Viking Coach

Week 3 – From the Crow’s Nest

Practice Schedule:
Monday – 3:25 to 5:45
Tuesday – FIRST GAME - Hillcrest - Home
****Uniforms will be picked up in the office before games
****B-squad be dressed and ready by 5:30
****Varsity be at the gym by 5:55 – Sit Together
Wednesday – Late Practice – Weight Room at 4:45
Thursday – 3:25 to 5:30
Friday – HOME GAME - Perham.
Saturday – “Tip Off Classic” in FERGUS FALLS

Great line up of teams. . . come if you want. . . program will cover expenses!!!
11:00 – Martin Iron-Buhl vs. Ada Borup
12:45 - DGF vs. Albany
2:30 – Crookston vs. Park of Cottage Grove
4:15 - Rogers vs. Lakeville North
6:00 - Centennial vs. Moorhead
7:45 – Fergus Falls vs. Becker

*We can decide when we want to go. . . Maybe get there in time for the DGF game. . .We can skip the Rogers vs. Lakeville North game??? And go out to eat. I love the Pizza Ranch Buffet!!!!

Beyond the Horizon
→ Just a reminder that our game vs. Frazee in December has been moved to the 20th. This will be a double header with the boys
→ We have also changed the date of our February game at Frazee and that will also be a boy/girl doubleheader. New date Tuesday, February 12th.


Game Day Thoughts:

*Be home by 9:00 and start settling in for the night.
*Think about getting to bed around 10:00
*Have a good breakfast to start the day out right.
*Drink a good amount of fluids starting the day before.

-Start mentally preparing during the day. Get excited about the opportunity to perform.
-B-Squad be in the locker room by 5:10 – Stretch and Do Shooting Progression
-Varsity – Be in the gym by the start of the B-Game
-Sit together by the bench
-Watch the action on the court. . . Often times the b-squads do what the varsity will do
-Get serious. . .it helps you get mentally sharp.
-Go into locker room when B-squad comes up.
-Change, Stretch and do the first parts of the shooting progression.
-As you are stretching and working through the progression begin to visualize the action on the court
-When coach comes in you should be ready to listen and focused.
-The 20 minutes prior to the game are for you to blend your mental focus with your physical being
-When the ball is tipped. . . be ready to "GATA"

It wasn't that long ago that I saw myself more as an "uncle" figure in my "basketball family".

I was just too darn' young to consider myself a "dad" to the girls I coached. As the years have ticked on and my acceptance of getting old has finally came to fruition, I now feel very comfortable seeing myself in a "parent" role over my charges. In fact, how I handle situations has become a lot more clear cut.

When issues arise, I now just handle it like I would handle my own boys. Even though I can be fairly easy on my boys. . . my wife feels she has to be the ogre way too often. . . there are a core set of values that I want to instill.

This means there are some "hills" that I feel are worth fighting for.

Paramount to all hills. . .RESPECT.

Respect rises above all others. If you have respect for self, respect for family, respect for your fellow humans. . .all other actions fall into line. Look at some of the problems that have occured in your life. Wouldn't the value of respect have helped a great deal?

This is probably why red flags start popping up every time I start feeling that I am not being respected as a coach. I look at some of the issues that have caused me the most frustration over the years and they all tend to deal with respect.

My relationship with my players hinges on this key ingredient as does the success of the team in general. When there isn't a respect between player and coach there is no foundation to build a relationship and without a solid relationship you can not build a successful team.

Sometimes the player may never come to respect the coach as a person but the position of the coach must be respected if a successful relationship is going to occur.

In the world of coaching and education you hear, "I will respect the teacher/coach when he respects me" quite often. This over-used excuse once again demonstrates how blaming and making excuses just doesn't work. The reality of life is that the "position" of authority always has the "right of respect".(Meaning the position has already established a status that requires respect.)

Think of it this way. . .a boss may not show you much respect but in order for you to be successful in your position you can not disrespect her. Example: You can't mouth off, roll your eyes, be argumentative or be flat out cantankerous and expect the boss to treat you well.

I would guess if you polled coaches across the nation and asked them what was the number one issue in their relationship with their "troubled" or "non-favorite" players it would be that players insolence.

Conversely, players that show a great deal of respect to the coach quickly become a "favorite" of the coach. This does not mean that quality playing time will be gained with out athletic merit but it definitely won't be lost.

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If you are a parent of an athlete, I want you to take a moment and think about the conversations you have with your child about his or her coach. Are you promoting a sense of respect towards this person(position) or are you promoting a feeling of disrespect?

-I don't know what the coach is thinking.
-Why did the coach put Betty in? How stupid was that?
-The coach shouldn't have run that defense.
-The coach plays favorites and doesn't base playing time on talent.

If these sound familiar, you are really hurting your child. You are throwing salt on the field and it will be difficult for respect to grow in that environment. Help your child understand that even though she/he may not agree with all the decisions that a coach makes it is important to still show respect.

Instead of "throwing salt" help your child find ways to work on the areas of the game that she can excel at. . . Look for opportunities to enhances skills that may be limiting his playing time. . .Talk about the importance of hard work and determination when it comes to a players pursuit of success. These things will lead to a lasting habit of self improvement instead of a habit of blame and disrespect.
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The topic of "favorites" is one of the more popular complaints that a coach hears.

Here again RESPECT is king!!!!

I can almost guarantee that the players that show their coach genuine respect will gain "favorite" status and with this status they will be given more chances to earn playing time then players who are of equal ability but show very little respect. In fact, you better be a pretty exceptional athlete if you plan on giving your coach very little respect and still plan on playing.

I can say, with out reservation, that over the years the players(or parents) who have complained about not being my favorite or me having favorites have generally been the ones who have failed to show the proper respect for my position as a coach. As a result, I have been very stern with them and have not treated them as well as they wish I would have.

Today I had a situation occur with a player in which I felt the player was not respecting my position as the coach. This is a player who I have really felt a great deal of respect from but she really hates when I correct her play or her behavior and either verbally or non-verbally shows her frustration.

I blew up. . .My blood pressure went up. . .my eyes narrowed. . .my voice could have been used in the movie the "Exorcist" as I explained in no uncertain terms that this was not how things were going to be!

I stood up on the "hill" of respect and was ready to go to war.

Later, the player came up and asked to talk with me. She apologized and took responsibility for her actions. I told her what she did that I see as being disrespectful and how I can't have my players behaving in such a matter.

There were a few tears. . .a good positive discussion followed and an understanding was reached. This is the essence of RESPECT.

This talk is very similar to conversations I have had numerous times with my boys and also with my players over the years. I'm glad I stood on the "hill" because by standing up for my core values I believe I am helping "my family" find their hills and also helping them prepare for battle!

As a coach, as a parent, we have to be willing to stand strong on the hill of respect. . .it is the foundation on which all else rests.

Each week I will be adding our weekly bulletin to this blog. . .here is a look at the week to come. . . Go Vikings!

Practice Schedule:
Monday – 6:00 A.M. to 8:00 A.M. (in gym by 6:00) – After school video → weights
Tuesday – 6:00 A.M. to 8:00 A.M. (in gym by 6:00) – After school 2 mile run → weights
Wednesday – 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. & 3:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Thursday – Thanksgiving
Friday – Scrimmage in Park Rapids – Bus Leaves at 10:00 A.M.
Saturday – Practice at 12:30 to 3:00

Beyond the Horizon
→ Tuesday, November 27th – First Game – Hillcrest (H)
→ Friday, November 30th - @Perham
→ Saturday, December 1st - Go watch the Tip Off Classic in Fergus Falls


West Central Area Scrimmage:
I was very pleased with the over-all effort that was put out by all of the players. . . Biggest concern: Are we going to make the commitment to DEFENSE and to REBOUNDING!!!!

Put the individual letters that I wrote to you somewhere where you can see them. Keep them until you feel you have accomplished that goal.

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I went to the high school play this past weekend - - - BRAVO!!! (Way to go Lexie and Kendra) I was soooooo proud of the effort that these actresses, actors, stage hands, etc. . . put forth.

As I was watching, I thought about “Our Team”. I think we can gain a lot of perspective from looking at a play and how it is judged.

Plays are based on performance. There are no scoreboards. . .it is a group of individuals working hard, coming together and trying to put forth a good show. The success is in the eye of the beholder. . .how much enjoyment was had our how moved were you by the performance.

I want “Our Team” to go into each game and consider it as a theatrical performance, much like a play.

Go out onto our “stage” and do your best to give your best show. Enjoy the experience, learn from your mistakes and be proud that you are willing to challenge yourself in such a way.

Our rehearsals are our practices. . . our “dress rehearsals” are our games. . . our final shows, the times where we need to be at our best, is tournament time!!!!

The next four months we will have numerous rehearsals. . . .we will have 26 full-dress rehearsals and finally, come the end of February, we will hopefully be able to give our best performance when it is SHOW TIME!

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What lies between where we are and where we want to be is our DETERMINATION.

My program is currently experiencing a basketball player shortage. We barely have enough players to play a b-squad schedule and we may offer the opportunity to 7th and 8th graders to play on c-squad starting in January.

Here are my numbers:

7th grade - nine players (okay numbers but it is nice to have at least 10)
8th grade - seven players (really had to work hard to keep #6 & #7 playing!)
9th grade – four players(we had five to start the season but one decided to retire.)
10th grade – three players
11th grade – four players (one may be out for the year with a knee injury)
12th grade – two players

I've been doing a lot of soul-searching this past week. I think it is important to self analyze. All coaches need to constantly look at who they are and what they stand. You need to look at what you do and how it is effecting your program so that you can make the needed changes. I did a lot of self analyzing after our one win season a few years back and I learned a lot. I made some major mistakes but out of those mistakes I have become a better coach. So when I look at my current challenge I have come to the conclusion that I am a big reason for the lack of numbers.

I know that there are other reasons, besides myself, for our low numbers. . . I coach in a very ethnically diverse school and the cultures of many of the groups that now reside in our school don’t put a high emphasis on women competing in sports. In my sixteen years in Pelican Rapids I have yet to see a Hispanic, Somalian, Bosnian, etc. . . girl stay on the team beyond 10th grade. We are basically a 1A school if you would subtract this population from our enrollment. (not an complaint, just a reality)

Another big factor is the success of our dance team. Dance is a very attractive activity for young girls and that program has definitely hurt our numbers much more than our gymnastic teams ever did. The dance team has a great coach who works hard and as a result she has attracted a number of athletes that could have been successful on the hard court.

So there are "outside" factors that have impacted this current shortage but I know I am a part of the low numbers issue. I look at my high expectations as a big reason players to drop out of the program.

I know, just like almost every coach, you will be able to find people in our community that will tell you that they know of girls that have quit my program because they think I’m not a very good coach, to put it nicely, but that’s the rap that you sometimes take as a coach but I always feel that quiting a sport because you don't like a particular coach is really a weak excuse.

You are going to come across people through out your life that you may not particularly care too much about but you will have to find a way to work for them or with them. If a coach causes you to quit the player probably didn't care enough about the sport in the first place. Not liking the coach is sometimes a convenient excuse.

Back to my expectations. . .I composed the following letter to go out to players who are contemplating quiting basketball. . .

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A letter from coach:

I hear that you are thinking about quitting basketball. They tell me you are no longer excited about the game and you have told your friends and parents that it is no longer fun. Before you make this decision, because I really feel it is a MAJOR decision, I want you to know a little more about my thoughts on sports and my program.

I know I ask a lot of the players that participate in my basketball program. I understand that this is a huge commitment to make and that there are a lot of “fun” things that you could do with your time. I know that I ask more of my players, in the off season, than any other girls’ sports team in our school and I understand it takes a big chunk out of your busy life.

In fact, the only program that asks for a bigger “off-season” time commitment is the boys’ basketball program. Fulfilling these expectations does call for individual sacrifices. However, when something calls for sacrifice you need to look beyond the here-and-now and you also must really consider the word “REWARDING”.

Making a commitment to my program will provide you with the habits and skills for future success!

You are going to be challenged in this program. You are going to be asked to “Dream Big and Work to Win”! You will learn to persevere. . . to meet obstacles and find a way to get around them or through them. You will be asked to find a positive way to thrive no matter what your status is as a player. I know this will not always be “fun” but if you stick with the program and give your best effort it will be one of the most REWARDING things you do in high school.

To be successful you will have to make a powerful commitment to this relationship. There will be opportunities for you to do things that are more “fun” but by challenging yourself you will learn a value system strong enough to carry you through life.

Here are some values that I am offering:
•Respect – I will ask you to respect the game and team by showing up for practice on time, by asking you to make choices between fun and commitment, and by asking you to work hard not for yourself but for the team.

•Discipline – Learning the discipline it takes to succeed in basketball will teach you how hard you have to work to succeed elsewhere. Success doesn’t mean you have to be the start, success means you became the best you could be.

•Perspective – Basketball will have incredible highs and some tough lows. . . I will help you understand that what matters is the journey, not the moment.

•Responsibility – Abiding by the rules set for the team and fulfilling the expectation that you work on your game in the off-season all help you understand the importance of being a part of an organization.

•Selflessness – We work hard to create a “team-first” atmosphere. Our slogan is “Our Team” and we emblazon the letters O.T. on much of our practice gear. We also talk a lot about being a “family” and making sacrifices for the benefit of the group.

•Resiliency – As mentioned early, we will help you learn how to handle adversity. There will be many opportunities where you will have to be resilient in hoops. . . be it an injury, a loss, missing a shot or getting yelled at. . . all of these situations will help you learn how to cope, how to let go off the past and look to the future.

I guess I could ask less of you as a player but I would only be letting down those players who are benefiting so much from being a part of a program that asks them to test their character.

I believe sports are a great way to help you discover what you really can do if you set your mind and body in motion.

I am offering you this chance. If you chose to accept this challenge the “REWARDS” will be lifelong.

I also want you to know that I truly love the players that make this commitment to the program. I feel a debt of gratitude to those that have come through and worked so hard for themselves and the program. Because of this I hope the girls who pass through this program know that I will be there to help them in times of need. The same will be true for you. . . if you chose to stay and play!

Be Strong, Stay Strong

Coach Bruggeman

Over the past two years the girls' basketball program in Pelican Rapids has struggled. Two years ago we won only one game, last year we made it to seven. What really has become clear to me is the direct relationship between love and success.

Right now our boys' basketball program in Pelican Rapids is an ultra hot sport. Coach Brad Strand has created an environment of success within his program and one of the keys to this success is the "love" that the boys exhibit for the game of basketball.

You really do need to have a high level of passion from your athletes if your sports program is going to be really successful. I guess that is true in all aspects of life. . .there is little commitment to anything in life with-out love.

Currently in the girls program, you really only have to "like" the game of basketball and you stand a good chance of going out for the team and getting playing time. The problem this creates is that you really don't get that deep level of commitment when you just "like" something.

An athlete and their chosen sport is very much like any "personal" relationship. If you are really in love with someone you are willing to make the sacrifices necessary for that relationship to be successful.

If you just kind of "like" the person, you may enjoy spending time with them but if something better comes up you don't really feel too guilty going out and doing something else.

Don't get me wrong, we have players that put in a decent amount of time but it is nowhere near the amount of time that is currently being put in by the athletes in the boys' program.

What has happened in the boys' program is that there is a lot of competition for playing time and if you are not passionate about the sport you are probably not going to work hard enough to improve your skills. . . if you are not working on your skills, someone else is and when they compete for playing time, all things being equal, the one that is working hard will have the upper hand.

I see the difference constantly. I walked into the gym the other morning and there were 20 boys playing on the two high school courts. (The gym is open from 7:00 to 8:00 and the boys get their tails in there to play) In fact, since the start of school my eighth grade son has been going in to play hoops 3 to 4 mornings a week.

I have yet to see more than 6 girls in the gym playing a pick up game this fall. They are all aware of the opportunities to play but not enough of them really, truly "love" the game enough to make the sacrifices to come in and play.

I just told a fellow coach that I will know our program is "back" when I pass by the gym and see ten girls playing 5 on 5!!!

There was a time when we did have more girls in the gym than boys. We had girls who were eager and passionate about the game of basketball. We won a conference title, a section title and had numerous 20+ winning seasons. So I know that girls do have the ability to develop a "love" for the game.

I guess my message to parents is this. . . It is important to understand that you can help inspire your kids to be passionate about what they are good at. By really taking an active role, not a demanding role, but an active role in their interests, you can really cultivate a love for extra-curricular activities.

I was talking with a dad of one of our seventh grade players the other day and I told him that she could become a pretty good player for us in the future if. . . HE MADE THE COMMITMENT to her success.

TALENT ISN'T ENOUGH. . .Faith, Hope and Love and the greatest of these is LOVE!

Love helps you break down the obstacles that stand in the way of success. . . I want to give a shout out to two former Pelican Rapids alums who, through their actions and accomplishments, show the "Love Philosophy":

First to Taylor Huseby - An Ultra-Talented individual who chased down his dream of playing college hoops. . . I watched him start for Southwest State the other night at the "Barn" against the Golden Gophers. . .He's living the dream. . . how cool is that!

Second shout out goes to Amanda Belz - One of my former managers. Here is a kid who loves sports as much as she loves the Golden Gophers. . . In high school she set her mind to enrolling at the U of M and pursuing a manager position with the Gophers and her dream came true last year. . . She is a manager for the Ms. Gopher Basketball program. . .She is in the back row of the picture of the Gophers team above, third from the right! Rock on Belzy!



Love is a key ingredient to SUCCESS!