Viking Coach

Sleep didn't come easy last night. . . went and watched Frazee play Wadena-Deer Creek. Frazee outlasted the Wolverines 54 to 51. I was surprised as I feel Wadena has a talented team. The Frazee girls work so hard for coach Swenson which makes up for situations where other teams may have a little more talent.

Frazee is one of the teams that I feel we will be able to match up against this year. . .their victory worries me. . . can we match up???? Will we be able to match their intensity???? What do we need to do to have a chance to win???? Am I getting my players to perform at their highest possible level???? What should we be working on more????

These are the thoughts that roll through my mind in the middle of the night. . . it is the same thing every year. No matter how good of a team I am coaching. I worry as a coach. I think it might be an occupational hazard. You never feel you are as prepared to play as you would like to be. You are always searching for that edge. You hope everything falls into place at the right time but you don't have as much control as you wish you could.

GREAT EXAMPLE: After we won the section championship in 2001 we were traveling back to Pelican Rapids for the welcome home celebration in the fine arts. We just turned on to Highway 108 when I started telling my assistants about St. Michael-Albertville, the next game on the schedule. I started explaining the other team's strengths, what we might have to do, etc. . . Before I got to engrossed in my concerns for the first round of the state play-offs, Coach Rich Hills just looked at me and shook his head and said. . ."would you just enjoy the moment and not worry about what is up next!" Like I said. . . as a coach I probably worry too much.

In between the thoughts of Frazee I also tossed and turned a little over the dilemma of our 8th grade team. They have only won one game this year but they have been competitive in all of the games. Last night they lost to Frazee, the team that they had beaten earlier. We only have five girls on our eighth grade team. One of those players is playing basketball for the first time in her life. In the game against Frazee; Taylor Larson had to sit out because of a broken pinky finger and Ashley Waller missed the game because of an orthodontis appointment. This left only Ashley Morgan and Kristen Haugen to lead the Viking attack with the help of Anna Brown and three seventh graders.

My concern wasn't over the loss of the game. . . My concern was over these girls getting too frustrated and giving up on their pursuit to be their best. They seriously have the potential and athletic ability to be the leaders of a very good varsity basketball team in the future. To do this they must continue to believe that they can be successful.

When I see them in school or on the court, I will make it a priority to get across to them that if they keep working their tails off that one day these close games are going to start falling in their favor. One day these girls will have the opportunity to look back at their basketball journey and be very proud of what they have accomplished! How many opportunities in life do we have for that to take place. To really make a commitment to something we love and create something special. . .to do something we can look back and say "WOW, that was cool"!

"Success is the JOURNEY towards excellence."

Time has now become short. “Game Day” is Friday. I have never really felt ready for the 1st game of the year. . .or the 2nd, 3rd, 4th. . . It is amazing how much you need to cover in such a short time. So far we have put in:
2 Zone Offenses (Bison and Siuox)
2 Man Offenses (Dragon and Go-4)
1 Special set for “Go-4”
3 Special sets for “Dragon”
5 Under-basket inbound plays (Orange, Black, L, Fist, Line)
2 Side inbound plays (X & 33)
Full Court Press Break
Full Court Press Defense
4 Half court defenses

Add to that all the “reads” that each player must come to understand and it gets to be a lot to think about. This week will be all about reviewing and trying to polish what we have already introduced so that we can, hopefully, see some “shine” at Lake Park – Audubon on Friday night.

The attitude and effort from the girls has been FANTASTIC! The players are working hard towards excellence and they have been very intense. They have showed the "determination" that gets a person from where they are right now as a player to the place they want to be. I'm proud and I am enjoying the journey.

WOW!

Rick Raisier from Foley, Minnesota came to Pelican Rapids to do a teamwork/motivational clinic for both the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams. The boys had a three hour morning session and the girls followed them with their own 3 hour session. The only downside of the event. . . I didn’t take pictures to post on the blog! Had the camera, had the time, but got caught up in the “power” of the presentation and totally let the opportunity slip by.

SIDE NOTE: Some people may wonder what our program does with the money we raise from our annual Shada 3 on 3 basketball tournament. Here is a great example of that money at work. The money’s soul purpose is to benefit or aid in the development of girls in our program. With the pizza that followed this event we dropped a little over $450.00. The presentation was probably one of the best, if not the best, $450.00 that we have spent.

Rick Raiseir is most identified with being a one-man volleyball team. He has played over 8000 volleyball games against all sorts of 6 person teams, including state champions, and has not lost! We did not play volleyball during this clinic but what he covered in the area of teamwork, handling adversity, attitude, etc. . . was more impressive than him beating a championship caliber team.

The activities he had were excellent and Rick always followed them up with an important message dealing with aspects of basketball and life. The best part was that not only were the girls learning things about themselves they were also having a blast.

Here is Rick’s web site address: http://www.jumpcc.com/index.htm

He does these teambuilding activities for a variety of groups. He also does large group presentations and has a ropes and climbing “challenge course” set up in his back yard for groups to visit during the summer months.

Varsity team went down to Barrett for an eight team scrimmage and jamboree. Scrimmages are a great opportunity to check the progress of your team and to see what is working, what's not quite right and to see how you can tweak things to make it better. . . As far as that goes this past weekend was a success.

We ended up winning our Jamboree game against Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley by a score of 38 to 30(jamborees are only 1/2 games). . . the positive aspect of this contest was the ability of our players to put the ball in the basket. This was something that we struggled with last year. Our defense was a little suspect as I am hoping we can hold teams below 24 points a half but I think we can improve in that area as time goes by.

As far as the scrimmage goes our best opportunity to learn and improve came against Crookston who placed 2nd in state last year with a line up of 7 sophomores and 1 senior. . . in other words they are the top dog this year!!!

Crookston comes out after you on defense. . . they play the passing lanes and get up close and personal on the ball. The first few minutes of our 15 minutes on offense led to a major frustrations. . . we took a quick 20 second time out and I reminded the girls of one of our "5 Pillars" that support Our Team. The pillar I emphasized in this situation was the opportunity for us to "Get Better - Not Frustrated". Once we went back into the scrimmage with this attitude the girls became learners and soon they became successful at operating our offense. I was proud of them!

WHAT ARE OUR 5 PILLARS?
1) Belief in Success -
*The philosophy = You don't have to win to be successful.
2) Get Better - Not Frustrated
*The philosophy = It doesn't help to be frustrated. . . you don't think!
3) Focus on You -
*The philosophy = Stay away from the blame game. . . What can you do to improve!
4) Conform to the Program -
*The philosophy = The coach has to be there for the TEAM first. . .adjust to that fact
5) 100% Effort -
*The philosophy = Make a commitment to always give your best

JUNIOR HIGH UPDATE:

7th grade improved to 4 & 0!!! Solid victory over Park Christian

8th grade had their first major defeat of the year. . . wasn't there to see the 8th grade game but word has it that Park Christian 8th graders are DYNOMITE! 5-9 point guard was all I had to hear. . . Height is such an advantage at this level and if the height has talent you are in trouble. 8th grade is now 1 - 3 with two of those losses being very winnable.

Sometimes I wonder why the heck I get myself going on things like this. . . As if I am not busy enough with coaching, teaching, student council, family, etc. . . I decide that it would be interesting to start a blog!

I will work hard to keep things rolling but I have a feeling that I may have a few breakdowns along the way!

The 8th graders traveled to Hawley on Tuesday. They lost the game by four but once again they stayed very competitive. They are now 1 - 2 on the season with the two losses being by a combined 6 points.

I ordered up four "Fantastic 4" shirts for Taylor, Ashley, Kristen and Ashley. . . They came in on Tuesday and so I gave them the shirts as a "good luck" present for the game that night. . . They all decided to put them on and wear them that day, that was cool. One small problem developed over these shirts. . . another 8th grader came out as she heard the team needed players. . . Her name is Anna Brown, she seems to be a solid athlete but hasn't really played the game before. . . Anyway, I was feeling bad about her being left out and so I went back on line and was pumped to discover that they had the same shirt but with a #5 smack dab in the middle instead of a #4. The shirt is on its way.

I feel that these shirts are a great investment into the future of Pelican Rapids Basketball. Our goal is to get these young ladies to fall in love with the sport. The shirts are one way to show them that in our program we will treat you like you are someone special!

Seventh graders won their 3rd game of the year yesterday as they defeated the Hawley Nuggets. It is great to see them be successful in the younger grades. I know that old adage of "winning isn't everything" is of course true but I also know that losing flat out "stinks"! Nothing kills excitement, desire and eagerness as easily as working hard and not meeting success. Creating a "losing" tradition is much easier than creating a "winning" tradition but even more alarming is that the power of "defeatism" that develops in losing programs can be more powerful than the power of confidence that is created in winning programs.

There is a fine line we walk in junior high basketball. I want to give each girl a positive experience with the hope that she will begin to "Dream Big and Work to WIN!" but I also want the girls to win games at that level. I tell the coaches to strive to give each player a quality amount of playing time but if there is an opportunity to win the game we should go after that win. Sometimes this means we play extra quarters so some players get to challenge themselves in game situations . . . I really believe the girls will all have more fun when they belong to a successful team.

My own experience. . . in junior high I played very little. . . I wasn't as good as some of my classmates.

Was it fun to sit? Nope.

Did I enjoy playing basketball with my friends? Yes.

Was it rewarding? Yes.

The experience was rewarding enough that eventually I started to work harder than my teammates and eventually ended up passing many of them on my way to starting varsity my junior year. My point. . . with the right guidance a young player can play less at the lower levels and still excel later in their career. It is my belief that the coaches are a big part of this guidance but the ULTIMATE support and encouragement comes from your parents.

Hope, Faith and Love. . .

Tonight we lace them up for a four month journey that will bring memories, frustrations, joy, failure, accomplishment, tears, smiles, challenges and much-much more.

A season is much like a "mini-life" that is rolled up into this crazy thing called sports. Because a person experiences so many of the same emotions and challenges as they will in life, sports make an excellent training ground for young people. . . and dare I say, even adults, if they are still willing to learn.

Your character is tested in sports. . . you have the opportunity to learn how to handle the “ups” and “downs”. The roller coaster of sports is very similar to what happens continuously in life and along the way you learn the importance of hard work, dedication, loyalty and friendship.

Here is a quick look at the season ahead:

Although the we will have 3 capable players in seniors Kelcey Lass, Katie Mattern and Sarah Voigt on the court this year our conference schedule is so tough that we will have to work extremely hard to be competitive this year. The senior girls are also our captains for this year. . . their leadership is going to be crucial!

Our junior numbers have slipped to two with Lexi Thorson and Stephanie Torkildson being the only returning players this year. These two players should be vying for starting positions on the varsity.

Our sophomores group has dipped to four with the loss of Josie Soberg. Josie’s back problems have finally caused a retirement from the hard court. Emma Strand, Haley Hoyer, Chelsea Bjerke and Ann Ouren are our 10th graders on the roster. All four girls should make the varsity team with two of the four playing quality minutes.

Kelcey Lass will be asked to ignite the Vikings in the scoring column and also on the defensive end of the court. She has the potential to be an all conference player and we hope her leadership will produce more wins this year.

Pre – Season Picks for Conference Title
-Barnesville - Could be challenged with-out Jacobson (transfer to Moorhead)
-DGF – Very athletic. . . volleyball team was awesome. . . same players
-Hawley – number of athletes at this school is tops in the areas.
-LPA – Shoulda – Coulda been state entrants last year. . . Top players return
-Ulen – Hit – If Schultz is healthy they can be anybody above.
-WCA – Tall and athletic team that plays tough defense. . . if they find scorers???
- Perham – Up and Coming. . . Frazee transfer will help
-Breckenridge – What will the loss of Schuler do to the Cowgirls?
- Frazee – Generally one of the hardest working teams in the conference

In today's sports world no one signifies the “ME” first attitude more than Terrell Owens of the Dallas Cowboys, formerly of the Phillidelphia Eagles(before he destroyed their locker room), formerly of the San Francisco 49ers(before he wasn’t being “treated well” so he demanded a trade).

Ira Miller of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote. . .
Face it: Owens is a cancer on the 49ers Without Owens, the 49ers would become something they need to be and haven't been -- a TEAM. His act has worn so thin on the other 52 guys on the roster that they'd be better off without him.

MIKE REISS - - Should the Eagles keep Owens???
The message is clear: In a physical, sometimes violent game, all 53 players need to be working off the same script. While T.O. is an exceptionally talented receiver, he ranks last in the good-teammate category.

Terrell Owens. . .(T.O.) has become the source of this year’s “team slogan” I decided that Owens is a great example to use as an attitude we don’t want to bring into our program. So what I did is reversed the attitude along with reversing the letters of Owen’s nickname. Instead of everything being about T.O. we are gearing everything to O.T.

O.T. stands for “Our Team”. I’m asking players and coaches to ask themselves. . . “What am I doing for O.T.” The foundation of this is giving instead of taking. I have really come to believe in the following philosophy of motivational speaker Zig Ziegler:

“You can get everything you want in life. . . if you help enough other people get what they want.”

I think the same holds true in basketball. If a player works hard to help others on the team get what they want, eventually this player is going to see that she is going to get what she wants.

I’m really going to stress the “O.T.” slogan this year and maybe for years to come. We are ordering up practice shirts with the slogan imprinted on them and the letters “O.T.” will appear on quite a few things as the year progresses.

Players (Left to Right) Taylor Larson, Ashley Waller, Kristen Haugen & Ashley Morgan

Here they are. . . the "Fantastic 4". . . the only eighth graders we have out after the, "now you see me, now you don't", appearances of seven other eighth graders who were out for hoops for a day or two and then resigned.

THEY WON!!!!

The eighth graders beat Frazee last night for their first win of the year. After a narrow loss to West Central Area in their first game it was fun to see them be successful in the next game.

I really like what I am seeing. . . I can't believe how much they have improved since 7th grade. Taylor Larson made a couple of post moves on the baseline that were really impressive.(she is a blocking machine too) Ashley Waller knows how to play the game and is feisty, Kristen Haugen has the skills to be a varsity point guard at an early age if she keeps working hard and Ashley Morgan is so strong and athletic that she could really develop into a very dominant player.

I hope they are developing that "love of the game", so they will stick with the hoops and work hard to be their best. They could form the core of the next great girls’ basketball team from Pelican Rapids High School. The "sevies" are looking like they will be very capable underclass-women. They continue to show a lot of athletic ability and the capability of putting the ball in the basket. I think they poured in over 50 points in their win over Frazee last night. What I really like is how they look for each other on the court. . . it is nice to see a 7th grade girl with the ability to see the court. . . it is even nicer when you have a bunch of them.

November

13th - Season Begins
18th - Jamboree @Barrett (3:15)
24th - Team Building Session

December

1st - @Lake Park
5th - Perham
8th - Ulen - Hitterdal
11th - @Hillcrest
12th - Breckenridge
14th - @Hawley
18th - Wadena - Deer Creek
22nd - @West Central
27th - Pelican's Holiday Tournament
28th - Pelican's Holiday Tournament

January

5th - @Rothsay
9th - Barnesville
12th - @Frazee
15th - DGF
18th - LPA
23rd - @Perham
26th - @Ulen
30th - @Staples

February

1st - Hawley
3rd - Theif River Falls
6th - West Central Area
9th - @Breckenridge
15th - @Barnesville
17th - @Glyndon
20th - Frazee
24th - Crookston

The 8th grade girls played West Central tough last night. . . in fact they had the lead with less then a minute to go!!! Why am I excited about the loss? WCA hammered this group of girls last year.(20+ win) Plus, this group of eighth graders is now back to only 5 players! Kristin Haugen, Ashley Morgan, Ashley Waller, Taylor Larson and Emina Saljevic. What happen to the rest? I wish I had the answer. . . I really tried hard to convince some of the girls to stay with the sport with no luck. I've decided to be excited about who is out for hoops and devote my energy towards them. I like this group of 8th graders. They have a chance to be good. . . only time will tell but if they start getting excited about the possibilities they could be super players in the coming years.

Best Comment I Heard Today: A parent told me about how pumped his 8th grade daughter was about the game. The comment she made to him. . . She felt the reason why they were able to compete against the Knights this year was that she and a number of her teammates took advantage of the opportunity to play C-squad hoops last year. . . It is awesome when players start to realize the correlation between hard work and success!

We decided that we will have to rotate a couple 7th grade players up to play with the 8th grade this year. Last night it was Maria Johnson and Alyssa Thorson. They both did very well but I am sure they will be excited to play with their teammates who, by the way, scored 37 points to take home the win!!!!

What I liked about what I saw last night. . . we have girls in 7th & 8th grade who are aggressive, able to score and have a great deal of athletic ability!

Our Goal Now:
A) Get the girls to fall in love with hoops
B) Get the girls to understand the importance of working hard
C) Teach the girls the fundamentals of the game
D) Help the girls become eager to play hoops all of the time.