Just catching up on the LINsanity? This site had him featured 19 months ago.

http://coachdribbledrive.com/2010/07/23/swim-move/

It’s January, it’s cold (at least in many places), we’re right between the start of the season and the playoffs. In short it’s probably the toughest time of the year for us coaches. I know it’s tough for me, at least.

I took over a 1-6 team a third into the season, and now we’ve won six of the last eight, are in fourth place of a very competitive 10 team top flight league in Northern Europe – and we could easily miss the eight team playoffs. We win by playing defence, but out of the remaining 11 games five are against the top three, who are all great offensive teams, and most of the rest are away games. In other words I worry a lot right now. Worry about being relegated to the league below. Worry about injuries. Worry about every game, every practice.

Then someone sent me a quote. Someone who knows me really well, who knows this time of year for a basketball coach. It reminded me that just going out there on the court – fighting for every little thing – is more than worth it. I hope it will get you some energy to get you through January too:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly.
So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Theodore Roosevelt, “Man in the Arena” Speech given April 23, 1910 26th president of US (1858 – 1919)

Day 2 of Ryan Richard’s individual workouts.

Unfortunately I’m having internet connection problems, causing each YouTube upload to take in the region of 3-5 hours, so the updates will come as I’m able to upload the videos. As I’m uploading this there is one video to follow in the set, I will update the post when it’s on YouTube.

Note: For this post it might be worth pointing out that Ryan is a leftie, thus all the work with his right hand.

Here’s the background for the posts:

At the moment I’ve got quite an interesting opportunity, in that one of my former players (as an assstant coach) is back home for the holidays – and the San Antonio Spurs’ D-League team (the Torros) have sent a coach home with him so he can continue his recovery form double shoulder surgery.

The player is Ryan Richards, who was drafted by the Spurs in the second round of the 2010 draft. Since then Ryan have been injured, but the Spurs see enough talent in the 6’10” 7’0” [update: Ryan pointed out he’s grown to 7’0” with shoes!] British sharp shooter that they have stayed with him, and continue his development.

For the last three days I’ve recorded his individual basketball workouts, and I thought I’d share it, even if it doesn’t have anything to do with the dribble drive directly.

Note: The videos are unedited, and the language is sometimes rather PG. If you don’t approve I suggest you turn off the sound or don’t watch 🙂

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZel5QjyC5k]
Many more videos after the break (more…)