Quick Update

I know it has been a while since my last entry, so I wanted to drop a quick line to stay in touch. Summer is flying by!

For the past few weeks I have been doing what I do towards the end of every summer… going through countless training DVD’s, notes, books, websites, and college/pro training manuals and refreshing (and reminding) myself of quality drills and exercises to implement this up coming pre-season with the players and teams I work with. While I certainly love to pick up new tricks, it is just as satisfying to be reminded of some old tricks that still work well that I haven’t used in a while. The term “oldie but goodie” definitely rings true. I take my professional development very seriously and am always trying to learn new stuff – coaching techniques, drills, exercises, modalities, etc. As long as a drill or exercises can be done safely, efficiently, and progressively and it makes my players better… I USE IT!

On a scheduling note, I leave this Thursday for Sao Paulo, Brazil with a team of Nike all star players and coaches, many of whom I got the opportunity to work with this summer at the Nike Skills Academies. We are going to Brazil for 10 days to work out, play 5-6 games, and put on clinics for area players and coaches. It promises to be an amazing experience!

When I get back I will make sure to check in with the details of the trip as well as give an end of summer wrap up. I will also give you a behind the scenes preview of the fall and winter, as there are a lot of really exciting things going on, not only with me, but with basketball in general.

For now, enjoy the Olympics (go USA!) and take advantage of your last couple of weeks of summer.

If you would like to contact me about this blog, my MVP Vertical Jump Training DVD, my training and/or camps and clinics, please click on the white envelope. I will respond as quickly as possible!

Train hard. Train smart.

Alan Stein, CCS, CSCS
Vertical Jump Expert

Passing is a lost art because it is not as glorified a skill as dunking, dribbling or shooting 3’s. However, it is a separator at the next level. Meaning if you can “drop dimes” you will receive a lot of playing time. Passing off the left and right hand, off the dribble, and after a dribble moves are skills that players should practice daily on a wall, with a toss back or partner. As many shots as a player makes, this is how many passes players should take. This will make passing in the game easier. Game passing must be practiced vs. defense. Players should remember that they are always reading 3 defenders when they have the ball; 1) their defender 2) their receivers’ defender 3) help/weak-side defense. Their footwork must be great to sweep pivot and reverse pivot through defender.

Jamaican Basketball Camp

I have been writing a regular blog for quite some time now, and this is by far my most meaningful entry. I have been so fortunate in my career to work with some great players (Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley, and Ty Lawson); great programs (Montrose Christian HS), and work some amazing events (Jordan All American Classic, McDonald’s All American game, Kobe Bryant/Amare Stoudamire/Steve Nash/Paul Pierce/LeBron James Nike Skills Academies). And while all of those experiences were unique, fun, and remarkable in their own way, my recent trip to Jamaica was a life changing experience.

Two years ago at the Jordan All American Classic I was introduced to Stephen Johnston, the legal guardian of Jamaican native and future NBA superstar Samardo Samuels. He told me all about this camp he helps run in Jamaica every summer and we started to plot a way I could get involved.

Long story short, over a year later, I boarded a plane to Kingston Jamaica to volunteer to work the 8th annual Star Search Basketball & Life Skills Development Camp held at the G.C. Foster College of Physical Education & Sports in St. Catherine, Jamaica.

The camp was incredible and my time there and interaction with the kids was not only humbling, but helped me refresh a whole new perspective on life. The hotel I stayed at was almost 45 minutes from the gym, so I got to see plenty of landscape on my daily bus ride to and from. I will never forget what I saw.

I have never seen poverty like I saw there. Most houses were nothing more than four pieces of upright sheet metal with a plywood roof and several cinder blocks holding it down. I saw kids playing soccer, barefoot, on dirt fields, kicking around a make shift ball. There were dogs, cats, and goats walking around everywhere. At the gym, which had no A/C, one kid showed up on the first day with a pair of beat up dress shoes and no socks. That is what was going to play in. There were almost 180 kids in the camp (biggest turn-out ever), but only two courts and six baskets. 4 of the 6 baskets were nothing more than a square piece of plywood with a rim nailed to it. The floor had more dead spots than a cemetery. The campers got up at 5am every morning (yes, 5am) and ended their day at 9pm. Now that is a full day of camp! Despite the long days, the oppressively hot conditions in the gym, the kids had an energy, an enthusiasm, and an overall appreciation that was downright palpable. The kids there seemed more appreciative of the 1% they have than most kids in my area are of the 99% they have. Seriously, how many kids in the US today would go to a camp with no A/C? How many would even consider getting up at 5am? Not many that I know of.

In addition to the folks of the JBD (Jamaica Basketball Development, Inc.) that put on the camp, Mike Minto, Gary Henry, Terry Calnek, and Stephen Johnston, the folks at Nike Basketball (Jeff Rogers, Sherman Dillard, and Tony Dorado) need to be commended for their unbelievable generosity. Nike Basketball supplied shorts, t-shirts, reversible jerseys for every camper and shoes for almost half of them. The smile on the faces of some of the underprivileged kids who just got some fresh Nike gear was priceless.

This experience made me realize how fortunate I truly am.

As far as the camp itself, I did my normal thing, opened the camp up every morning with a warm-up and dynamic flexibility session and then had my own station for agilities. The kids worked exceptionally hard and really got better as the week progressed.

This camp is making a difference. Please check out www.jamaicabasketballdevelopment.com for more info and please contact them if you want to get involved in such a worthwhile cause.

If you would like to contact me about this blog, my MVP Vertical Jump Training DVD, my training and/or camps and clinics, please click on the white envelope. I will respond as quickly as possible!

Train hard. Train smart.

Alan Stein, CCS, CSCS
Vertical Jump Expert

Friday July 4th
I can’t believe it is July already! Summer seems to fly by so quickly. July 4th is best known for fireworks as well as that absolutely disgusting Nathan’s hot dog eating contest in Coney Island (anyone who refers to that as a “sport” is a moron). However, July 4th is also the staff travel day for the LeBron James Nike US Skills Academy. I flew into Akron this morning and am staying at the Radisson right near The University of Akron where the Academy is being held. Jay Bilas (ESPN), Herman Harried (Lake Clifton), Mike Jones (DeMatha), and Kyle Manary (works with legendary John Lucas) were all on my flight so it was nice to catch up with those guys. The only thing we had today was a staff meeting, led my Academy Director Sherman Dillard of Nike Basketball. In addition to continuing to stress the mission of the Academy (make this a once in a lifetime overall experience for the nation’s best basketball players), introducing the staff (which is the best youth basketball camp staff in the world, hands down), the overall purpose of the academy was stressed several times: teach work ethic, the vital skills per position to compete in college and the NBA, and how to appreciate unselfishness and team play (learn to play effectively with 4 other guys). For the record, Nike and it’s mission and purpose at this Academy, represents what is right with youth/grassroots basketball – teaching kids how to work hard (many of them don’t know), the fundamentals of the game (many of them aren’t being taught at their high schools), and how to play the game the way it supposed to be played (team concepts, no “And 1 Mixtape” crap! I am very thankful to be a part of Nike Grassroots basketball.

Everyone agreed that keeping the intensity and energy high for every workout, for both the HS and college players, was a high priority. That is partially where I come in. As I have alluded to in my previous blog entries, my role at all of the nation’s top HS events (Jordan All American Classic, McDonalds All American game, Nike Skills Academies, etc.) is simple; get the players talking, get them moving, and get them ready to play! I am in charge of setting the tone for the workout and given the responsibility of doing what I do best – hyping kids up and getting them ready to compete. I force the kids to communicate to each other and “show each other love” while getting them warmed up through a fast paced 10 minute series of basketball specific movements (cuts, pivots, jumps, sprints, and slides) along with some dynamic flexibility exercises (lunges, straight leg march, etc.). I pack a mean punch in the 10 minutes and am usually dripping in sweat myself.

Coach Kevin Eastman (assistant with the World Champion Boston Celtics) shared a handful of great stories from this past season. Many of his stories had the same moral – the best players on his team (KG, Pierce, Allen) demanded to be coached every day, every practice. They want their coaches to be critical of their game because they know that is the only way they will continue to improve. Once the meeting adjourned we got to pick up our apparel bags, where we were outfitted with the newest, freshest LeBron James’ gear. This stuff was fresh! Word around the campfire was Lebron, Chris Paul, and OJ Mayo will be here tomorrow. We’ll see…

Saturday July 5th
Well LeBron was here today (I will get to that in a bit) and we were told CP3 and OJ will be here tomorrow. Today was a great first day, really set the tone for an outstanding and productive academy. Tates Locke, who is been involved in high level basketball for over 40 years is always very succinct when speaking to the players. He always tells the players he only has three rules: work hard, be on time, and be honest. Those are three pretty sound rules for life as well for on the court.

The college workout was fantastic, although several high profile guys were missing because of problems with their flight. Kyle Singler (Duke), Sam Young (Pitt), and Jack McClinton (Miami) all played well. The HS workout was equally impressive, great energy and great enthusiasm. With around 80 HS kids, it is definitely harder to keep things on point, but the staff (led by Kevin Eastman and superman Ganon Baker) did an incredible job and put them through a tremendous workout. The first half of the session was a team practice and the second half was individual skill work by position. In order to keep the numbers manageable, we used two gyms (the main arena at U of Akron as well as their rec center). This ensured smaller groups at each basket so kids got up plenty of reps.

After the HS workout was the Academy Banquet, hosted by none other than King James himself. He took individual pictures with every camper and every staff member. His interaction with everyone was impressive; he is very humble and down to earth and certainly hasn’t forgotten that 6 years ago he was sitting where these kids sit now. To no surprise, Nike went above and beyond to make the banquet first class. The banquet was held in a grand ballroom at the Radisson and included a huge ice sculpture of a backboard and rim filled with tons of jumbo shrimp and crab legs. The actual dinner buffet was high end too with a delicious spread. In addition to playing highlights from the Skills Academies and last year’s LeBron Academy, the main highlight was a question and answer session with LeBron (moderated by ESPN’s Jay Bilas). LeBron was very candid and honestly answered questions about every topic imaginable; the media, his personal life, money, motivation, Olympics, off season, and his HS friends. He mentioned several times how much he loves and respects the game and that his goal is to be the best player on the court at all times, whether during practice, a drill or the NBA Finals. At the very end, to commemorate his 5 years with Nike, he was presented with a one of kind pair of Air Force One’s. They were sick!

Sunday, July 6th
I just got back to my room after a very long day (about 12 hours in the gym). I just got finished watching the college counselors scrimmage for about an hour. Recent NBA lottery pick OJ Mayo played with the college guys and at least a dozen NBA Scouts were in attendance, so the intensity was off the charts. Guys competed and played hard. Stephen Curry (Davidson) and Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut) joined in today. It was really interesting to see the notes the NBA scouts take, only about half of which have to do with player’s basketball skills. Many of the notes have to do with effort and hustle, body language, interaction with teammates, and overall attitude.

Today was also a very productive day for the HS campers. College coaches such as Bill Self (NCAA Champs Kansas) and Coach K (Duke) were two of many big time college coaches in attendance getting a close look at the crop of 80 HS superstars. And they got to see a little of everything; position specific drill work, competitive game situation scrimmages, and regular games.

LeBron joined the earlier college camper workout and jumped in all of the drills. He was super competitive and really helped keep the workout very intense. I helped work a station with Mike Procopio (ATTACK Athletics) and basically played “dummy” defense while the guys worked on a progressive series of moves out of the triple threat. Dummy defense or not, it is amazing how strong, quick and powerful these college players are. And yet, LeBron is on an entirely different level. He is so big, so explosive, it is unbelievable. And he is a 2 guard!

Monday July 7th
Today was a lot of fun. For the most part, it was very similar to the two previous days. The HS kids started the day off with team practice and position specific skill work. The college kids went through another brutal 2.5 hour workout. Then the HS came back from special situations and games. What made this day special was the college players playing at night, as LeBron and Chris Paul came to play. The King and CP3 teamed up with three of LeBron’s formal HS teammates. There were 3 college teams and then LeBron’s team. The winner’s stayed on court #1, loser’s moved to court #2 (so all four teams were always playing). Word definitely spread quick that the King and CP3 were in the building because the bleachers were full and folks were peeking through giant windows to catch a glimpse. Standing room only and well over a dozen NBA scouts were there. Camera flashes went off every few seconds and the intensity was palpable. Surprising enough, LeBron’s team lost the first two games and actually lost a few more times as the night went on. Despite that, I will go ahead and silence the critics, as there was NO question that LeBron and CP3 were by far the two best players on the court. The three guys that played with them were very good players, but definitely not on the same level as the college counselors. And LeBron and Chris were very unselfish, not taking every shot themselves but sharing the sugar with those three guys. I am not making excuses, the college kids came to play. They played with March Madness intensity and did not back down. They took advantage of having a shot to play against the King. They were there to make a name for themselves and many of them did. Two guys in particular, Patrick Beverly (Arkansas) and Jonny Flynn (Syracuse), were phenomenal and played their asses off. They definitely raised several eyebrows. As the games got more intense, the fouls got harder and the trash talking got louder. It was competition at its best and was great basketball. LeBron had several powerful dunks and old fashioned three point plays and Chris Paul put on a ball handling and passing clinic. His ability to change speed and change direction was unreal.

As top notch as the play was, the real highlight was afterwards when LeBron and CP3 spoke to the college guys and a very small group of coaches afterwards. They were very honest and candid. They commended the guys on their effort and applauded them for how hard they worked all week. They spoke from the heart and were very genuine. Their main theme was “you need to try to get better every single day, no exceptions.” He told them to enjoy college, but don’t lose focus on putting in work every day.

Tuesday July 8th
Today was the last day of camp and it started off with Coach Kevin Eastman speaking some truth to the HS players. Coach Eastman is a tremendous coach and a very powerful speaker. With an appropriate barrage of F bombs, he really spit some honesty to the HS kids and told them some things they didn’t really want to hear, but desperately needed to hear. I thought Coach Eastman was accurate and honest and I supported everything he said. He told them they aren’t as good as they think they are, they are not even close to being ready for the NBA, and they need to rid themselves of the “hangers on” who leech their way into their lives. He explained why he believes many of the kids played selfishly the night before. He told them that to this point all people do is kiss their ass and they don’t take getting better serious. His reality check was well received as the kids played much better tonight. I want to reiterate, what Coach Eastman did was a very positive thing and he did it because he truly cares about those kids and wants them to develop. After he spoke, Mike Pricopio from ATTACK Athletics gave an equally powerful talk on the reality of the NBA. He showed the kids specific examples of why they can’t take anything for granted. He showed a list of players in the last 10 years who were ranked in the top 100 in HS (many of which were All Americans) that either didn’t get drafted or have already fallen out of the NBA to play overseas. He showed a similar list of guys who were drafted in the 1st round of the NBA draft who met the same fate, are either out of basketball entirely or playing overseas. He then showed a list of guys were ranked much lower in HS (150 through 300) and how successful they have become (many of them are starters in the NBA and all of them are making some serious coin). He showed guys drafted in the 2nd round who are now big time players, like Gilbert Arenas and Michael Redd. His point was clear – just because you are one of the top HS players today doesn’t guarantee you anything. If you don’t continue to work and improve or you get in trouble off the court, you will fall through the cracks and see your dreams fade away. Just to clarify, there is nothing wrong with playing overseas, that is still big time basketball and you can still make a great living… but I think we can all agree, if you are a HS All American people expect to see you in the NBA.

Later in the evening, prior to the championship games, LeBron signed autographs for everyone in camp. He is truly a class act and deserves all of the success he has attained. It was in honor and a pleasure to work his Academy and his license plate on his all white Maybach Benz is right on the money, “KNG OF OH.”

If you would like to contact me about this blog, my MVP Vertical Jump Training DVD, my training and/or camps and clinics, please click on the white envelope. I will respond as quickly as possible!

Train hard. Train smart.

Alan Stein, CCS, CSCS
Vertical Jump Expert

I am back in my room at the Hilton Newark Airport Hotel, a couple of hours after finishing up the last workout at the Steve Nash Nike Skills Academy. This academy featured 20 of the nation’s top HS point guards and 10 of the nation’s top college point guards. From top to bottom, both the HS and college fields were extremely talented, overly enthusiastic and very coachable.

I do want to give a quick “congratulations” to Michael Beasley for being named the 2nd pick in last night’s NBA draft. I have been working Mike out, on and off, since he was in 10th grade and I am very happy for him and his family.

Like the Paul Pierce Academy, the last 3 days were a huge success and definitely fulfilled Nike’s mission in making this a once in a lifetime event for some of the nation’s best ballers.

As I mentioned last time, Nike makes it a priority to hire a quality, veteran staff. We basically had the same core staff as the Pierce academy with the addition of Lloyd Pierce who is the Player Development Coordinator of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Once again, the staff did a magnificent job both teaching and motivating and this group of point guards and really made it a point to coach them on both the basic fundamentals of the game as well as concepts, drills, and skills needed to compete at the NBA level.

My role at all of the nation’s top HS events (Jordan All American Classic, McDonalds All American game, Nike Skills Academies, etc.) is simple – get the players talking, get them moving, and get them ready to play! I am in charge of setting the tone for the workout and given the responsibility of doing what I do best – hyping kids up and getting them ready to compete.

The HS kids started off with a bang and were great communicators and leaders right from the beginning of the first warm-up. As a whole the kids were very unselfish. They went hard every workout, which showed, as many of them were pretty worn out, tired, and sore by the end of the second day. While many of the players were small in stature, they were an incredible group of athletes. In addition to lightening fast quickness, several of the kids (many in the 5’8” to 6’0” range) could throw it down with ease. I am really looking forward to working with these kids again at the LeBron James Nike US Skills Academy next week.

The college workouts were similar as well. It was one of the best groups I have ever had the pleasure to work with.

True to form, and the reason the camp is named after him, Steve Nash was amazing. He is so soft spoken and so humble for being one of the NBA’s best point guards. He was very involved at the camp and spent plenty of quality time with both the HS and college players. He spent time speaking to the players as well as showing them some on court stuff. Here, in no real particular order, is a summary of what he talked about:

He explained how the key to life is being able to find solutions, in your personal life as well as on the court. Plenty of people have (and/or cause) problems, but those that consistently find solutions are the ones who are successful. He also focused on the importance of being a good teammate and a good person, someone who people want to coach, want to play with, and want to be around. Lots of guys have talent in the NBA, but the ones who have long careers, are starters or perennial All Stars, are the ones who do the little things to get better, pay attention to detail, and are beloved by their teammates. He said this is even more important for point guards. Point guards have to be leaders both on and off the court.

Steve gives a lot of his credit to his work ethic and desire to get better. Every since college he wakes up every day and asks, “how can I make myself better today?” He used to make a master list of every shot he wanted in his offensive arsenal, jump shots, runners, tear drops, long lay-ups, quick lay-ups, reverse foot lay-ups, etc. Then he would make 25-50 of each of these every day. If it was a shot he wasn’t as good at, he may make 100.

He also told the kids that point guards need to be able to change direction, change speed, and be smarter than every other player on the floor to be successful. He told them the game is all about percentages (always make the highest percentage pass available and take the highest percentage shot) and angles (your angles often dictate your percentages). He acknowledged that most people don’t think of him as a great athlete because he doesn’t jump very high and dunk over people. But he adamantly disagrees. He knows there is much more to being a good athlete than jumping: hand/eye coordination, quickness and reaction, ability to control your body in space and change direction, etc. Steve also placed a high priority on being in great basketball shape, as that is a factor you have complete control over.

His off season workouts consist of working with a strength coach three times per week with a heavy focus on core strength and stability. Many of his strength exercises add a balance component because he performs them on an unstable surface: BOSU ball, wobble board, etc. He doesn’t play 5 on 5 during the summer but instead plays in two soccer leagues, jumps rope, and runs stairs for conditioning. He does get in intense shooting workouts to keep his handle and shot sharp, but no playing! He stressed the importance of having a solid daily routine.

Just watching him in action with the campers it was amazing how quick he is, how high is basketball IQ is, and how precise he is with everything he does. Nothing he does is ever haphazard and he never appears flustered. He is always in complete control, regardless of the game’s situation. Steve Nash represents everything that is right with the game of basketball and I sure enjoyed hearing him speak and watching him work.

If you would like to contact me about this blog, my MVP Vertical Jump Training DVD, my training and/or camps and clinics, please click on the white envelope. I will respond as quickly as possible!

Train hard. Train smart.

Alan Stein, CCS, CSCS
Vertical Jump Expert