are.  Why the "X" in the middle of the name?  Hope Zeller, wife of son Luke, came up with the idea.  The "X" is actually a Greek symbol/letter for savior or...Christ.

Steve and Lorri Zeller are the parents of the Zeller boys, most recent NBA pick Cody from IU...you may have heard of him and they are the main contributors to the camp especially the character aspect of the camp.  The basketball part is run by volunteers, interns, and Bryce Bow.  Bow, a Goshen graduate, is in charge of the basketball aspects and his energy, desire and love for Christ is apparent to anyone who enters the gym.

The basketball camp is like many with stations that participants rotate around working on defense, passing, dribbling, shooting, really most any basketball skills, but there is also a station in which Mr. and Mrs. Zeller talk about character.  They base the character aspects of the camp off of their oldest son Luke's business plan his senior year at Notre Dame which would be to run a character based basketball camp.  After Luke asked his parents to think about how they raised the three boys (very well done, I might add), they came up with the acronym C.H.A.M.P.I.O.N.S.  It stands for character, honesty, attitude, motivation, perseverance, I am responsibile, network of friends and serving others.  Each day the Zeller parents spoke to the goups of children hitting home these important parts of the camp. (There just might be a book on this in the works, I, for one, will be buying one)

The Zeller parents personize their lessons with stories of their three sons (Luke, Tyler, and Cody) while they were growing up.  They are funny, insightful, and get the the daily point across to the campers.  The Zellers' shared their faith and had a chapel on Sunday morning, but their "religion" was not forced down anyone's throat.  They said multiple times that they were not perfect parents or people, but when speaking with Mr. Zeller I claimed that it was very nice of them to take their time to do this because they didn't have to do it.  He responded with "we want to do it".  In essence, by hosting this camp they are using the platform that their children have provided them to do the last part of the Champions creed...serve others.

I was able to spend much quality time just speaking with the Zeller parents.  They are humble and easy to speak with.  They made me feel like being a better person and parent.  They told small stories about their boys especially when I asked questions  such as "how tall did they say each of your boys would be when they were measured as babies?"  Mr. Zeller, "Luke was going to be 6'4, by the time Cody was born, they stopped guessing."  And they listened to me and others at the camp as if we were important even if we aren't NBA bound.  There was a genuineness about them that cannot be faked over that amount of time in the weekend.

What they are doing is planting seeds in young children to hopefully improve their lives and home by living by the DistinXion acronym.  They are encouraging the volunteers and workers of the camp by them seeing the campers being transformed.  And they allowed, for two days, a 43 year old man to see that there is still good out there and it can be used for even better things...changing young lives.

Writing Hiatus...?

With what is going on in my professional life, I wonder if maybe I should stop writing weekly for the News and Tribune.  I will continue to write in my blog either way, so it isn't like I will stop with my ideas and I have enjoyed sharing my thoughts here.  I know some have enjoyed reading my thoughts and some, maybe not so much.  But I hope I was able to get across some ideas of mine to a larger audience.

I was asked to start submitting an article before the March 2, 2012 tornado that took out Henryville High School while I was inside, but it seemed to coincide with when I started this endeavor.  I hope most people understand how cathartic that was for me in being able to share my feelings during that difficult time and that we are so thankful to those who reached out.

Sports are important.  They teach us so much about how to deal with life, or at least they should.  Winning is important.  That is why they keep score, but I hope that I have gotten across my belief that there are more important things than winning.  There is teaching young men and women to be good, tough human beings.  As a leader, you must understand the influence you have.  All leaders will make mistakes and turn people away, but we need to understand that and try to be better.  It is amazing how many athletes were involved in the heroism of the tornado that went through our area, and how some of the injured have stated that it was the lessons learned in athletics that got them through their toughest time.

I hope I have gotten across many good things going on in different schools in the Clark and Floyd county areas.  If I didn't cover your school, it was because I hadn't gotten around to it, and maybe in the future, I can get to those schools I missed.

I hope that you understand that my faith in God and his Son, Jesus Christ, is what helps guide my life, every day.  I have struggled, as we all do, in living for Him, but it is the single most important relationship in my life.  That relationship has improved my relationship in my marriage, with my children, and hopefully with other people.  I would be remiss as a Christian if I didn't tell you to follow Jesus, but don't do it because I tell you to, research it.  I can tell you that by taking classes at Louisville Bible College, I am understanding how much I did not know until now.  But Google apologetics and see how science, logic, reason, and history can subside any doubts you might have.

Why am I stopping in the submission of weekly articles?  I have decided that it is time to get back into coaching.  I will not be a head coach, I have no desire for that right now and maybe never will again, but I do want to get back to being with a team on a daily basis.  I have accepted an offer to run the Silver Creek intramurals and helping head coach Brandon Hoffman in any capacity. I am a basketball coach, I figured that out this winter and I want to be back at it.  I live in Sellersburg, my kids go to Silver Creek schools, and I believe that Brandon Hoffman is as good of a young coach that there is, but more importantly, he is a good father, husband, and person.  He is worried about getting better and winning, but he cares about his players and wants them to be good people (I know many coaches want this also) which are all things that I support and want to help with.

I feel that if I continue to submit weekly articles that there will be perceived ulterior motives or questions about what I am writing and I don't want to put that added pressure on the News and Tribune or Coach Hoffman.  However, if you think I will completely shutup, you don't know me very well.  I will continue to post things on my blog and who knows, maybe I will submit an article from time to time if they will have it.

Thanks to Jon Reiter for saying something to former Sports Editor Matt Koesters about having me share my thoughts weekly in the paper.  Thanks to Greg Mengelt and Kevin Harris for allowing me to continue and for editing my writings when it wasn't apparent what I was trying to get across.

Finally, thanks to everyone who read my articles, both those for and against what I said.  So many people have been complimentary about my rambling ignorance, and for that I am thankful. Hopefully, I made you reflect and think and justified why you do what you do or think what you think.  That's all I was trying to do.

Oklahoma

It is amazing how what someone else goes through can bring back so many feelings.  The tornado that hit in Oklahoma did just that.  But not only that.  The images of children being pulled out of their school hit home even more that what was done that day here in Henryville, was the right decision made.  Send the students home, even if the sirens were going off in town.

Please, if you want to go and help, go.  They will find something for you to do.  If you want to donate money, the Red Cross is a great organization, but money or gift cards to specific people or to local churches will get help directly and quicker to people in need.  Do NOT send clothes at this time, but find a church or other organization and call ahead for what they may need.

Finally, pray.  I don't know, or really care, if you are a religious person or not, but it can't hurt to continually pray for these people...all of them.  Survivors, families, and first responders will be dealing with as much psychological stuff as well as physical problems.

Lord help us all as we deal/help with all of these things that keep occurring.

Tampa Bay Rays Reunite Military Family

If this doesn't get to you a little, you might have a problem.