Repetition leads to mastery

200+ shots per day. Minimum. Larry Bird took 700 every day, sun or snow. Magic Johnson heard about Larry. Magic started taking 800 shots every day. No short cuts. It's all sweat and skill. Desire. Hunger. Every day. By yourself. At pickup games. Leagues. Thunder practices. All of it adds up. Maybe one day we'll have a team that makes 15 3-pointers per game. Or 20. or 25. Don't laugh. These guys at Marina (Calif.) did it for some years and set state/national records.

Sunday fun day and more

Good workout/pickup games yesterday for the Thunder ballers. Tanielu, Kyle, Chris, Walter, Sifo, Jimark, Joshua, Coach Roy. Keone also came down to play with us at McCully gym. Unstoppable. Then we went to Kalakaua outside courts to work out a little more. Good job, Thunder!

Here's an update on the January leagues and other stuff.

• Hilo trip is unlikely at this point due to heavy cost PLUS the high probability of us playing in two leagues.

• Compete & Learn (CAL) League begins in January. We'll have a Middle Division team and possibly an Elementary Division team. The league director, Greydon, is a very sensible, smart man and he doesn't see the point of Chris playing the Elementary Division. Chris would probably dominate it since there aren't many (if any) other kids who are 6 feet tall. But Chris has been telling me for a few months that he wants to play against the older kids AND kids his own age. So, Greydon isn't forbidding Chris from playing in the Elementary Division. He just discourages it. I have mixed feelings on this. If we have two teams in CAL, most likely we'll have doubleheaders like we did the past year with teams in 15U and 13U. Chris, Micah, Walter, Kamakani, Josh could be worn out after one game. Or they could be in great physical shape by January and enjoy playing two games on Sundays.

• Aiea 12U League also begins in January. As of right now, only Chris, Micah and Walter are young enough to play in this league. Not sure if they're going to make an exception or two for our other players who are 12 in January, but turn 13 before the Sept. 1, 2013 cutoff date. So maybe Kamakani, Jared and Kodee can play in it. (I don't know when Kamakani's birthdate is, so I'm not sure about whether she can play.) 

• We still need more players for 12U and 13U. We've got some promising new players thanks to Tanielu and Chris, who brought some friends to practice the past two weekends. But we're about five or six weeks from our first games in January, and we still don't have enough players who are willing to practice during the week. I'm NOT going to be content with one practice per week (Sundays). There's no way we will improve individually or learn plays and improve as a team with only one practice per week. I don't expect us to practice five days a week, either. But right now, we need hungry basketball players like Tanielu, Kyle, Chris, Micah, Walter who are committed to working hard and having fun. Hopefully, all our new guys can commit to practicing more often. 

If you have friends who love basketball and want to play on a team that's going to run and press a lot, practice and improve, bring them to practice. If we don't have at least nine hungry, dedicated players for 12U and 13U by early December, it won't be worth it to pay for these leagues and new uniforms. But hopefully we all can find more players, not just guys who only want to work on their game one day a week. 

Spring 

NJB spring season begins in April and we should be stocked again with 17U, 15U and 13U teams. Our 17U was young last year, mostly guys who were 16 and younger. Our 15U struggled when we didn't have our full lineup, which was often, but when we had our guys, we did well. Our 13U is strong, but again, we need depth. 

That's down the road, but it'll be here before you know it. 

I'm not sure if Aiea will have a league (late March) again. I hope they do. And I'm not sure if Maryknoll (JV) and Kalani (varsity) will call us again to fill in. That was awesome, playing in nice gyms with good (mostly) referees. 

I'm enjoying seeing some of our guys practice and play pickup ball on Sundays at McCully gym. There's also open play at Kaimuki Park gym on Thursdays, so that's an option if guys want to play more pickup ball. The more the better, especially with the older guys who crave competition. 

Summer 

I know we'll play in CAL (15U, 13U), and there's the summer tournaments (Aiea, NJB). We'll have to start fundraising for mainland tournament play soon. Could be a lot of fun and a lot of growth as a team and as ballers. 

Saturday skill drills

Some tough competition in tonight's drills at Kalakaua outside courts. Kerl and Karl — two original Thunder players (2009) — were there to give our guys a good battle on low post, high post, wing offense and on-ball defense drills. Ballhandling/on-ball defense was also tough - Karl and Kerl could always cover a lot of ground. The guys are playing pickup ball now - Micah, Tanielu, Chris, Kyle, Jaymark, Joshua. I'm just kicking back in the car listening to the UH-UNLV game now.

Shooting practice 12 noon at McCully gym tomorrow (Sunday), pickup games after that at 1:00. I lub this game!

Btw, I did go to Stan Sheriff Center and watched Oregon play Oklahoma. Saw Coach Paul Westhead live in person for the first time. The Guru of Go! Unfortunately, he had about five or six players (injured) in street clothes and the Ducks simply couldn't run and press like Westhead really likes. But it was cool to see him. It would be even better to meet him and pick his brain, maybe even give him a Thunder T-shirt. 

Westhead!

U. of Oregon (women) are in town for the UH Wahine tournament. PAUL WESTHEAD is their coach, still teaching the original 7-seconds-or-less system. Catch their games if you can. On TV today (Friday), 4:30 pm. I'm planning to go watch live on Saturday (2:00 pm). If you don't know Westhead, do a little research and you'll start to connect the dots between his Loyola Marymount teams and our team.

Next practice is Saturday, 6:00 pm, Kalakaua outside courts. Then Sunday, 12 noon, McCully gym (shooting). Pickup games at McCully 1:00 pm. Then Makiki Park 5:00 pm.

Happy Turkey Day!

Heads up everybody! No practice today. Football state title game is close and I'm quite busy with stuff for work. Lots of fun. That's the best kind of work! Have a great Thanksgiving with your families and enjoy the time together. We probably won't practice until Sunday. Meet at McCully Gym 12 noon for free play (shooting only), then 1:00 pickup games there until 4:30. Beats the rain!

Play fast and shoot the ball

Grinnell College can trace its basketball DNA to Paul Westhead, maybe even Mike D'Antoni. But what nobody talks about in the media after last night's crazy 138-point game by Grinnell guard Jack Taylor, is that the system is so disciplined and fast that it gives the team lots of open, good shots at a great pace. A big game like this is bound to happen.

If you look back at Grinnell teams of the past, it's about ball movement, pace and skilled shooting, along with a lot of great screens. As you guys know from our Monday and Tuesday plays, I've borrowed some of their stuff and we've put it to good use with the Thunder. The fast transition offense, the fullcourt press, the platooning (three units of 5 players rotate in every 2-3 minutes) has been going on at Grinnell for years and years now.

It's the tempo I've always tried to coach. It's the tempo I'll still continue to coach.

Update, 1:40 pm: Just to be clear ... I'm not condoning running up the score or having just one guy take 80% of the shots. I am saying that the media may put the magnifying glass on this one game, but for years Grinnell has made it Priority One to push the tempo and run as a team, press as a team and enjoy the game to the fullest. That's what I want for 2013. Giddyup!

Aiea 12U league

Howzit everybody! Need your feedback ASAP on a 12-under league starting in January at Aiea gym. It's run by Rob Godinez of the Aiea Blazers, same guy who runs the 16U league and the tournaments at that gym. Very good guy, good leagues and tourneys.

The 12U would be interesting for us since we have a some 12U guys. The date they're using as a cutoff is September 1, 2013, which means Chris, Micah, Ryan (?) and Walter will be of age. Everybody else would be too old. So let me know what you think.

CAL also begins in January and we're playing in their Intermediate Division. They also have an Elementary Division (sixth grade and younger), but Greydon (director) has already told us Chris won't be allowed to play in the Elementary Division. We could put a younger team in that league if there's still space.

Feedback please.

No practice Tuesday

Hey everybody, no practice today (Tuesday). Everybody who's at tryouts, wishing you the best! Give it your all, that's all you can do. If you get to play varsity or JV basketball, that's a blessing and you have an opportunity to keep working and enjoying this beautiful game. I've got a lot of work to do so no practice today. God bless!

Green light for this game

Good run today at McCully gym and drills at Makiki Park. Sifo went home after McCully; he played a lot of basketball earlier and was worn out. Sifo had his 3-point shot rolling for awhile, but he got tired after a long day. Tanielu played strong against the adults, and his 3-point shot has improved a lot, more of a set shot now. Bill, Kyle, Chris and Tanielu worked drills at Makiki.

Chris and Tanielu still playing. 3-on-3 under the lights. This game never stops! 

No practice Monday. I have extra work to get done. Tuesday, 4:30 pm, Makiki park. Our high school guys will be at tryouts. Everybody else, see you then.

Update on Hilo: It's a long shot at this point to play in the HI-PAL tournament (14U). Micah and Jared are playing with their old PAL teams in the same tournament. So that leaves us with a small roster: Kyle, Tanielu, Chris, Sierra. Maybe Jaymark and Joshua. Maybe Jerson. Too many maybes!

Coach Roy said he might be able to get us a rental van at a discount through his job. Right now, the rental companies are charging $200 per day. If we can get a cheap place to stay, maybe we go. Airline tickets are not cheap. But it's not looking too promising right now.

If we don't go, it's OK. The competitive level of the tourney is good, but it isn't the best in the state. We see better competition playing in leagues and tournaments in Honolulu. We can save our money (the funds that we still have to raise) for new jerseys and the CAL Middle School Division League in January. And it's going to be a heavy price to travel to a mainland tournament in the summer. The work starts now. 

Sunday shooters

Who wants to meet at McCully Gym 1:00 pm Sunday for free play? Let me know if you need a ride. Otherwise, we'll just meet at Makiki Park 3:00 pm. Practice and pizza!

Tuesday good, more on Wednesday

Good workout on Tuesday with Sierra, Kekai and Chase. Chase had to go early, but Kekai and Sierra got a LOT of triple-threat/jab step pull-up jumper work in. Nice job!

Back at the court today (Wednesday), 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday practice 4:30 pm

Walter is 10 and he is already more fundamentally sound than a lot of older kids who play this game. Good workout today, Walter!

Practice Tuesday 4:30 pm. See you there. I LUB DIS GAME.

Working it Sunday afternoon, night

Solid, solid workout at Makiki Park this afternoon (Sunday). Tanielu, Chris, Kyle, Walter, and later Sierra and Kodee plus Coach Dean. Got a good 2+ hours of fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. Then some 3-on-3. Then dinner. That wasn't enough, so Sifo and Coach Loto met up with us. Kyle, Tanielu, Chris, Sifo at Crane Park now, playing 3-on-3 with Jaren and his friend. WHO LUBS DIS GAME? 

Monday workout tentatively scheduled for 4:30 pm at Makiki Park. If I hear back from anybody. Otherwise, we might go 4:30 pm at Kalakaua outside courts. 

Next workout: Sunday 3 pm

Friday: No practice today. I'm not going to the Big Island, but still got some stuff to take care of here, some work to do. We'll be back on the court Sunday, 3:00 pm. Do some drills, hopefully 5-on-5, and some birthday pie for Tanielu, who just turned 13 last week. I LUB THIS GAME!

Next workout: Sunday 3 pm

Friday: No practice today. I'm not going to the Big Island, still got some stuff to take care of here, some work to do. We'll be back on the court Sunday, 3:00 pm. Do some drills, hopefully 5-on-5, and some birthday pie for Tanielu, who just turned 13 last week. I LUB THIS GAME!

Working Wednesday

In this world, time is short, especially as you grow older, into adulthood. Finding fellow ballers who love the game as much as you do, or more, is not a common occurrence. So take your basketball fellowship — brotherhood, sisterhood, whatever you want to call it — and appreciate it. There's hardly anything else like it. You will remember your basketball brothers and sisters for the rest of your life. I know I have.

Good workout on Wednesday with Sierra, Chase and Kekai. Solid.

Good workout on Tuesday, too, with Chase, Kekai, Sierra and later on, Kyle, Tanielu and Chris.

Back on the court Thursday, 4:30 pm. WHO LUBS DIS GAME?

Work hard, play hard

Good workout this afternoon by Chase, John, Cody and Kekai. Drills for everything from on-ball man defense, wing and post 1-on-1, ballhandling and 3-point shooting.

Back at it Tuesday, 4:30 pm. Keep working, Thunder. No substitute for repetitions.

Thank God it's Monday!

Monday 4:30 pm. Let's get to work!

Sunday's workout was solid. Kyle, Tanielu, Chris, Sierra, Walter and two new guys, Jaymark and Joshua. They're brothers and they attend Kalakaua Middle School with Tanielu and Chris. We worked on low post, high post, wing. Basics. Did some shooting drills, some 8-ball and 4-out work (cut to the low post).

Good news on the 13U front: HBA is maybe interested in playing an intermediate-level game with us. That would be cool. I like the school and their athletic department. They have a nice gym!

Sunday sharpshooters

Sunday, 3:00 pm workout, Makiki Park. Who lubs this game?