Silver lining

Well, that wasn't expected. OK, we didn't get to play tonight. But instead, we got to use a gym for our own purposes for a good 30 minutes or so. With 12 guys — 13 it turned out, except Isaiah stayed off the court and hidden away when he arrived — we had a good number to get a scrimmage going. We got some basics of the zone and man offenses going for our newer guys like Max, Pono and Jordan.

Playing indoors is a huge advantage for practice. No wind. Fewer bumps and bruises. More than all that, it's simply a major boost to confidence. Playing under the lights is a different world. So that's why I consider tonight's forfeit a blessing in disguise. We got to work on things that needed working on. We get a win, the Sharks get a loss and we move on to another pool-play game tomorrow night against the host Aiea Blazers.

I'm content for now, but when morning comes, I'll be pumped again. Wish I could play.

We'll meet at 6 p.m. tomorrow. Game time is 7.

Coach Paul

Game day

Who's ready to play some basketball? I'm pumped. But as a coach, being pumped has only a few benefits. I always remind myself that a game is sometimes like a test. The ones who studied and prepared are ready. The ones who didn't study and prepare fully will be inconsistent. Always true. That's why it's important to have fun. When players are in shape and executing on both ends of the court, they have fun. Simple, but not easy. So we'll be in Aiea tonight attempting to accomplish something with a lot of new players and old players. Go Thunder!

Just a reminder: bring and carry with you a copy of your birth certificate at all times for the tournament and the NJB All-Net League. Better safe than sorry.

See you guys at Aiea Rec. Gym. I'll be there by 5:15. Game is at 6:15.

Wednesday Update

Word just in from NJB All-Net League: No games this weekend for us in both 17-under and 15-under. This is a blessing in disguise since we still have a lot of registration paperwork not in from the newer guys. Also need everybody's copies of birth certificate.

The NJB All-Net League coaches meeting is on Saturday (6 p.m.), so I definitely need everybody's papers before then. I'll be in touch, and call me at 551-1054 to make sure everything is squared up if you don't hear from me. I'm juggling our two teams with the all-state basketball project at work, so I'm trying to catch everything that might fall through the cracks.

As for the Aiea Spring Tournament, that begins tomorrow and everyone needs to be there 1 hour in advance to be sure all our paperwork is set. Be there by 5:15 p.m. Our game is 6:15. If you need a ride, call me.

Can't wait until we get on the court and play some new competition!

Schedule
Thursday, 6:15 p.m. Thunder vs. Sharks, Aiea 15-under Spring Tournament, Aiea Rec. Center
Friday, 7:00 p.m. vs. Aiea Blazers, Aiea 15-under Spring Tournament, Aiea Rec. Center
Saturday, 9:45 a.m. vs. KKB, Aiea 15-under Spring Tournament, Aiea Rec. Center
Saturday, time TBA, , Aiea 15-under Spring Tournament, Aiea Rec. Center. Playoffs begin at noon
Saturday, 6:00 p.m., NJB All-Net League coaches meeting, Palama Settlement Gym
Sunday 9:00 a.m. (est), Aiea 15-under Spring Tournament playoffs, Aiea Rec. Center
Sunday, 3:00 p.m., Practice, Makiki Park

100% effort, 1% per day

Post-practice laundry

Note: Practice today (Monday), 5 p.m., Makiki Park. Focus on team offense, team defense, shooting, ballhandling, pressbreaker.

Good workout on a Sunday afternoon. A dry afternoon for a change. Spring is a strange time for me this year. For you guys, it's basically the same, just with a one or two (or three) basketball practices to go along with the usual. But for me, it's different. I've coached a JV team, age-group teams ... but those were in the winter or summer. Spring presents different challenges and realities.

We've got a lot of guys in spring school sports. That's good; staying active means staying in decent physical shape. But that cuts down on basketball practices for them. Some guys who have no other sports going on have been consistently coming. Then there are guys who are there sporadically. It's spring basketball. Some guys love playing. Some guys don't. I'd love to see everybody at every practice, but it's reality. Can't make somebody love something. I know that.

Just remember the 1 Percent Rule. If you improve 1% each time you practice (with 100% effort each day) with the team or in your own workouts ... over a month, two months, a year ... you become a different level of player. You move ahead of the guy who sits around and does nothing until tryouts next winter.

We had 16 players at practice yesterday and everyone looked sharp now that we've got our practice jerseys. I can't imagine what it would've been like to scrimmage and sub without those reversible jerseys. We go some solid work done, but the coach in me who knows we need reps can't help himself. So I just concentrate on what we can control instead of how insanely good we could become with more reps.

The tournament and league season are just days away. We'll practice this afternoon, get the guys who have missed a lot of practice time to run through offense and defense. Primarily, though, we need to just play. Get to know each other and build chemistry on the court. It all leads to fun, which is our No. 1 priority. If we're having fun, we're doing a few things right. The more we do right, the more fun we have.

Last note: I didn't bring any water yesterday and felt fine until after practice, when I was totally fried by dehydration. After all the recent rain at Makiki Park, I forgot how hot it can get even in late afternoon. So be sure to bring your water. I'll start packing a few bottles in case anyone forgets to bring their bottle.

See you guys at practice!

Slush float, Rainbow Drive In

Practice Sunday 3 p.m.

In case there's anybody who hasn't been to practice lately, yes, Sunday 3 p.m. at Makiki Park is practice time. That's when we get the best turnout since the track and volleyball guys are free.

Bring all paperwork, including a copy of your birth certificate if you haven't submitted them yet. If you haven't received registration forms for the Aiea Basketball Tournament (15-under) and/or NJB All-Net League, call me at 551-1054. I've e-mailed everyone the forms, but if there's anybody I missed, please let me know ASAP. With 25 players, I realize there are going to be human errors.

See you guys this afternoon!

Schedule
Sunday, 3 p.m., Practice, Makiki Park
Monday, 5 p.m., Practice, Makiki Park
Thursday, time TBA, (15U) Aiea Spring Tournament, Aiea Recreation Center
Friday, time TBA, (15U) Aiea Spring Tournament, Aiea Recreation Center
Friday, time TBA, (17U) NJB All-Net League, site TBA
Saturday, time TBA, (15U) Aiea Spring Tournament, Aiea Recreation Center

Saturday, time TBA, (15U) NJB All-Net League, site TBA

Saturday, 6 p.m. NJB All-Net League, Coaches Meeting, Palama Gym

Sunday, time TBA, (15U) Aiea Spring Tournament, Aiea Recreation Center

Is that busy enough for you guys? The Sunday games at the Aiea Tournament are scheduled for morning only, from the rough draft I saw from the tournament, so we could still go to the park and have a shootaround that afternoon if anybody wants to go. You know I'll be there to work with you guys whether there are 20 of us or just one. If you're dedicated, there's always a helping hand.

NOTE: For the Aiea Tournament, I'm considering renting out a mini-van to help anybody who needs a ride to the games. If we have enough guys who need rides, it's a no-brainer to travel together. If everybody has rides, then it would be unnecessary. But I don't want anybody to feel like they're stranded back in town.

Love this game,

Coach Paul

Update, Sunday, 11:15 a.m. Aiea Tournament schedule is official and released. We begin pool play on Thursday, 6:15 p.m., against the Sharks.

Friday, 7:00 p.m. vs. Aiea Blazers

Saturday, 9:45 a.m. vs. KKB

Playoffs begin at noon on Saturday with the championship game on Sunday morning.

I'm pumped!

Practice Saturday, 3 p.m.

(Update, Friday: The practice unis are done. I picked them up from Kelii (Phyxius Sports) this afternoon. They look sweet! See you guys tomorrow.) 

Got the call this afternoon (Friday). Our practice jerseys are ready. So I drive over to Phyxius Sports.

What's in this box?

Woila!

Kelii Silva of Phyxius Sports displays our new practice jersey. It's a first! 

Kelii designed the logo and picked out the font. I like it!

Here's the reverse side. As a coach, this is going to make practice so much more efficient.

Makes me wish I was 15 and still playing organized basketball!

Nice Saturday ahead. My work assignment is in the morning/mid-day, so Saturday afternoon is free. We'll work on basics — shooting, ballhandling — like we did last Saturday. If we have nine guys, we can work on some X's and O's. But primarily, I like Saturdays as a day to refine the basics. It's good enough a routine for the pros. Good enough for the Thunder.

Good workout yesterday. I know it's tempting to automatically cancel when it gets cloudy in town, but when the sun is hitting that court all day, it won't stay wet for long. The rain finally got us, but we got a good hour of work done, guys. I'm happy we had nine despite the weather and having so many of us in spring sports (track, volleyball).

It was the first practice for our newest addition, Wilson MacLeod. Key is for everyone to turn in their registration/waiver forms and a copy of their birth certificate.

Next practice, again, is Saturday 3 p.m. See you guys then!

Coach Paul

Below, update on schedules. NJB All-Net League schedule will be confirmed by Mar. 28. We need to turn in all player registration/waiver forms.

Thunder schedule
Saturday, 3 p.m., Practice, Makiki Park
Sunday, 3 p.m., Practice, Makiki Park
Thursday, Mar. 31, time TBA, Aiea Blazers Spring Tournament, Aiea Rec. Center
Friday, Apr. 1, time TBA, Aiea Blazers Spring Tournament, Aiea Rec. Center
Friday, Apr. 1, 5-9 pm. (our game time to be determined), NJB All-Net League 17-UNDER, Palama Gym
Saturday, Apr. 2, time TBA, Aiea Blazers Spring Tournament, Aiea Rec. Center
Saturday, Apr. 2, NJB All-Net League 15-UNDER, Kilauea (12-5 pm) and Palama (4-6 pm), exact site/time to be determined

Saturday, Apr. 2, 6 p.m. NJB All-Net League, Coaches Meeting, Palama Gym

Sunday, Apr. 3, time TBA, Aiea Blazers Spring Tournament, Aiea Rec. Center

Practice, Wednesday, 5 p.m.

I got Wednesday off, so we'll practice at 5 p.m., Makiki Park. The park courts are reserved by other teams on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Yesterday's practice was a good workout. Got some basics done with zone offensive flow, zone offense, man offense, shooting drills, transition drills. The intrasquad scrimmage was longer than usual — 45 minutes — but with 12 players, it was a good way to measure our conditioning. And get in better shape. I liked what I saw.

Special thanks to Brent for videotaping our scrimmage. I'll post that early in the morning. It takes hours to upload footage to YouTube (private/unlisted link).

I really, really need to collect everyone's registration/waiver forms for both the Aiea tourney and the NJB All-Net League.

Guys, keep working, keep refining ... become great at what you do best. An all-around game is important, true. But take your strength and hone it to perfection the best you can. If that happens to be shooting, work at it today and tomorrow. Waiting until later to work on your craft is fool's gold. Today matters!

See you guys Wednesday.

Coach Paul

Practice Sunday, 3 p.m.

Practice Sunday is 3 p.m. at Makiki Park. Bring all your paperwork: registration/waiver forms, copies of birth certificates.

Today's shootaround was solid. Good work on ballhandling/on-ball pressure, plus shooting drills and transition spot-up shooting drills. Bryson, JJ, Mickey, Josh and Cody. A solid 75 minutes of work. Happy!

See you guys tomorrow!

Thursday night Thunder

Good workout today, Thunder. Considering we have nine guys missing during the week due to track or volleyball practice, I'm happy we had 10 today. Plus Bryson's little brother, Brent. Big aloha welcome to our new 17U player, Christian Akana. Mahalo to Drew for bringing his friend. Big plus for the Thunder!

We got work in for transition offense, fullcourt and halfcourt defense, inbounds play. There's so much more I'd like for us to get done, but with just two practices a week (three when Saturday is here), there's only so much we can focus on, so I try to keep things simple. We'll do more work on individual basics on Saturday.

When we're not practicing, it's test of your commitment to yourself to get better by working on all the fundamentals, from ballhandling to shooting. Conditioning is totally within your power, as well.

Couple of updates for the guys who weren't there today.

1. I got a call back from Hawaiian Mission Academy. This time it was the principal who I talked with. He's pretty serious about finding us gym time on Sunday afternoon or evening. We didn't discuss rental price, but it would be worth every dollar.

2. The cost of two teams, two entry feeds to NJB All-Net and one tournament, plus practice and game uniforms for 25 players, is HUGE.

Practice uniforms: 25 x $50 = $1,250
Game uniforms: 25 x $75 (est.) = $1,875
Entry fee, NJB 17U & 15U: $450 + $450 + $135 (players insurance) = $1,035
Entry fee, Aiea tournament: (not sure yet, but I'll find out soon. Probably $250 or so)
Total: roughly $4,410

That's why I'm planning on several car wash fundraisers and we'll all need to pitch in. That way, I don't go broke and everybody gets to keep their practice and game unis.

Also, I need to find out who is interested in playing in a 15U scrimmage next Thursday. We'd have to play at Aiea. I'm fine if we play or don't play. It's fine if we scrimmage, but we've got plenty to work on without a scrimmage.

See you guys on Saturday!

Practice schedule
Saturday, 5 p.m., Makiki Park
Sunday, 3 p.m., Makiki Park — need all registration forms and copies of birth certificates

Games
Aiea Blazers Tournament, Mar. 30 to Apr. 2 (definite)
NJB All-Net 15U and 17 U, Apr. 1 to May 29 (definite)
CAL 15U, June 6 to July 30 (definite)
Ikaika League, high school division, June? (tentative)
Kona Stingrays high school division tournament, early July (definite, fundraisers pending)

Practice Schedule

I have to work on Saturday (baseball doubleheader), so the schedule has tweaked a little.

Practice schedule
Thursday, 5 p.m., Stevenson Middle School
Saturday, 5 p.m., Makiki Park
Sunday, 3 p.m., Makiki Park

Saturday, the doubleheader starts at 11 a.m. at Kaiser, so I should be good by 5 p.m. practice. If it goes extra innings, I may be late.

Home hunting
Still hunting around for a gym. Tried First Chinese Christian Church. No go. They use it all the time. Trying Hawaiian Mission Academy.

>> As I wrote, HMA just called me. No luck. They're busy with the gym during spring. The AD recommended calling in early June for possible rental in the summer.

OK ... any ideas?

Intrasquad scrimmage, Mar. 13

1. Have fun watching
2. Focus on transition offense and transition defense, especially traps immediately after baskets and pressure on the ball. We'll get much better in time. Yesterday, not too bad. All about reps and urgency.

This week
Thursday, 5 p.m., practice, Stevenson Middle School
(note: Makiki Park is still reserved by other NJB teams on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 p.m.)
Saturday, 10 a.m., practice (shooting and ballhandling drills), Makiki Park
Sunday, 3 p.m., practice, Makiki Park

Player registration, waiver form (NJB)

OK guys, if you haven't filled out the NJB All-Net League player registration/waiver form, this is it below. Please print it out, fill it out and have it ready for me at practice on Thursday.

For everyone who hasn't given me a copy of your birth certificate, please bring that on Thursday. For the North Shore boys, Sunday will do.

Edited Monday, 2 a.m.

Resized to roughly 8x11

Earlier in the day, I took care of some business. Met with Stephen Chong of NJB All-Net and signed up our teams, filled out my coach's registration/waiver form and paid the entry fees (plus player insurance). It came out to $1,035. Yeah, not cheap, haha. But this is a solid league and it'll be a great experience for each of our Thunder players, and hopefully the thrills of competing together brings us together as friends for life.

Good, good workout this afternoon, Thunder! I had fun watching you guys learn some new stuff on defense, inbounds play, transition pace (be quick, don't rush). The closing 30 minutes of scrimmaging was fun, too. It was so good to have the North Shore guys there after they almost didn't have a ride today. Mahalos to Bubba's dad for the awesome generosity. Also, Keanu and his dad drove from Kailua down toward Makapuu, but had to turn around because of road closure. Pali Hwy was closed, so they had to go all the way to Likelike Hwy, then get to Makiki. Thanks Dad! (Daniel Vela.) It was awesome to have Keanu back at practice. Best freshman in the state? Maybe. I don't know more than a few players who love the game as much as he does. He's working on his game day and night, 365.

Our younger guys are progressing thanks to the high level of play in our drills and scrimmages. The 17U and our tough 15s set the bar high, and everyone else follows.

Today was the first practice for Drew and Bubba. They were terrific today, just pure desire on both ends of the court. Drew is a guard who can post and rebound ... or a forward who can break a press down with his handles. Bubba is super fast and athletic, good hops. Like our other bruddahs from the North Shore, 100% class, 100% competitor.

Sunday, Mar. 13, 2011

Best on-ball defenders, right to left
(17U and 15U combined)

I'm concerned about our NJB 15U, though. Five of our 15U guys didn't make it to practice. Two had social activities going on, another had to repaint his bedroom, and the other two, no word at all. We don't get a lot of practice time (2-3 times a week), so I expect everyone to be there when possible and work together with their teammates. Chemistry can't happen without repetition TOGETHER. We've got some time ahead, but I am concerned. I want the best for you guys, and it's not going to happen without teamwork. What you consider "good enough" is not the bar of excellence, not close. I will not allow you to short change yourself and the team, so please consider giving the team your best effort for the two or three practices we have each week.

Our 17U, tremendous maturity. Even the 15-year-old guys who are now too old (NJB rule) to play with the younger guys have begun to step up and show great commitment and focus at practice with the 17U. The bar is higher, naturally, and they're answering the call.

Looking forward to the best — from everyone!

Coach Paul
551-1054

This week
Thursday, 5 p.m., practice, Makiki Park
Saturday, 10 a.m., practice (shooting and ballhandling drills), Makiki Park
Sunday, 3 p.m., practice, Makiki Park

Practice Sunday, 3 pm, 15U and 17U

Practice is at Makiki Park again, and I'll be collecting more waiver forms. Before I get to practice, I'll visit one of the NJB All-Net League coordinators to pay the entry fees for our teams. I'm excited, maybe the most excited I've been since Kaimuki JV all those years ago!

Yesterday (Friday), I stopped in with Kelii Silva of Phyxius Sports to order our new practice and game uniforms. The logo (at right) and unis will be tight, to say the least. Practice gear will be ready in roughly  1 1/2 weeks. Game uniforms ready in about one month.

See you at practice. It'll be fun for the guys who love this game.

Practice
Sunday, 3 p.m., Makiki Park, 15U and 17U
Weekday practice(s) TBA (I'll get my work schedule by Sunday night or Monday morning)

Thursday night Thunder

Howzit everyone!

1. I made contact with a friend of a friend, Kelii Silva, who is arguably the best uniform designer in Hawaii. Since talking with him this afternoon for the first time, he has already designed a logo for us. So instead of me ordering game uniforms and practice jerseys from Eastbay, our new friend will handle all of it.

I had never heard of him until this week, when I saw a friend at the gym wearing his game uniform. It was almost an exact copy of the Boston Celtics uniforms, with an original logo for their team. I've sent Kelii the general details with a look of what I want for our unis: Syracuse orange tops and shorts. 

Here's one example. And another. 

The game uniforms, which Kelii will custom design, will be ready in about one month. That means we'll use our practice uniforms for the first couple of weeks of league play (and the tournament). Kelii is an energetic, talented guy. Before I was back from practice, he already had a logo designed for us. I like it a lot!

2. Small, but hearty turnout today for practice at Stevenson Middle School courts. I thought it was Lincoln, but technically, it's on the Stevenson side of the area. We had some rain, so the workout was limited to some shooting and some defensive schematic work.

3. My humble apologies for being late. I got caught in the worst traffic mess on the freeway in recent memory. Took me 90 minutes to get from Mo'ili'ili to Kamehameha, where I picked up Josh. Then it was awhile to get to practice. I'm going back to my old routine of leaving home before 2 p.m., hanging out at Starbucks with my laptop (work) until I pick up Josh. Just to avoid that awful traffic.

4. Next practice is a shootaround, to work on shooting and ballhandling, Saturday, 11 a.m. at Makiki Park. This is especially a must for everyone who wants to get on the floor. I will not play people who can't handle the ball, who cannot shot the ball properly and successfully. So if you aren't improving and making the effort to get better, that's up to you. The opportunity is there, gentlemen.

Right now, Japan is in emergency mode after an 8.9 earthquake and a destructive set of tsunami. My thoughts and prayers are with the folks there. They're in a precarious situation, not having transportation to get around as easily as we do because of their dependence on the now-defunct rail system. So many people, their children have been affected.

We have our own tsunami warning now, arrival time 2:59 a.m. Be smart, stick together and stay alert everyone. If everything is back to normal this weekend, we'll have our workouts. First and foremost, take care of your families.

Thunder practice
Saturday, 11 a.m., Makiki Park — Shootaround, ballhandling drills
Sunday, 3 p.m., Makiki Park — Full practice for 17U and 15U

Thunder schedule
Aiea Blazers Tournament, Mar. 30-Apr. 2 (Thur-Sun), Aiea District Park Gym
NJB All-Net League, Apr. 1-May 29, Kaimuki District Park Gym
Kona Stingrays Tournament, early July

Aloha,
Coach Paul
551-1054

Thursday practice, 5 pm, Lincoln Elementary

I was at Stevenson Middle School baseball field covering a baseball game (Kailua-Roosevelt) for work this afternoon. I drove through the parking lot, which is connected to Lincoln Elementary School and saw FOUR basketball courts there, all empty. Every rim had a net, too.

We're practicing at Lincoln tomorrow, weather permitting. Though weather is slightly better at Kahala (usually dry), it's a trek for most of our guys to get there. Much easier to get to Lincoln.

Lincoln is next to Stevenson, which is a few blocks west from Roosevelt High School. Here's a map.

If you type in Lincoln Elementary School, Honolulu, HI to Google Maps, it points to two locations for the site. 'A' is the correct site, not 'B'.

If there are any questions, just reach me via Facebook or call 551-1054.

Please note, I've added a Saturday morning skills session at Makiki for the guys who want to work more on shooting and ballhandling. We've done a lot of work with team defense and transition offense, but working on skills requires more practice time, so I'll be there Saturday morning.

See you guys there!

Practice schedule
Thursday, 5 p.m., Lincoln Elementary School
Saturday, 11 a.m., Makiki Park (shootaround/skills work)
Sunday, 3 p.m., Makiki Park

Practice Thursday, 5 p.m., Kahala Park

I have to work today (Wednesday), which is unfortunate since Makiki Park courts are pretty much wide open on Wednesdays, but crowded on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Two other teams (young age group) have the courts reserved on Tuesdays and Thursdays. One of them was nice enough to share a court with us last week.

Until further notice, we'll practice on Thursday, 5 p.m., Kahala Park. I would rather practice closer to where most of our guys live, but on Thursdays, it's the one location where we'll have enough court space to practice. Most parks have only one court and I can't count on that.

I've got some ideas for a much better practice situation. I've got some calls to make in the morning. The chances are slim, but there's no harm in asking. Gyms are hard to come by, but there are some usable, if small ones around. They probably will involve a rental fee, but I'll deal with that later. Just want a good facility for you guys to practice in.

We had a good workout on Sunday at Makiki Park even with the passing showers. For you younger guys, working out with good, older players will always make you better as a team, better individually. Nothing like speed to test your abilities.

I like the way our 17U and 15U teams are shaping up even though a few of our guys haven't been able to practice yet. Hope to see you guys there on Thursday.

Thunder schedule
Thursday, 5 p.m., practice, site TBA
Sunday, 3 p.m., practice, Makiki Park

1-4 variation frees up shooter

A great setup off a 1-4 set. Using double screens, even if they are in the form of cutters, is an effective way to free up a shooter.

Practice: Thursday, 5 pm, Makiki Park

If you haven't gotten word via Facebook, Thunder practice is Thursday, 5-6:30 p.m. at Makiki District Park. The park is right above the freeway next to the Keeaumoku Street overpass. If you have been through town, you've passed it probably a hundred times. From the freeway, you can see the skateboard park right below the overpass, the basketball courts next to that. Enter from the mauka (mountain) side via Wilder Street. The facility is pretty busy and nice with a big soccer field, library, swimming pool.

The great thing is that hardly anybody is there at 5 p.m. on a weekday and there are two courts. It's a more convenient site for most of the guys on this season's 15U team, and for the 17U guys, as well.

To the guys who can't make it to practice, no worries. If you're busy with track or volleyball practice at high school, that always takes precedence.

After Thursday, we probably won't practice until Sunday afternoon, site to be determined.

Looking forward to more basketball. I lub dis game!

Update, 5:15 p.m. At practice, we'll run through drills at game speed. Nothing will take as well as operating at game speed, and each of you can do the same drills on days when we don't practice, if you truly want to maximize your God-given potential. My estimate is that only 5% of all players in Hawaii come anywhere near maximizing their potential even through the resources — basketball, shoes, courts — are available. The beauty of the game is that it starts with your heart and nothing can take that away except your own work ethic, or lack thereof.