Hoop Commitment (Mike Nilson)
Explore every episode of Hoop Commitment
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Feb 2022 | Sleep, Stress Management & Recovery w/ Precision Nutrition's Brian St. Pierre | 00:49:20 | |
Episode 102: Brian St. Pierre is the director of nutrition at Precision Nutrition, the coauthor of PN’s Level 1 Certification textbook, and the mastermind behind the Precision Nutrition Calculator. He holds a master’s degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Maine. He’s also a Registered Dietitian (RD), Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and a Certified Sports Nutritionist (CISSN). During his time at Precision Nutrition, Brian has provided nutrition coaching and performance meal planning to professional and Olympic athletes and also served as a nutrition consultant for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs and Brooklyn Nets. Today I got to pick his brain on Precision Nutrition’s latest certification on Sleep, Stress Management & recovery coaching that I’m in the process of completing. And Brian was kind enough to give our athletes some ideas on how to keep their bodies feeling right. | |||
| 29 Mar 2022 | Movement Preparation w/ FC Bayern Basketball's Luka Svilar | 01:02:56 | |
Episode 103: Luka Svilar is an author, lecturer and the Head of Physical Performance at FC Bayern Basketball in Germany. He has a masters degree in kinesiology and in 2018, he successfully defended his PhD project called, Load Monitoring and Management in Elite Basketball. | |||
| 30 Apr 2022 | Sustain Your Game w/ Alan Stein | 01:01:41 | |
Episode 104: Author & keynote speaker, Alan Stein, joined me on the podcast to share ways to manage stress, beat stagnation and avoid burnout. | |||
| 31 May 2022 | Pre-Game Routines For Basketball w/ Brandon Davis, MS | 00:37:58 | |
Episode 105: Brandon Davis is a mental performance consultant at U-District PT and holds a masters degree in Sport & Performance Psychology. In addition to his formal education, he also has real life experience playing collegiate and professional basketball. | |||
| 30 Jun 2022 | The Best Youth Basketball League On Planet Earth | 00:30:18 | |
Episode 106: The Hooptown Youth League will launch in Spokane, WA in the fall of 2022. Our schools, private businesses, coaches and basketball experts have all come together to create the best youth basketball league on planet Earth. | |||
| 24 Aug 2022 | Speed For Basketball w/ Eastern Washington University's TJ Conley | 00:47:16 | |
Episode 107: TJ Conley is the Head of Sports Performance for EWU Men's & Women's Basketball. He's a former NFL player turned strength & conditioning coach who joined me on the podcast to talk about the importance of speed in basketball. With his extensive football background, I wanted to pick TJ’s brain on how he incorporates speed training with his basketball players. And so in this episode, we chat about why basketball players need speed, the best exercises and drills to use and how to avoid common mistakes that coaches make in the weight room. | |||
| 01 Oct 2022 | Functional Training For Basketball w/ Oregon's Cliff Spiller | 00:41:39 | |
Episode 108: Cliff Spiller is the Director of Strength & Conditioning for Men’s Basketball at the University of Oregon. Prior to joining the Duck’s staff, he was an assistant with the NBA’s Utah Jazz. | |||
| 12 Dec 2022 | Reducing Knee Pain & Inflammation w/ UCLA Basketball's Tyler Lesher | 00:38:38 | |
Episode 109: Tyler Lesher the Head Athletic Trainer for UCLA men’s basketball program. He’s a certified orthopedic physician extender and certified strength & conditioning specialist. Before joining UCLA’s staff, he worked in the NBA and G League. | |||
| 18 Jan 2023 | Systems Approach to Coaching w/ Justin Ochoa & Mike Nilson | 01:25:03 | |
Episode 110: Now this month’s podcast is a little unusual, since my guest is the host of another basketball performance podcast, and in this episode, he actually interviewed me. We connected through his Gem sessions podcast, which bridges the gap between trainers, coaches, athletes and families in the basketball community. Today he was kind enough to interview me about the 3 levels on basketball nutrition, 3 levels of basketball training, and the 3 levels of basketball leadership. For anyone who enjoys a systems approach to training, I think you’ll enjoy the conversation! | |||
| 28 Feb 2023 | Small-Sided Games w/ Tyler Leclerc | 00:38:02 | |
Episode 111: This interview is about finding better ways of having your practice time transfer to game success. As a strength coach, I’m always thinking about how the exercises we do in the weight room impact my player’s ability to move and handle contact on the court. Just because someone can add more weight onto a barbell, doesn’t mean they’ve become a better basketball player. And what today’s guest shares is that just because your ball handling or shooting has improved in a drill, it doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to do it during a game. Tyler Leclerc is a gym owner and player development coach located in Lowell, Massachusetts. Tyler uses the constraints-led approach and small-sided games to get results that transfer for players of all ages. | |||
| 22 Mar 2023 | Basketball Footwork w/ Gonzaga's Drew Timme | 00:32:10 | |
Episode 112: Now I’ll admit that I’m a little biased, but I don’t remember ever seeing a college basketball player with better footwork than Drew Timme. He is unguardable in a 1-on-1 scenario because of his creativity and endless moves. And so I decided to dedicate this entire episode to finding out how he does it. I asked Timme about the set-up work he does before even receiving the entry pass, how he uses his eyes and hips to feel the defense, how he decides what move to use and what drills he did to become such a great finisher. If you want to learn more about Drew, follow him online at @drew_timme2 | |||
| 31 May 2023 | How to Activate Muscles w/ Dr. David Tiberio | 01:03:58 | |
Episode 113: Dr. David Tiberio is the dean of the Gray Institute’s 40-week mentorship program, which is known for training, treating and conditioning athletes in all 3 planes of motion. Dr. Tiberio has published numerous articles in scholarly journals and is professor emeritus at the University of Connecticut. In 2007, Dr. Tiberio received the Kendall Award from the American Physical Therapy Association for "outstanding and enduring contributions to the practice of physical therapy." Instagram @HoopCommitment | |||
| 19 Jul 2023 | Training Proprioceptors w/ Dr. David Tiberio | 01:15:34 | |
Episode 114: This is part 2 with Dr. David Tiberio and he spends the entire episode talking about proprioceptors… what they are, where they’re located, how they communicate with the body, and how we can tweak exercises to improve performance on the court. You’re going to love learning the science behind activating specific proprioceptors by training in different ranges, at different speeds, and in different environments. | |||
| 28 Aug 2023 | Optimizing Fascia w/ Dr. David Tiberio | 00:46:51 | |
Episode 115: And now to part 3 of the Dr. Dave Tiberio Trilogy! I’ve been excited for this interview because I’m learning how important training fascia is, but I’m not sure I’ve been optimizing it with my players. As always, DT does an amazing job of taking the complicated and making it understandable. | |||
| 29 Sep 2023 | Toughness with ESPN's Jay Bilas | 00:41:45 | |
Episode 116: Today’s guest needs no introduction. Anyone listening to the Hoop commitment podcast knows who Jay Bilas is. And I feel so lucky that I was able to pick his brain on what it means to be tough. If you’re like me, you read his legendary ESPN article and immediately shared it with your players and coaches. It was the first time that someone defined toughness in a way that inspired me. Toughness isn't about pounding your chest after a routine play or getting in an opponent’s face. It isn't about being physically intimidating. Jay defined toughness as setting good screens, running to a teammate when they need help up and talking on defense. I loved the article so much that I bought his book, and in preparation for this interview, I just read it again. It is full of amazing stories from when he played at Duke, when got drafted in the NBA, when coached alongside Coach K, and when got his law degree. There’s very few people that are more qualified to write a book on toughness than Jay Bilas. He lives it every day with the amount of preparation he does as an ESPN announcer and the humility he shows as he lifts up those around him. If you want to learn what it means to be tough on & off the court, you’ll love this interview. | |||
| 02 Oct 2023 | Easy vs. Hard | 00:18:28 | |
Episode 117: There is huge value in doing hard things. A challenging task can make normal, everyday life seem easier. If you paddle boarded for 8 hours straight in the ocean, it makes going to the gym for a 30-minute run seem like a walk in the park. It also raises your pain threshold and gives you confidence that you can try new things. So many of us focus on how we can do less and less, how we can make our life more convenient, to a point that when difficult times arise, we’re unsure if we can make it through. | |||
| 27 Nov 2023 | Lifestyle Performance with Portland Basketball's Bryant Ferate | 00:53:00 | |
Episode 118: Lifestyle Performance with Portlands Bryant Ferate. Bryant is the Assistant Director of Sports Performance at the University of Portland and works with their women’s basketball program. We’ve had some awesome battles over the last few years, going back & forth during the regular season and WCC tournament championships. And so this podcast was a great excuse to reach out to him and build our friendship. | |||
| 26 Dec 2023 | Sleep & Breathwork w/ NY Times Best-Selling Author Ben Greenfield | 01:01:29 | |
Episode 119: Ben Greenfield is a New York Times best-selling author, health & fitness biohacker, and fellow podcaster who is extreme about practicing what he preaches. I don’t know anyone who pursues mental, physical and spiritual health more passionately than Ben. | |||
| 31 Jan 2024 | Athlete Mentorship Groups w/ Boise State Basketball's Tyler Whitmer | 00:38:51 | |
Episode 120: Tyler Whitmer oversees the Olympic Sports Performance department at Boise State, works with their men's basketball program, and started an athlete mentorship group for their athletic department. Prior to joining the Broncos, He earned his masters of science in Education with a concentration in Exercise Physiology from the University of Kansas and coached at Treasure Valley & Oral Roberts. | |||
| 29 Feb 2024 | How to Create a Year-Long Training Plan for Basketball w/ Dr. Andy Galpin | 00:45:09 | |
Episode 121: Dr Andy Galpin has his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Linfield college, a masters degree in human movement science from the university of Memphis and his PhD in human bioenergetics. | |||
| 01 May 2024 | Basketball Pre-Game Meals w/ Sports Dietitian Jessica Isaacs, RD, CSSD | 00:43:47 | |
Episode 122: Learn everything you need to know about basketball pre-game meals from one of the best in the business. Jessica Isaacs, RD, CSSD is a Los Angeles-based Sports Dietitian with an eclectic career working with elite-level athletes, creating engaging social media content, and is a highly sought-after speaker and mentor. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from Purdue University and is a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. In her career working as a Sports Dietitian, she has supported thousands of athletes from youth to professional level, serving as the Sports Dietitian at Kobe Bryant's MAMBA Sports Academy, the Basketball Performance Dietitian at UCLA, and spent two seasons as the Lead Sports Dietitian for the LA Clippers. | |||
| 28 May 2024 | Testing For Basketball - There Is More Than One Way To Skin A Cat | 01:00:06 | |
Episode 123: Today’s episode is a sneak peak into our new book, There Is More Than One Way To Skin A Cat, where I interview nine basketball strength coaches and ask, “What’s your approach to testing and what’s the most common test you use? And then you get to hear exactly how the Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Kansas Jayhawks and Louisville Cardinals do it here in the states. And you’ll also get to hear how professional teams in Istanbul, Brescia, Jerusalem, Slovan and Maccabi do it in the European Leagues. | |||
| 17 Jul 2024 | Injury Reduction and Ankle Sprains - There Is More Than One Way To Skin A Cat | 00:53:29 | |
Episode 124: Last month I shared that I helped co-author a book called, There’s More Than 1 Way to Skin A Cat. We’ve got 2 NBA, 3 Division 1 and 5 European Basketball performance coaches contributing to chapters on mobility, stability, power, agility, periodization and recovery. I received my copies of the book last month and they turned out awesome. For anyone wanting to buy a copy, make sure you reach out to @silk_man on Instagram, and Luka will take care of you. | |||
| 01 Sep 2019 | Goal vs. Commitment | 00:18:00 | |
Episode 001: Today's podcast is all about motivation and how to be your best. When I learned the difference between a GOAL and a COMMITMENT, my whole life changed! Check out this week's podcast and learn... A goal is something you want to do. | |||
| 16 Sep 2019 | 3 Levels Of Basketball Nutrition | 00:20:17 | |
Episode 002: Food is the fuel we use to jump higher and cut quicker on the court. After we finish our workouts, it's the food we eat that rebuilds and replenishes our muscles. Knowing how important food is, it's amazing that most players don't have a solid basketball nutrition plan. Listen to this episode to learn: The 3 Levels of Basketball Nutrition are a road map for players to optimize their performance through the way they eat. | |||
| 16 Sep 2019 | Basketball Nutrition w/ Brad Dieter, PhD | 00:43:08 | |
Episode 003: Learn how to fuel your athletes on the basketball court from Brad Dieter, PhD. He's an exercise physiologist, molecular biologist, biostatistician, scientist and entrepreneur whose goal is to bring science and industry together to improve human health and optimize human performance. He holds a master's degree in biomechanics, doctoral and post-doctoral fellowship in translational science at Providence Medical Research Center, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital. His research has spanned the translational spectrum utilizing basic science, human trials, and machine learning in large data sets to identify and develop novel therapies and technologies. That's a fancy way of saying that Brad really knows his stuff. We sat down and discussed how what players can impact their performance. Check out this week's podcast and learn the answers to these questions... Go to HoopCommitment.com to download your FREE Basketball Nutrition Menus and start your chain of success today! | |||
| 24 Sep 2019 | 3 Levels Of Basketball Training | 00:19:29 | |
Episode 004: There are so many great basketball training resources on the internet and and endless exercises on social media, that it's easy to become overwhelmed with how to create basketball workouts. I created the 3 Levels of Basketball Training to be a road map for coaches to take their players from where they are, to where they want to be. By using the Drive, Defend, Dominate model, you'll learn the importance of creating mobility in basketball transformational zones, why you need dynamic strength in those movements, and when the right time to add plyometrics and power exercises. Check out this week's episode and learn... Go to HoopCommitment.com to download your FREE Commitment Calendar and learn how to jump higher, cut quicker and finish stronger on the court! | |||
| 01 Oct 2019 | Basketball Movement w/ Doug Gray, FAFS | 00:40:35 | |
Episode 005: Doug Gray is a genius at basketball movement. He's an accomplished businessman, entrepreneur, national lecturer, author, coach, trainer, and athlete with a deep understanding of and experience in Applied Functional Science® (AFS). He has worked extensively with coaches, trainers, therapists, professional athletes, children, and parents. Doug currently is the President of Gray Institute®, as well as serves as Director of GIFT (Gray Institute for Functional Transformation) since this post-professional educational program began in 2006. He annually co-directs, coaches, and trains at Hot Rock Training Camp (a local basketball camp) and 3D Personal Conditioning Camp. He has participated in the development, production, and delivery of seminars, certifications, programs, lectures / workshops, and videos / DVDs dealing with functional prevention, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement, including the 3D Matrix Performance Series. Furthermore, he has pioneered in the extensive development and publishing of AFS Nomenclature, as well as co-developed 3DMAPS® (3D Movement Analysis & Performance System). He also currently serves as principal Member / Officer of Free2Play Academy, Inc. (DBA “Free2Play®”), a dynamic 501(c)(3) organization teaching Movement Literacy® and utilizing movement to transform the lives of children across the world. He is a proud Adjunct Professor at his alma mater, Siena Heights University (Adrian, MI). During his collegiate days at Siena Heights University, he had the opportunity of playing basketball (NAIA Division 2), earning Player of the Year his senior year (Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference) and 2nd Team All-America. Doug is very active on local boards and resides in Adrian, Michigan with his amazing wife (married in 2011) and best friend, Valerie, and their amazing blessings – son, Zion Wynn (born October of 2013) and Lawson Louise (born May of 2016). Our conversation focused on how movement can help players improve their performance on the court. Check out this week's podcast and learn the answers to these questions... If you want to learn about basketball movement from one of the greatest minds in basketball, you have to listen to this episode! Check out HoopCommitment.com for show notes, blog posts and videos on how to eat, train & lead for basketball. | |||
| 08 Oct 2019 | 3 Levels of Basketball Leadership | 00:18:27 | |
Episode 006: In today's show I share the 3 Levels of Leadership: Synergy, Sweat, Serve. Leadership for basketball is a skill that can be taught & practiced. Just like we teach our athletes how to progress their ball handling and shooting skills so they can be successful on the court, we must teach them to progress their leadership skills so they'll be successful in life. Level 1 of Leadership is SYNERGY... your ability to create relationships with teammates. Level 2 of Leadership is SWEAT... your ability to lead by example through hard work. Level 3 of Leadership is SERVE... your ability to tell teammates what they need to hear with love. Here's what you'll learn by listening to the 3 Levels of Basketball Leadership: Go to HoopCommitment.com to get your FREE 5-Day Leadership Course and start your chain of success today! | |||
| 15 Oct 2019 | Basketball Player, Coach, Parent w/ Matt Santangelo | 00:34:45 | |
Episode 007: Matt Santangelo is the Executive Director of Hoopfest, which is the world's largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament. He was the all-time leader in assists at Gonzaga University, won an olympic gold medal and played professionally in Europe. He won a gold medal with Team USA at the 1999 World University Games in Spain and was an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American the same year. Matt played professional basketball for seven seasons in Europe, earning ACB All-Spain Rookie honors and contributing to an Italian League championship with Benetton Treviso in 2006. Since retiring from basketball, Matt has made Spokane his permanent home. He has worked in financial services and insurance and now serves as Executive Director of Spokane Hoopfest Association, the world’s largest 3-on-3 tournament and our region’s showcase event since 2014. The organization also runs Spokane AAU, Ignite Basketball Association, Easter Washington Elite, the Fitz Clinic and Tournament. In 2019, he successfully launched the community brand, Hooptown USA. Matt and his wife, Cathy, are parents to three children; Calvin, Luca and Stella. We sat down and discussed the challenges that come with being a player, coach & basketball parent. Check out this week's podcast and hear Matt's thoughts on: Go to HoopCommitment.com to get your FREE 5-Day Leadership Course and start your chain of success today! | |||
| 22 Oct 2019 | Basketball Conditioning w/ Joel Jamieson | 00:36:35 | |
Episode 008: Joel Jamieson is the founder of 8weeksout.com and creator of the Bioforce Conditioning Coach Certification. He's a best-selling author and one of the world’s foremost authorities on strength, conditioning, and energy systems. His training strategies have been used by thousands of elite performers and top athletes worldwide, including the Navy SEALS, UFC champions, and dozens of teams from the NFL, NBA, MLS, NCAA, and more. Check out this week's podcast and learn the answers to these questions... Joel and I talk about basketball-specific training & he shares the best methods for getting players in shape for season. Go to HoopCommitment.com to download your FREE Basketball Commitment Calendar and start your chain of success today! | |||
| 29 Oct 2019 | Basketball Sleep w/ Nick Lambe | 00:43:16 | |
Episode 009: Research shows that you can improve your shooting percentage and sprint times by optimizing your sleep. This week's guest is The Online Sleep Coach, Nick Lambe, and he shares a progression to improve your sleep. Most notably in these lifestyle interventions, he has taken a deep dive into sleep. He believes that sleep is the foundation for health and well being, despite being often under-appreciated and undervalued. So much so that he has formed two side ventures centered around sleep. We connected at a conference in Seattle and discussed how sleep can impact our health and performance. Check out this week's podcast and learn the answers to these questions... Go to HoopCommitment.com to learn how to optimize your game through taking care of your body. | |||
| 05 Nov 2019 | Gonzaga Basketball Leadership w/ Lisa Fortier | 00:36:47 | |
Episode 010: Lisa Fortier just finished a record breaking season at Gonzaga, winning another WCC Championship and WCC Coach of the Year Award. She led the Bulldogs to their highest AP Poll ranking (No. 12) and highest USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll ranking (No. 11) in program history and a program-best regular season record at 27-3. Gonzaga finished the season at 29-5, which ties for the second-best record in history. The Zags claimed their third-straight WCC regular-season title while Fortier was named WCC Coach of the Year for the fourth time in five seasons, surpassing her own conference record for the award. Gonzaga advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time in program history and the fourth time under Fortier. The Bulldogs secured a No. 5 seed, the highest in program history, and advanced to the NCAA Second Round for the sixth time in program history. Fortier was chosen as a Late Season Candidate for the Naismith Coach of the Year, along with being selected among 20 local Spokane women as a part of the 2019 Women in Business Leadership Awards. She is the only coach in program history to have four 20-win seasons in their first five seasons. And what's best about Lisa is that she not only builds great basketball players, she also focuses on creating a culture that builds great leaders. She dedicates time every week to intentionally teach her players how to think, speak and act like leaders so they can positively impact their community. Listen to this week's podcast on Gonzaga Basketball Leadership and learn... In addition to teaching her players how to play basketball, she also teaches them to be better teammates through an 18-week leadership program. Go to HoopCommitment.com to download your FREE 5-day leadership course and learn how to help others become their best. | |||
| 12 Nov 2019 | Building Healthy Basketball Players w/ Logan Schwartz | 00:46:45 | |
Episode 011: Logan Schwartz was Kevin Durant's strength & conditioning coach at the University of Texas and is now the owner of Austin Vitality Coach. He has dedicated his life to helping individuals achieve a state of optimal health and vitality through a principle-based approach. He has positioned himself to learn from and work alongside the best coaches, personal trainers, physical therapists, and athletic trainers in the field of prevention, performance, and health. Logan was the Assistant Basketball Strength Coach for The University of Texas at Austin and is a consultant for Train 4 The Game, Inc., which is one of the elite performance facilities in the nation. Currently Logan owns Austin Vitality Coach and is the Director of Programming for Your Trainer, Inc. in Austin, Texas. He also presents Internationally for the Gray Institute and Power Plate. Logan and I did a 40-week fellowship program in human movement through the Gray Institute in 2009. In addition to being very smart, I was impressed with his care of people. It's no wonder he's spent his entire professional career helping people live healthy lives. Check out this week's podcast to hear Logan's expert opinion on... If you want to optimize health and performance, you'll want learn how Logan looks at the human body. Go to HoopCommitment.com for articles and videos on warm-ups and injury reduction progressions. | |||
| 19 Nov 2019 | Vegan Diet For Basketball Players w/ Craig Hunt, RDN | 00:55:54 | |
Episode 012: After watching the Netflix Documentary, The Game Changers, I immediately called Craig Hunt, RDN, to get his opinion on a vegan diet for basketball players. I went into our conversation with my mind made up on the right way to eat, but left our conversation with a better understanding of how to help athletes improve heath and performance. A year later he also began teaching nutrition to family-medicine resident physicians; this is where he learned that a streamlined and motivational interviewing approach to nutrition worked favorably for most patients and clients. Over the past 25-plus years Craig has worked with high school, college and professional athletes. Since 2010 Craig has taught online nutrition classes for health science majors at Eastern Washington University. Fuel management continues to be one of Craig’s interest areas as the science of nutrition evolves. If you want to download FREE basketball nutrition menus, go to hoopcommitment.com/nutrition. You'll find that sports nutrition isn't as complicated as the media makes it out to be. | |||
| 26 Nov 2019 | Boise State Basketball Team Culture w/ Leon Rice | 00:43:16 | |
Episode 013: Leon Rice is the head coach of Boise State Men's Basketball team and has written a handbook for his players called, The Unbreakable Culture. I wanted to find out why team culture is so important to Leon that he took the time to create a book on it. In nine seasons as head coach for the Broncos, Leon Rice has taken his teams to five postseason tournaments – including the first two at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament in school history – and won 20 or more games seven times. He is the only Boise State head coach to amass seven 20-win seasons, the second to guide the Broncos to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and the first to do it in his first five seasons. Under Rice, Boise State made the NCAA Tournament as an at-large selection in both 2012-13 and 2014-15, the only such appearances in school history. Leon shows that you can focus on winning and creating leaders at the same time. Listen to this week's podcast and find out... Over the last few years, I developed a Leadership Self Assessment tool to help players learn their level of leadership. Go to hoopcommitment.com/13download to get a copy of the exact same Level 1 Leadership Questionnaire that I use with my teams. | |||
| 03 Dec 2019 | Weight Lifting For Basketball w/ Mike Robertson of IFAST | 00:45:22 | |
Episode 014: Mike Robertson is the President of Robertson Training Systems and the co-owner of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (IFAST) in Indianapolis, Indiana. IFAST has been named one of the Top 10 Gyms in America by Men’s Health magazine numerous times, as was also a fitness award winner by Women’s Health Magazine. Over his 20 year coaching career, Mike has worked with athletes from every major professional sport including all-stars in both the NBA and MLS. He also serves as a writer, speaker, consultant and educator across the fitness industry. We caught up to discuss basketball weight training for high school athletes. Mike has a unique background because he started his career as a powerlifter, and eventually transitioned to coaching athletes in sports performance. Combining both worlds allows him to use an endless amount of tools and techniques to help his basketball players. Check out this week's podcast and learn the answers to these questions... Instagram | |||
| 10 Dec 2019 | Mental Training For Basketball w/ Brian Cain | 00:54:13 | |
Episode 015: Brian Cain, MPM is the creator of The Mental Performance Mastery (MPM) Coaching Certification Course, a #1 International Best-Selling Author, Speaker, Coach and Consultant. Brian is widely regarded as the foremost authority on Mental Performance Mastery. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies, executives and organizations as well as coaches, athletes, and teams at the Olympic level, in the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in the Professional Golf Association (PGA) and in Major League Baseball (MLB). Brian has taught his 10 Pillars of Mental Performance Mastery System on stages all over the world to audiences such as John Paul Mitchell Systems, Whirlpool, Fuddruckers and Burton Snowboards. His client list includes 2 Major League Baseball Cy-Young Award winners, a Heisman Trophy Winner, 5 UFC World Champion Mixed Martial Artists, World Series and Super Bowl Champions, Olympic Medalists, Team USA Baseball, Team USA Bowling and multiple NCAA National Players of The Year, NCAA National Champions and over 900 professional sports draft selections. As a former adjunct university professor and high school athletic director, he was the youngest ever to receive the prestigious Certified Master Athletic Administration “CMAA” Certification from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. Highly sought after for his energetic, empowering and engaging educational training sessions, Brian separates himself from the competition by providing a system and not a speech. An avid Ironman Triathlete and 100 Mile Ultra Marathoner, Brian practices what he teaches and is a living example of the power of The 10 Pillars of Mental Performance Mastery and what an Elite Mindset (Pillar#1) can do for you. Brian and I discussed the 10 Pillars of Mental Performance and how thoughts impact player's performance. Check out this week's podcast and learn.. | |||
| 17 Dec 2019 | Weekly Meal Plan For Basketball Players w/ Scott Baptie, MSc | 00:41:15 | |
Episode 016: Scott Baptie, MSc, is a physique and sports nutrition specialist and fitness model who specializes in fat loss, muscle gain, physique transformations and nutrition for sports performance. He likes to challenge and encourage his clients to surpass their physical and mental boundaries by using effective, scientifically-proven nutritional strategies to help them achieve their goals. Scott also provides nutrition advice for several of UK’s leading sports nutrition companies, presents on the topic of nutrition and fitness and contributes to a wide range of publications. I asked Scott to lay out what a weekly meal plan for basketball players should look like. Check out this week's podcast and learn...
Instagram | |||
| 24 Dec 2019 | New Year's Resolution vs Commitment | 00:19:32 | |
Episode 17: They say that failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Are you prepared to make 2020 the best year of your life? | |||
| 31 Dec 2019 | Basketball & Life Lessons w/ Luka Hocevar | 01:04:17 | |
Episode 18: Luka Hocevar is an entrepreneur, author, strength/fitness/business coach, world traveler, life enjoyer and former pro-basketball player. He co-wrote a national best seller, The Fit Formula, and self-published, The Fitness Business Mixtape. | |||
| 07 Jan 2020 | Basketball Strong By Science w/ Max Schmarzo | 00:54:17 | |
Episode 19: Max Schmarzo is the Director of Sport Science at Resilience Code, in Englewood, Colorado, the Chief Science Officer at Exsurgo Technologies and the founder of Strong by Science. Max has authored three books, “Applied Principles of Power Development”, “Isometrics for Performance” and “Force is King.” He specializes in multidisciplinary care, sport science data solutions and athlete development. Acting as a consultant, he has worked with professional teams to help develop evidence based, data driven, sport science and training practices. I picked Max's brain about the latest research on basketball performance and how we can implement the science into our training programs. Check out this week's podcast and learn the answers to these questions...
If you want to learn more about Max, you can find him at: | |||
| 14 Jan 2020 | Power Of Positive Energy in Basketball w/ Jon Gordon | 00:27:20 | |
Episode 020: Jon Gordon is a best selling author and keynote speaker who wrote one of my favorite books, The Energy Bus. He is the author of 18 books including multiple best-sellers: The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, Training Camp, You Win in the Locker Room First, The Power of Positive Leadership and The Power of a Positive Team. His latest book is The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change. I picked Jon's brain on how we can harness the power of positive energy for basketball. Check out this week's podcast and learn:
If you want to learn more about Jon, you can find him: | |||
| 21 Jan 2020 | How To Lead On The Basketball Court w/ Adam Bradley | 00:55:36 | |
Episode 021: Adam Bradley is an entrepreneur, entrepreneur, speaker & coach. Adam is one of the original founders of the Hardwood Hustle platform and has spent the past 3-years utilizing the podcast and it’s reach to pour into coaches & players across the country. In 2015 Adam launched the nationally recognized leadership program Lead ‘Em Up, that provides coaches an engaging & cutting edge curriculum they can use with their players. Having a heart to give back to his local community, Adam serves as a mentor to many youth programs & schools in the Baltimore/Washington market. Here's where you can find out more about Adam: | |||
| 28 Jan 2020 | Basketball Speed Training w/ Lee Taft | 00:38:37 | |
Episode 022: Known to most simply as “The Speed Guy”, Lee Taft is highly respected as one of the top athletic movement specialist in the world. The last 30 years he has devoted the majority of his time training multi-directional speed to all ages and ability. He has spent much of this time teaching his multi-directional speed methods to top performance coaches and fitness professionals all over the world. Lee has also dedicated countless hours mentoring up and coming sports performance trainers, many who have gone into the profession and made a big impact themselves. Since 1989, Lee has taught foundation movement to beginning youngsters and helped young amateur athletes to professional athletes become quicker, faster and stronger. Lee’s entire philosophy is based off one of his most notable quote, “Learning athletic movement correctly from the start is the foundation for athletic success.” Lee brought to light the importance and fine points of the “Plyo Step”, “Hip Turn”, “Directional Crossover Step” and athletic stance. According to Lee, “Speed and agility done right is about making sure we marry the natural movements athletes have with effective and efficient body control to maximize speed and quickness”. In addition, Lee has written several eBooks specifically on movement techniques and speed development. Lee and his wife Jenn have 3 children, Jae, Bailee and Brennen and currently reside in Indiana. In today's episode, Lee & I discussed basketball speed training and how to design basketball-specific training programs. Check out this week's podcast and learn...
Here's where you can find out more about Lee: | |||
| 04 Feb 2020 | Avoiding Chronic Basketball Injury w/ Dustan Lang | 00:30:20 | |
Episode 023: Dustan Lang is a Physical Therapist of twenty plus years and has experience with athletes from all levels (local, national, international, professional) in various sports. More and more Dustan is treating young adolescent athletes with chronic sport injuries. These injuries can lead to mental health struggles, self destructive behaviors, and an unhealthy perception of exercise. Sadly, these type of injuries could be avoided. Dustan has a vision the Champion’s Triangle will foster an empowering relationship between the athlete and sport that lasts a lifetime through remodeling the philosophy of practice. | |||
| 11 Feb 2020 | Coaching For Development vs Basketball Performance w/ Liberty's Henry Barrera | 00:31:43 | |
Episode 024: Today's I get to interview the Director of Strength & Conditioning for Men's Basketball at Liberty University, Henry Barrera. Before working at Liberty, Henry was a Performance Training Specialist at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton. While at Nike, he was instrumental in designing training content for multiple projects including Jordan Brand's Terminal 23 in New York and The Hangar in Los Angeles. He continues to consult with many training companies including Nike Basketball, the Jordan Brand, Nike N7, Shoot 360 and multiple others. As a basketball player, Barrera began his college career with Leon Rice at Yakima Valley Community College helping rebuild a dormant program and eventually becoming league co-champs in 1996-97. After two years at Yakima Valley Community College Henry moved onto Multnomah University where he had a stellar career, averaging close to 20.0 ppg and dishing out almost 8.0 apg. Barrera was rewarded for his hard work and dedication by being named a three-time All-American and was ultimately honored with the 1999-2000 NCCAA Pete Maravich National Player of the Year award. After receiving his bachelor's degree, Barrera played one season of professional basketball in Sweden before beginning his coaching and performance training career 14 years ago. Along the way, Barrera made a stop at Concordia University, serving as the men's basketball strength and conditioning coach for four years, where he received a Master's degree. In addition, Barrera has spent the last decade serving in multiple capacities at the high school level, including the last seven years at West Linn High School where he helped build the Lions into one of the top programs in the country, winning three straight Oregon state championships. Henry and I became friends back in 1995 while playing on a European tour team. We connected on the podcast to discuss how to be a significant coach in & out of the weight room. Check out this week's podcast and learn...
Find Henry Barrera on social media at: Instagram | |||
| 18 Feb 2020 | Raise Your Game w/ Alan Stein, Jr | 00:37:37 | |
Episode 025: Alan Stein, Jr. teaches proven strategies to improve organizational performance, create effective leadership, increase team cohesion and collaboration, and develop winning mindsets, rituals, and routines. A successful business owner and veteran basketball performance coach, he spent 15 years working with the highest-performing athletes on the planet (including NBA superstars Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Kobe Bryant). In his corporate keynote programs and workshops, Alan reveals how to utilize the same approaches in business that elite athletes use to perform at a world-class level. He delivers practical lessons that can be implemented immediately. His clients include American Express, Pepsi, Sabra, Starbucks, Reeds Jewelers, FDA, Omnicell, and numerous college athletic programs. The strategies from Alan’s book, Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best, are implemented by corporate teams and sports teams around the country. His inspirational words are featured on 12-foot mural outside the Penn State Football Training Center, so that players run past it on the way to practice every day. Check out this week's podcast and learn...
Find Alan Stein, Jr. on social media at: Instagram | |||
| 25 Feb 2020 | Play Present w/ Graham Betchart | 00:43:51 | |
Episode 026: Graham Betchart is one of the world’s leading mental performance coaches. He has worked with some of the NBA’s best athletes including Aaron Gordon, Ben Simmons, Karl Anthony Towns, and Andrew Wiggins (to name a few) and professional organizations such as True Ventures, Silicon Valley Bank, and the Utah Jazz. Graham creates blockbuster companies, training programs, and online courses to help athletes, coaches, parents, entrepreneurs, and working professionals take their mental game to the next level. He is also the author of Play Present: A Mental Skills Training Program for Basketball Players. His mission is to bring mental training to the masses so that anyone (not just professional athletes and CEOs) can learn to perform better, and experience more joy in the process. We sat down and discussed how players can play in the moment. Check out this week's podcast and learn...
If you want to learn more about Graham, go to grahambetchart.com | |||
| 03 Mar 2020 | A Lifetime Of Basketball Lessons w/ Gonzaga's Jerry Krause | 00:34:59 | |
Episode 027: Jerry Krause is the retired director of basketball operations for Gonzaga University and taught hoops at all levels for over 55 years. The author of over 13 books on coaching basketball and over 30 instructional videos, Krause is the retired chairman of the NABC Research Committee and former chairman of the NCAA Basketball Rules Committee. In 1998, Krause received the prestigious NABC Cliff Wells Appreciation Award for his lifetime contributions to basketball. He was inducted into the NAIA Basketball Hall of Fame in March 2002. He is a member of the National Association for Sports and Physical Education and is in their hall of fame as both a coach and a physical educator. I was lucky enough to be coached by Jerry Krause during my senior year at Gonzaga. He is a coach of significance, teaching life and basketball lessons that transcend the game. We sat down and I got to pick his brain on...
If you want to learn more about Graham, go to CoachJerryKrauseOnline.com | |||
| 10 Mar 2020 | Basketball Supplements w/ Angie Asche, CSSD | 00:28:37 | |
Episode 028: Angie Asche, MS, RD, CSSD. She's a board certified sports dietitian, certified exercise physiologist, and the owner of Eleat Sports Nutrition®. Since founding her private practice, she has worked with hundreds of collegiate and professional athletes across the country. Her company has become widely known across the social media space as providing evidence-based nutrition information. Today we talked about basketball supplements to help improve player's performance. Here's what we covered:
If you want to learn more about Angie, you can find her on social media @eleatnutrition and online at eleatnutrition.com | |||
| 17 Mar 2020 | Mental Health For Basketball w/ Ashlee Bradshaw, CSPC | 00:30:33 | |
Episode 029: Ashlee Bradshaw graduated from Carroll College with her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and received her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Counseling from Gonzaga University. | |||
| 24 Mar 2020 | How To Become a NBA Skills Trainer w/ Jordan Lawley | 00:33:06 | |
Episode 030: Jordan Lawley was a four-year starter at UC San Diego, where he lead his team to their first ever NCAA tournament berth while becoming UC’s all-time scoring leader, making the most field goals, free throws, and highest field goal percentage in school history. | |||
| 31 Mar 2020 | NBA Life Optimization w/ David Nurse | 00:30:27 | |
Episode 031: David Nurse is an NBA Life Optimization & Shooting Coach that has worked with Lonzo Ball, Jeremy Lin, Kyle Korver and many others throughout the basketball industry. He was kind enough to give me early access to his new book, Pivot & Go. It's a 29-day road map to help improve you mindset and lifestyle so you can be the best version of yourself. We sat down and discussed how mindset is the key to unlocking your potential. Listen to this episode and find out...
If you want to learn more about David, check him out on social media @DavidNurseNBA | |||
| 07 Apr 2020 | Basketball Specific Training w/ Utah's Charles Stephenson | 00:32:52 | |
Episode 032: Today's podcast is about Basketball Specific Training with Charles Stephenson. He brings nearly 25 years of experience as a strength coach at the collegiate level. He joined the Utah men’s basketball staff as the first basketball-specific strength coach in the program’s history and is entering his 6th season with program. In addition to coaching at Utah, Charles was also the strength coach for men’s basketball at North Carolina State from 1996-2011 and previously held the same position at Auburn from 1994-96. Prior to Auburn, he was an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Virginia from 1987-94. I met Charles through his High Performance Basketball Symposium that he holds in Las Vegas every year. The conference is must-attend for anyone that wants to learn and share with other basketball-specific strength coaches. We connected this week to discuss:
If you want to learn more about the High Performance Basketball Symposium, go to specificstrength.com | |||
| 14 Apr 2020 | Soft Tissue Hygiene for Hoops w/ Lenny Parracino | 00:56:11 | |
Episode 033: Soft Tissue Hygiene for Hoops is an interview with Lenny Parracino. He is a former author, hands on instructor, and clinician for The National Academy of Sports Medicine. Currently, he serves as a faculty member of the Gray Institute of Applied Functional Science, is the Soft Tissue Therapist for the Los Angeles Clippers, and serves as a practitioner at Meyer Institute of Sport. Lenny has recently authored the online and live curriculum titled Functional Soft Tissue Transformation (FSTT) as well as the Gray Institute’s Certification of Applied Functional Science (CAFS) curriculum for manual/movement practitioners of all levels. Lenny has spent over 30 years serving the health/movement industry as an international lecturer and a manual/movement therapist. He has performed over 300 lectures/workshops and has written educational materials and consulted/lectured in the fitness/therapy industry and for various medical organizations around the world. Lenny has earned his degree in Health Science, is a Fellow of Applied Functional Science, holds a California certification to practice soft tissue therapy, is a Certified Functional Range Conditioning Practitioner, holds a certification in nutritional therapy, and serves on the scientific advisory board for Hyper Ice. He continues his studies under the world-renowned physical therapists, Dr. Gary Gray, Dr. David Tiberio, and Dr. John Meyer. As a full time practitioner, Lenny integrates an eclectic approach of Manual/Movement Therapy with the intention of optimizing individual client function. Today’s interview shares how players can take care of their soft tissue to optimize health and performance. Here’s what you’ll learn:
To learn more about Lenny, follow him on Instagram at @soft_tissue_therapy | |||
| 21 Apr 2020 | NBA Workouts w/ Mike Guevara | 00:34:59 | |
Episode 034: Mike Guevara, also known as Mike G, joins me on the podcast to share the thought process behind creating NBA workouts. Mike G provides performance coaching expertise for athletes looking to maximize their abilities during competition as well as in their daily lives. He's a certified strength and conditioning coach as recognized by the NSCA among many other certs:
Mike started coaching in the performance field in 2008. Upon graduating from Cal State Northridge with a B.S. in Exercise Science, 2010, he worked as a performance intern and then coach at The Factory Training for 5 years. In late 2011 to 2013, Mike received an opportunity to work and travel with then, world WTA #5 ranked Victoria Azarenka as her personal Performance Coach. After 2 1/2 years, Victoria captured 51 weeks of a world #1 ranking and two Australian Open Titles among many other career accomplishments. He was asked to return to the team in Jan 2016 and helped her achieve the “Sunshine Double” which only two other woman in WTA history was able to achieve. Today we chat about his experience training NBA, college and high school basketball players. Here are some of the highlights:
To learn more about Mike G, follow him on Instagram at @mrdoitmoving | |||
| 28 Apr 2020 | Optimizing Sleep & Showering For Basketball | 00:19:39 | |
Episode 035: Time is the great equalizer. We all have the same 24 hours a day to be our best. Today I share how to optimize two things that we all do every day: sleeping & showering. | |||
| 05 May 2020 | Water the Bamboo For Basketball w/ Greg Bell | 00:34:52 | |
Episode 036: More than just a motivational speaker, Greg Bell is a Portland, Oregon based thought leader, business consultant, and leadership coach. His popular books, What’s Going Well? and Water The Bamboo: Unleashing The Potential Of Teams And Individuals, have inspired an array of organizations, from Fortune 500 companies like Nike, Disney and Comcast, to the Portland Trail Blazers and Division I NCAA athletic teams like Oregon Ducks Football and Gonzaga Bulldogs Basketball. As an innovator and keen observer of highly successful leaders and teams, Greg has learned that the key to success is having the courage to use the skills you already have to achieve a result greater than you previously imagined. Inspiring and energizing audiences with his engaging storytelling, Greg shares his knowledge with excitement and passion. His ability to masterfully blend insight and encouragement with just the right dose of reality makes him the consistently top-rated keynote speaker at major conferences. A Certified Speaking Professional (the highest earned designation from the National Speakers Association), Greg influences thousands of individuals and entrepreneurs each year with his innate ability to connect personally with audience members. Whether you’re rolling out a new culture initiative, developing your leaders, or seeking a keynote that will be remembered long after your event, Greg will deliver a tailored session that will encourage and inspire each attendee to become stronger, more empowered and more productive than ever before. On this week’s episode, Greg shares:
And to all of you who are committed... Earn Your X | |||
| 12 May 2020 | Change Your Belief System For Basketball w/ Fred Crowell | 00:38:38 | |
Episode 037: If you want to change your life, change your belief system. Today's interview is with Fred Crowell, founder of NBC Camp and author of Words Of Hope. At the age of twenty-three, Crowell became one of the youngest Division 1 coaches in America. Under his coaching, University of Alaska Fairbanks had its first winning season in the college history. He left Alaska and joined Campus Crusade for Christ as the first coach for Athletes in Action, a program facing top 20 NCAA teams night after night, sharing a message of community and wholeness, and developing into an exhibition team with one of the most wins in history. Crowell dreamed of a basketball camp that would train athletes to win both on and off the court. He wanted a program that would provide the best basketball training, create an atmosphere of encouragement, hard work, respect and compassion, and teach athletes to compete not only physically but with their hearts and minds. Coach Crowell combined his background of Division 1 coaching with his psychology background as a former family counselor. He wanted to give athletes an edge to physically, mentally and spiritually achieve the disciplined life of excellence. Many told Crowell his idea of combining athletics, faith and values were unrealistic. Now, over 50 years later, Crowell’s dream has become reality as his vision has expanded to include multiple sports with over 10,000 athletes competing in NBC Camps programs around the world. NBC Camps has grown to become one of the largest overnight basketball programs in the world. Over the last 50 years, they have trained 300,000 athletes. Located in the U.S., Austria, Canada, UK, Thailand, Japan, Nicaragua, and Italy, NBC Camps is dedicated to elevating personal excellence on and off the court. Their goal is to teach athletes how to compete with confidence, high skill level and intensity. I've had the privilege of knowing Fred most of my life and learning from his fine example. In this interview, Fred shares:
And to all of you who are committed... Earn Your X | |||
| 19 May 2020 | Principles of Basketball Performance w/ Tennessee's Garrett Medenwald | 00:40:46 | |
Episode 038: Garrett Medenwald, Director Men's Basketball Sports Performance at the University of Tennessee, shares his principles of basketball performance in today's podcast interview. In 2017-18, Tennessee navigated a 35-game campaign without any serious injuries, won 26 games (fourth-most in program history), captured the 2018 SEC Championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. During 2018-19, the Big Orange spent a month ranked No. 1 in the country en route to a school-record-tying 31 wins and a berth in the Sweet Sixteen. His basketball-specific training methods and emphasis on injury prevention helped Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bone get their names called in the 2019 NBA Draft. “Garrett’s methods and approach to elite performance training are on another level,” UT head coach Rick Barnes said. “He’s a star in his profession, and our students enjoy not just how he trains them, but also the personal relationship he develops with each of them.” The Green Bay, Wisconsin, native arrived in Knoxville with three years of experience working alongside Barnes, as Medenwald served the Texas basketball program as both a graduate manager and a graduate strength and conditioning intern from 2012-15. During his tenure with the Longhorns, Medenwald honed his philosophy as an elite performance coach while working closely with nationally known industry innovator Todd Wright—assistant coach/head of strength and conditioning with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers—and learning the philosophies of Shaun McPherson. Garrett simultaneously spent two years as the Director of Athletic 3D Performance Training Systems at the “Train 4 the Game” facility in Austin, Texas, where he programmed for numerous NFL and NBA athletes. He graduated from Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2013, earning a bachelor’s degree in Health, Human Performance and Recreation while minoring in Athletic Coaching Education. He then received his master’s degree in Kinesiology from Texas in 2016. Garrett and I connected today to talk about the underlying principles that drive his basketball performance philosophy. Listen to this episode and learn:
If you want to connect with Garrett, check him out on Instagram @the_prodig_movement | |||
| 26 May 2020 | Basketball Player Monitoring w/ Oklahoma State's Bryce Daub | 00:45:56 | |
Episode 039: With all the emerging sports performance technology, player monitoring for basketball can be expensive and overwhelming. I've asked my friend Bryce Daub to help us sift through the data and find the best bang for our buck. Bryce Daub is entering his fifth season as the men’s basketball director of strength and performance. In his role, Daub oversees program design and implementation for all aspects of performance enhancement. Before joining the Sooners, Daub spent the previous four seasons as the strength and conditioning coach for the University of Oregon men’s basketball program. Oregon had participated in the NCAA Tournament each of the last three seasons in Daub’s tenure and won at least one postseason game each of those years. The Ducks advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2013. No stranger to central Oklahoma, Daub spent the 2010-11 season as an athletic performance coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball franchise. The Thunder went 55-27, won the Northwest Division and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Prior to his time in OKC, he served as a strength and conditioning intern with the Seattle Supersonics. Daub played college basketball at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash., where he earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in exercise science in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Following his playing career, he served as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach working specifically with men’s and women’s basketball, women’s soccer and track and field. A Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, Daub is also certified as a performance enhancement specialist (PES) and corrective exercise specialist (CES) through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Check out this week's interview and learn:
If you want to connect with Bryce, go to the University of Oklahoma's Men's Basketball Page | |||
| 02 Jun 2020 | How to Teach Gratitude to Basketball Players | 00:18:44 | |
Episode 040: Knowing how to teach gratitude might be more important than knowing how to teach a jump shot. Without gratitude, your players won't appreciate the journey. And like shooting, gratitude is a skill that needs to be taught and practice. While some players might come into your program with high levels of gratitude, most will have to be coached on the importance of saying, "thank you." In today's podcast, I share the system I use for teaching players what to think, say and do to be grateful. We set aside time every day for two weeks to teach gratitude. Here are some highlights:
And to all of you who are committed... Earn Your X | |||
| 09 Jun 2020 | Leadership Framework For The Black Lives Matter Movement | 00:38:14 | |
Episode 041: The Black Lives Matter Movement needs all of us to contribute our unique talents and leadership so that we can heal our world. While I don’t have the answer of how to do this, I do have a leadership framework that might be useful in helping take action. I’ve taken the 3 Levels Of Leadership and highlighted three actions that we can take to become a better leader in the Black Lives Matter Movement. By practicing the leadership traits of Listen, Learn and Teach, you can become your best and help others do the same. Here are some highlights of Leadership For The Black Lives Matter Movement:
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| 16 Jun 2020 | Basketball Mindset w/ Jake Wiley | 00:44:45 | |
Episode 042: Not all professional basketball players have a professional mindset. People with a basketball mindset take care of their body, consistently train their mind, prioritize their workouts and treat people with respect. Jake Wiley's mindset helped him make the jump from playing college basketball at a NAIA school, to being Player of The Year at a Division 1 school, to earning a spot on the Brooklyn Nets. Today, Jake shares how he turned a life of mischief into a life of working hard and helping other people. Listen to this week's podcast and learn:
You can learn more about Jake Wiley on Instagram @wiley_coyote0 Instagram | |||
| 23 Jun 2020 | Servant Leadership In Basketball w/ Shann Ferch, PhD | 00:56:18 | |
Episode 043: Is there a place for servant leadership in basketball? I actually think it might be the most important part of playing the game. Today's interview is with one of the nation's leading experts in servant leadership. Shann Ferch is an author, clinical psychologist and professor in Gonzaga’s doctoral program in leadership studies, serving as a visiting scholar in Asia, South America, Africa and Europe. By reading his resume you’d never know that he was a former D1 and professional basketball player with a 40 plus inch vertical. Even at age 40, he could do a 360 dunk. You can learn more about Shann Ferch at ShannRay.com | |||
| 30 Jun 2020 | Creating Learning Environments In The Weight Room w/ Gonzaga's Travis Knight | 00:41:36 | |
Episode 044: Travis Knight is a master at creating learning environments in the weight room. He’s got a unique perspective on basketball strength & conditioning, combining complex systems and motor learning theory with vision and mindset training. Travis and I were classmates at Gonzaga back in the 90’s and have worked together professionally since 2006. He’s currently the strength & conditioning coach for the GU Men’s Basketball team and has done an incredible job working side by side with Mark Few to build strong, intrinsically motivated players. Travis’ training methods are outside the box but are rooted in the best of science. Instead of focusing on sets and reps, he pours his energy into creating learning environments in the weight room. He sat down to explain why:
To learn more about Travis, check him out on social media: @ZagGreatness | |||
| 07 Jul 2020 | The ACL Recovery Journey w/ Gonzaga's Laura Stockton | 00:28:54 | |
Episode 045: The ACL recovery journey is full of highs and lows. Unfortunately, injuries are a part of basketball and ACL tears are all too common. Laura Stockton was an all-league player at Gonzaga University when she tore her ACL in the first round of the conference tournament. She was kind enough to share the intimate details of her injury and recovery process in hopes that it helps someone have the courage and confidence to get back on the court. Listen to hear Laura's story of:
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| 14 Jul 2020 | How To Improve HRV For Hoops w/ Mike Lombardi | 00:32:59 | |
Episode 046: Do you want to know how to improve HRV for hoops? Heart Rate Variability is the measure of variation between heart beats and is a great marker for recovery. Understanding recovery is crucial to maximizing performance because you don’t get stronger in the weight room… you actually get weaker. If you can do 20 pull ups at the start of a workout, you might only be able to do 5 or 10 by the end. It’s when you go home to eat, sleep and recover that you actually get stronger. Mike Lombardi from WHOOP comes on the show to talk about the importance of measuring recovery and improving HRV so you can get the most out of your training sessions. He explains heart rate variability, sleep cycles, and gives simple ways to optimize performance. Listen to this week’s show to learn the answer these questions:
Check out WHOOP.com to learn more | |||
| 21 Jul 2020 | Recovery Nutrition For Basketball w/ Sigma Nutrition's Danny Lennon | 00:39:54 | |
Episode 047: Recovery Nutrition not only involves replenishing lost nutrients, but also rebuilding tissue to help you become more explosive and durable. Danny Lennon joined me on the show to make recovery nutrition specific to the game of basketball. Danny is the founder of Sigma Nutrition and head of content creation for the company. Known for hosting the top-ranked podcast Sigma Nutrition Radio, Danny is also a respected educator in the field. He has spoken at conferences and events all over Europe (including London, Dublin, Amsterdam and Vienna), as well as the United States and Australia. Danny has a master’s degree (MSc.) in Nutritional Sciences from University College Cork, during which time Danny took classes in biochemistry, clinical nutrition, micronutrient interactions and physiology. Previous to this Danny also completed a BSc. Degree in Biology and Physics Education and spent a year teaching these subjects. Listen to this week's show on recovery nutrition and find out:
Check out SigmaNutrition.com to learn more | |||
| 28 Jul 2020 | Building Injury & Fatigue-Resistant Basketball Players w/ Duke's Ashleigh Beaver | 00:33:55 | |
Episode 048: Ashleigh Beaver is the Head Sports Performance Coach for Duke Women’s Basketball and joined me on the podcast to share her philosophy on building injury and fatigue resistant players.
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| 04 Aug 2020 | How to Teach Enthusiasm to Basketball Players | 00:25:08 | |
Episode 049: Do you know how to teach enthusiasm to your basketball players? Just like shooting, enthusiasm is a skill that needs to be coached and practiced. In today’s episode, I share exactly how we break down our 18-week leadership system and give specifics on how we teach players to live our program’s core values. We follow the “Think, Say, Do” system that teaches players how to be leaders by sharing research on enthusiasm, telling them concrete words to say, and providing specific actions for them to do. This takes the guess work out of leadership. Think: “Enthusiasm is contagious!” Check out this week’s episode and learn:
If you want access to my free 5-Day Leadership Course, go to hoopcommitment.com | |||
| 11 Aug 2020 | Finding Flow On The Basketball Court w/ Dr. Cindra Kamphoff | 00:42:59 | |
Episode 050: All basketball players need help finding flow on the court. When you’re in the zone, the game slows down and you’re able to play at your highest ability. Dr. Cindra Kamphoff is certified mental performance coach for leaders, businesses and championship teams. She helps them master their mindset so they can gain the high performance edge. Cindra joins us today to explain what being in the zone means and gives helpful tips with finding flow on the basketball court. She has a Ph.D. in sport and performance psychology and has spoken for some of the largest companies including Target, Wal-Mart, and Verizon Wireless. Cindra has worked with the Minnesota Vikings for the last four years where she has worked with players one-on-one to train their mind for peak performance. She is also the CEO of Mentally Strong Consulting which provides mental training services to teams, coaches and athletes. Cindra published her first book and corresponding workbook titled ‘Beyond Grit: Ten Powerful Practices to Gain the High Performing Edge’ which is an Amazon Bestseller. Listen today to learn:
If you want to get 50% off Dr. Cindra's Beyond Grit Academy for only $97, go to beyondgrit.com/97 | |||
| 18 Aug 2020 | Become A Story Or A Statistic w/ Dre Baldwin | 00:38:13 | |
Episode 051: Do you want to be the story that inspires people or just another statistic showing that the odds are stacked against playing at the next level? In just 5 years, Dre Baldwin went from his high school team's bench to a 9-year professional basketball career. At the same time, Dre built a content publishing empire.
You can find Dre on Social Media @drebaldwin Instagram @HoopCommitment | |||
| 25 Aug 2020 | How To Get Recruited To Play College Basketball w/ Pacific's Brant Minor | 00:43:42 | |
Episode 052: Are you wondering how to get recruited to play college basketball if there aren't exposure tournaments and maybe not even a high school season? I brought on college basketball coach and Showcase Director, Brant Minor, to share how players can get discovered.
You can find Brant on social media @MaxHoops3 Instagram @HoopCommitment | |||
| 01 Sep 2020 | Increase Vertical Jump For Basketball w/ Kansas' Dr. Ramsey Nijem | 00:37:33 | |
Episode 053: Want to increase vertical jump for basketball? Skeptical of the claims of adding 8-12 inches to your jump height in only 6 weeks? Listen to this week's podcast and get the truth about how to jump higher from an expert in basketball performance training. Dr. Ramsey Nijem is Men’s Basketball Director of Sports Performance at the university of Kansas. They finished the year ranked number 1 in the nation, pushing my Zags into the number 2 spot in all the polls… but I won’t hold that against him. Before coming to Kansas, Ramsey was the NBA youngest head strength & conditioning coach, working with the Sacramento Kings for 5 years. He earned his doctorate of science in human & sports performance in 2018 after completing his masters of science & sport performance in 2013. With all of his formal education and real world basketball experience, I wanted to pick his brain on how to increase vertical jump for basketball players. Like you, I've seen countless jump programs online and so I wanted to hear from an expert on the best way to increase vertical. Listen to Dr. Ramsey Nijem and learn:
You can find Dr. Ramsey Nijem on social media @dr.ramsey.nijem Instagram @HoopCommitment | |||
| 08 Sep 2020 | Sacrifice Your Nutrition To Build Muscle & Burn Fat | 00:23:45 | |
Episode 054: The definition of sacrifice is to give up something good, for something better. If you want to build muscle or burn fat, the key is improving your nutrition by using the power of sacrifice. | |||
| 15 Sep 2020 | Get Quicker On The Court w/ LA Clippers' Daniel Shapiro | 00:32:05 | |
Episode 055: Learn how to get quicker on the basketball court from the LA Clippers’ Head Strength & Conditioning Coach, Daniel Shapiro. Daniel is in his 3rd year as Head of Strength & Conditioning for the LA Clippers. Before joining the Clippers, he spent 4 seasons at the University of Washington where he was Director of Basketball Athletic Performance for the Men’s Basketball team. No stranger to the NBA, Shapiro served as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Sacramento Kings from 2005-2013. Prior to working with the Kings, Shapiro spent two seasons at the University of Dayton as the head strength and conditioning coach for the men’s and women’s basketball teams. His previous work experience includes a seven-year stint with the Seattle Supersonics (1996-2003) as the assistant strength and conditioning coach under Dwight Daub. During his stay with the Sonics, Shapiro doubled his duties with the organization and worked as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Seattle Storm of the WNBA (2000-03). Shapiro is co-founder of the NBSCA (National Basketball Strength and Conditioning Association) and served as its inaugural president from 2009 to 2011. In May 2010, Shapiro was awarded the NBSCA Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year. Along with his NBA team responsibilities, Shapiro also continues to oversee all operations of the athletic performance testing at the annual NBA Pre-Draft Combine since 2010. A native of Renton, Washington, Shapiro earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science (2000) and master’s degree in physical education (2005), both from Seattle Pacific University. He has his CSCS (Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is a Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Currently, Shapiro is working towards completing his fellowship with the Gray Institute of Functional Transformation (GIFT). Shapiro enjoys working out, playing basketball and ran and completed his first marathon in the summer of 2009 in Seattle. When he isn’t working, traveling or getting a sweat he loves spending time with his friends and family, watching movies and getting out on the water as much as he can. He and his wife, Sina, reside in Los Angeles with their daughter Eliana (born in September 2016). Daniel was kind enough to take time during the playoffs to chat about how to get quicker on the basketball court. We discussed:
You can find Daniel on social media @kingshapiro21 Instagram @HoopCommitment | |||
| 22 Sep 2020 | Build Basketball Relationships w/ Jake Kelfer | 00:30:59 | |
Episode 056: Do you want to make the most out of your playing career? While everyone will eventually hang their shoes up at some point, quality basketball relationships will last a lifetime. I brought Jake Kelfer on the show to talk about how to build basketball relationships and strengthen networks to help players be successful on and off the court. Jake is a fellow hooper, motivational speaker, and the bestselling author of Elevate Beyond and Elevate Your Network. Jake is also the founder of the Professional Basketball Combine which helps NBA draft prospects turn their dreams of playing pro ball into their reality. He’s worked with the NBA Summer League, LA Lakers and Adidas. Today we spoke about the power of basketball relationships and how athletes can make the most out of their playing careers and set themselves up for success after basketball. He shares the principles that helped him land his first job with the LA Lakers and what the greatest coaches have in common. You can find Jake on social media @jakekelfer | |||
| 29 Sep 2020 | Basketball Training in 3D w/ Nate Schafer | 00:28:33 | |
Episode 057: Basketball training should mirror the demands of the game. Since players jab step in the sagittal plane, shuffle in the frontal plane and pivot in the transverse plane, the movements you do in the weight room should also be in 3D. 3D Athletes was founded in 2009 by Nate Schafer and continues its quest to elevate the way athletes train and prepare for competition. Nate and his training facility are sought out by professional athletes and teams all over the world to level up their game. The 3D system, based on the Gray Institute's principles of Applied Functional Science, is designed to progressively challenge and enhance movement as it relates to sport and competition. In today's episode, Nate shares his thought process on 3D basketball training. Listen and learn...
You can find Nate on social media @3dathletes | |||
| 06 Oct 2020 | Basketball Skill Training w/ I'm Possible's Micah Lancaster | 00:29:22 | |
Episode 058: Inventor, entrepreneur and the trainer of basketball trainers, Micah Lancaster, joins us on the podcast to share his system for basketball skill training. Known as a basketball scientist, he invented the rip cone, weighted tennis ball, was the originator of the medicine basketball training methodology and created the first & only basketball footwork training system. Athletes from around the world travel to his skills lab to add moves to their toolbox. He’s worked with NBA greats like Kyrie Irving, Victor Oladipo, and Karl Anthony towns and today I picked his brain on how high school players can maximize their practice time and become the best version of themselves. If you want to improve the way you workout, check out this episode and learn:
Here's where you can find out more about Micah @micah_lancaster | |||
| 13 Oct 2020 | College Basketball Walk On w/ Gonzaga's Brian Michaelson | 00:37:50 | |
Episode 059: If you’ve listened to my previous episodes, you know that I was a college basketball walk on. It was one of the hardest and most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I didn’t know what to expect when I showed up on campus and I wasn’t ready for how physically & mentally challenging every practice would be. For anyone out there who is thinking about playing Division 1 basketball, I brought on Gonzaga Men’s Basketball Coach, Brian Michaelson, to explain the walk-on process and share how to maximize your chance of having a successful college basketball career. Brian and I have a special bond for a few reasons… First off, he’s part of the Gonzaga basketball brotherhood. It’s amazing how close our alumni is and how many guys from around the world end up making Spokane their permanent home. Guys like Robert Sacre, Dan Dickau, Winston Brooks and even JP Batista from Brazil bought a home here. 2nd, I was his strength coach when he was in college. We spent a lot of time in the weight room together during his redshirt year and so I get to take partial credit for his arms of steel. And the 3rd bond that ties us together is that we were both college basketball walk ons at GU before earning scholarships. He knows first hand how difficult it can be to make it. Today I asked him about the common thread between walk ons like David Stockton, Mike Hart, Jeremy Jones and Kyle Bankhead, that not only earned a scholarship, but broke into the starting lineup. I asked him about how to get a walk on try out and how to catch the coaches eye. If you or a loved one is thinking about walking on, you won’t want to miss this episode. Instagram @HoopCommitment | |||
| 20 Oct 2020 | Mindfulness & Basketball w/ Mike Lee | 00:36:38 | |
Episode 060: Mindfulness and basketball aren't typically two words that go together. But, author and keynote speaker, Mike Lee, joined me on the podcast today to share how mindfulness can improve your game. Bridging his background in basketball leadership and performance — training some of basketball’s 1% — with mindfulness and emotional intelligence, Mike helps high-performing leaders master the psychology needed to lead and perform in a 2020 world. Through his experience building an international basketball brand from his college apartment, and growing it while beating the heroin-like withdrawal symptoms of pharmaceutical medication, Mike understands the challenges leaders face. In the basketball world, it’s crucial that players have the fundamental skills to execute the team’s strategy. In the business world, it’s no different. People need the foundational skills like self-awareness, presence and resilience to constantly adapt, perform and create in this time of unprecedented change. Drawing on the latest research from neuroscience, basketball and personal experience, he’s shared stories and practical exercises — across the United States, Indonesia and Spain — to help people find their own inner power and poise to thrive in business and life. He is the founder of Thrive3, a basketball training company that “creates game-changing experiences that crossover from the court to life”. At Thrive3 he’s worked at Academies or individual development sessions with players like NBA MVP Stephen Curry, All-Star Joel Embiid and Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon. Mike is also the author of the internationally sold book, UN/TRAIN. | |||
| 27 Oct 2020 | Eating Healthy For Hoops w/ Live Vitae's Ryan Carter | 00:33:24 | |
Episode 061: Are you having trouble eating healthy for basketball? Is it a struggle to eat your fruits and vegetables and still get enough calories in throughout the day? Well, Ryan Carter can help! Ryan is a certified Health Coach, Personal trainer, breathwork coach and registered nutritional therapist with many more specialized qualifications. He is the founder of Live Vitae, an optimal health coaching platform, that works by educating, supporting and mentoring clients from illness to wellness or sub-par to optimal. The approach he takes is very different from the ‘norm” nutritionists model. He incorporates the best from: - Nutritional therapy using a functional medicine model Ryan works across the board and is a functional generalist, not believing in a reductionist model to health coaching and beyond. He works with anyone and everyone who wants to achieve optimization and more. Listen to this week's episode on Eating Healthy for Hoops and learn how you can eat to be your best on and off the court. Instagram @HoopCommitment | |||
| 03 Nov 2020 | Basketball Ankle Sprains w/ Hornets' Andre Mattson | 00:39:14 | |
Episode 062: Basketball ankle sprains can sideline even the strongest and most athletic players. Are you doing everything you can in your training to reduce the chance of rolling an ankle? Andre Mattson is a strength & conditioning coach for the NBA's Charlotte Hornets and is the inventor of The Ankle Saver. The Ankle Saver is a revolutionary training device that strengthens the foot and lower leg to decrease the risk of injury and optimize performance. With The Ankle Saver, you can make significant improvements in your athleticism and finally make ankle injuries a thing of the past. Before joining the Hornets, Andre was an assistant strength coach with the New York Knicks and also spent time as an adjunct professor of exercise science at San Diego Community College District. His experience working with elite athletes in college and the NBA has given him the knowledge and insight to truly understand human performance. Andre joined me on the podcast and let me pick his brain on how he's keeping his player's healthy and minimizing basketball ankle sprains. Listen to this week's show and learn:
You can find Andre Mattson on social media @andremattsonperformance | |||
| 10 Nov 2020 | Build A Championship Team Culture w/ Dan Horwitz | 00:36:51 | |
Episode 063: Building your team culture is just as important as building your athletes in the weight room or building your team's offensive playbook. Individual players don't win championships, great teams do. | |||
| 17 Nov 2020 | How To Teach Loyalty To Basketball Players | 00:18:05 | |
Episode 064: Loyalty is a skill that can be taught and practiced, just like shooting and dribbling a basketball. The only difference is that improving an athlete’s loyalty will help them way beyond their playing days. Are you spending time every week to help your players become better leaders? Are you looking for new content to share with your team? Check out this week’s podcast episode and learn how I teach players the skill of Loyalty. Using the Think, Say, Do model, I’ve created 3 concrete ways athletes can be more loyal to the team. My hope is that you’re able to take a couple ideas from this talk and adapt them to fit the needs of your program. Here’s how we define Loyalty in our program: Think: We need each other We spend two weeks letting our players practice standing up for their teammates, sharing inspiring stories about loyalty, and saying “I got you.” At the completion of the module, we have players take a self-assessment so they can find out if they’re a loyal teammate.
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| 24 Nov 2020 | Attitude of Gratitude w/ Grizzlie's Killian Tillie | 00:21:16 | |
Episode 065: Killian Tillie's attitude of gratitude and silky jump shot has made him a Zag legend. His tireless work ethic helped lift Gonzaga to its first ever Final Four and National Championship game, but it's his big smile that has made him a fan favorite. He was named First Team All-WCC his senior year and just signed a 2-way deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. One of my favorite basketball memories is watching Tillie make 12 consecutive 3-pointers over the course of a few games. But what I'll remember most about Tillie is his attitude of gratitude. He walks around the locker room, campus, weight room and the court with a smile and he's never too busy to give a kid or fan a high-5. Today I picked his brain on how he prepared for the NBA draft and why he has such a positive outlook on life. Here's a few of the questions I asked:
With gyms and fitness clubs around the world being shut down, it's more challenging to get your workout in. But one of my favorite quote tells us, "You can make gains, or you can make excuses... but you can't make both." Instead of making excuses, make gains by committing to workout everyday for at least 5 minutes. Click here to get FREE access to 5-minute ball handling routines and bodyweight workouts Instagram @HoopCommitment | |||
| 01 Dec 2020 | Lessons That Are Bigger Than Basketball w/ Eric Edelstein | 00:44:14 | |
Episode 066: Former Zag and professional actor, Eric Edelstein, joined me on the podcast to share how the lessons he learned in sports helped him succeed in LA. He was my college roomate and GU TV’s play-by-play announcer for Gonzaga’s basketball games, and thanks to his great wisdom and insights, not one turn over, foul or missed shot was ever my fault. It’s actually a little embarrassing to think how biased his announcing was towards his friends. But that just goes to show the kind of person his is. He is the funniest and the most loyal friend I could every ask for. Today I got to pick his brain about how the lessons he learned in sports helped him make it in the competitive field of acting for the last 20 years. And for all of you Big Ed fans, don’t worry, he’s gives a great Bill Walton impersonation and tells his favorite coach Few story. Instagram @HoopCommitment | |||
| 08 Dec 2020 | Basketball Player Development w/ Utah's Donny Daniels | 00:29:55 | |
Episode 067: Donny Daniels begins his second season as the Director of Basketball Player Development with the University of Utah's men's basketball program. Daniels makes his way back to the U following coaching stops at Cal State Fullerton, UCLA and, most recently, Gonzaga. In his nine seasons in Spokane, Daniels was instrumental in helping lead the Bulldogs to an overall record of 277-49, eight West Coach Conference regular-season championships, and nine NCAA Tournament appearances, including five Sweet Sixteen's, three Elite Eights and a NCAA runner-up finish in 2017. Daniels served as an assistant coach for the Runnin' Utes under head coach Rick Majerus from 1990-2000. During Daniels' 11 seasons at Utah, the Utes reached the NCAA Tournament eight times and were the national runner-ups in 1998. Daniels was also the chief recruiter of Andre Miller and Keith Van Horn to Salt Lake City. "Donny brings a wealth of experience and value to our program," Krystkowiak noted. "His basketball knowledge, his life experiences and his community impact alone will go far in connecting our program's past with the present." Today I picked Donny's brain on basketball player development and what it takes to be successful on and off the court. Listen to this week's podcast and learn...
Are you prepared for 2021? Listen to New Year's Resolution vs Commitment and make 2021 the best year of your life! | |||
| 15 Dec 2020 | Movement Assessment For Basketball Players w/ Dr. Gary Gray | 01:06:19 | |
Episode 068: Before you can help basketball players in the weight room, you need a movement assessment that will quickly show a player's strengths and deficits. Dr. Gary Gray, founder of the Gray Institute and creator of 3DMAPS, joined me on the podcast to share how in just 6 movements you can assess 66 vital motions of the human body. Dr. Gary Gray is the smartest movement scientist in the world and I'm grateful to call him a friend and mentor. I remember when I first got exposed to Dr. Gray's work… It was 2004 and we’d just started U-District Physical Therapy. My business partners told me that I had to watch this series called the Functional Video Digest, so I went home and popped the tape into the VCR. I was immediately in awe of Gary's ability to see and explain how the body was one big chain reaction. He effortlessly described how the foot influenced the knee and the hip and the spine, and how the spine can influence the foot. That one moment started my journey of studying the Gray Institute. Since then I’ve completed their 40-week fellowship programs and was lucky enough to be a facilitator for the GIFT program the last couple years. I’ve also taken their Functional Soft Tissue Transformation course, their Foot/Ankle Specialization and completed their Certification in Applied Functional Science. Today I got to pick Gary’s brain on how to do movement assessments with basketball players. Now you know I’m a little biased, but I can’t say enough good things about their 3DMAPS certification, which stands for Three-Dimensional Movement Assessment and Performance System. Please know I’m not part of any affiliate program and don’t make any money if you sign up for 3DMAPS. I’m just promoting it because I use some form of the assessment or performance system every single week with my players. I can confidently say that Gary and his work has made the single biggest impact on my training philosophy as a strength & conditioning coach. Listen to this week's podcast on Movement Assessment for Basketball Players and learn:
Click HERE to listen to his son, Doug Gray, talk about Movement For Basketball | |||
| 05 Jan 2021 | Assisted w/ Utah Jazz's John Stockton | 01:13:16 | |
Episode 071: John Stockton has assisted more teammates than anyone in the history of basketball. He's a Hall of Famer, Dream Teamer, and is the NBA's all time leader in steals and assists. But in his book, Assisted, he talks about the coaches, family and friends that have assisted him along the way. And today’s interview was no different. He talks about people like his grade school coach and college athletic trainer, and shares how even to this day, the game of basketball continues to teach him life lessons. I was lucky enough to play with John Stockton every preseason while I was in college at Gonzaga. He'd ride his 10-speed bike to the gym to play pick-up with the team & prepare himself for training camp. Even though he was the only NBA player in the gym, no one ever worked as hard as John. Theres not a doubt that his influence has helped shape of the program. Shortly after I finished my playing career in Germany, Stockton started a weekly Sunday run that's been going on for over 15 years. We play on Father's Day, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and Easter. The only Sunday we don't play is Hoopfest weekend, which is the world's largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament. The highlight of my week is watching him continually assist his friends on and off the court. Listen to John Stockton's interview and learn:
If you want to learn more about John Stockton's leadership style, read my article, 6 Ways John Stockton Assists. Click here you want purchase a copy of his autobiography, Assisted.
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| 22 Dec 2020 | Become A Better Defender w/ Jerusalem's Roberto Iezzi | 00:36:43 | |
Episode 069: Do you know how to train to become a better defender? I brought on the strength & conditioning coach for Jerusalem Basketball to talk about the mobility, strength, agility and conditioning drills that he does to help players become lock-down defenders. Roberto Iezzi is currently the strength coach of Hapoel Jerusalem Basketball and is responsible for player performance and rehabilitation. Previously he worked with several professional teams (Veroli BC, Pallacanestro Verona, Pallacanestro Moncalieri) as well as some of the best youth programs in Italy (Stella Azzurra Roma, Pallacanestro Moncalieri). In 2018, Roberto was also the strength coach of the Italian under 18 national team which competed in the European Championship in Latvia. In addition to his full-time post, Roberto is the host of the Sport Vitamins podcast, sharing experience of leading experts from around the world in the sports performance field. Today I picked his brain on how to become a better defender for basketball. Listen to the show and learn...
If you want to learn more about becoming a better athlete on the court, check out the article, Get Quicker For Defense Instagram @HoopCommitment | |||
| 29 Dec 2020 | Making It Through The Dip | 00:20:24 | |
Episode 070: Are you planning for The Dip in 2021? If you are, you're already ahead of the game. On January 1, everyone is excited to start their New Years Resolution, but we know that most people won't make it through The Dip. Author Seth Godin defines The Dip as the long grind between starting and mastery. When you first start something, it’s fun and exciting. It feels good when you tell people that you’re learning a new language, and people will congratulate you for starting a workout routine. Just telling people what you’re doing is rewarding. And whatever your new thing is, it’s easy to stay engaged because it’s fresh and the progress comes fast and easy. And then The Dip happens. I’ve experienced The Dip every single year I’ve made a commitment. I start out the year so excited with all the new books I’ve purchased and the courses I’ve signed up for. There’s something about buying a new book that just makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something already. It’s the same feeling I get with buying new workout shoes. It’s almost like putting on the new shoes and walking out of the store already makes me feel like I’ve started my workout routine. And for me, the feeling always lasts the first month or two. But somewhere after four months or six months or eight months, I realize that whatever I’m studying can’t be mastered in a short amount of time and I get a little discouraged. And that’s about the time when other shiny objects start grabbing my attention. It might be popular book that my friends are all reading or a training technique that another strength coach is using with their athletes. It really doesn’t matter what it is, it’s just that it starts to seem a little more interesting than my commitment, or it might seem more pressing at the moment. That’s The Dip that everyone hits and this is where almost everyone fails… but not you! Because you know The Dip is coming. You see, The Dip is the exact worst moment to quit. You’ve already done so much of the hard work, and invested money and time, but you haven’t reaped the real benefit yet. And If you can just hold on & make it through the rest of the year, it will all be worth it. But if you quit when The Dip comes, it would’ve been better to not start at all and you would’ve saved your time and money. Seth Godin says, if you can’t make it through the dip, don’t start. If you want to ensure the 2021 is the most impactful year of your life, listen to this episode and follow my Top 3 Things to get you through The Dip! | |||
| 12 Jan 2021 | Art Of Coaching Basketball Players w/ Brett Bartholomew | 00:51:37 | |
Episode 072: Brett Bartholomew is a keynote speaker, performance coach & consultant, best-selling author, and Founder of Art of Coaching™. His experience includes working with athletes both in the team environment and private sector along with members of the United States Special Forces and members of Fortune 500 companies. Brett is also a self-published, best-selling, author of Conscious Coaching: The Art & Science of Building Buy-in. Taken together, Brett has coached a diverse range of athletes from across 23 sports worldwide, at levels ranging from youth athletes to Olympians. He’s supported numerous Super Bowl and World Series Champions, along with several professional fighters in both professional boxing as well as the UFC. Brett was kind enough to join me on the podcast and talk about the art of coaching basketball players. Here's what we discussed:
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| 19 Jan 2021 | Lateral Thinking w/ Stanford's Ali Kershner | 00:39:00 | |
Episode 073: Ali Kershner is the sports performance coach for Stanford’s Women’s Basketball. They spent 6 weeks as the #1 ranked team in the nation until finally being knocked off this past weekend. | |||
| 09 Feb 2021 | Heart Surgery & Podcast Updates | 00:03:41 | |
Episode 074: I'm almost back! Thanks to everyone who called, texted, DM'd me on social media, and kept me in their prayers. This is just a short episode to give you heart updates and let you know I've got 4 great episodes lined up at the end of the month. | |||
| 09 Mar 2021 | Coaching Youth Basketball w/ NBA's Dan Dickau | 00:38:57 | |
Episode 075: Dan Dickau joined me on the podcast to talk about coaching youth basketball. When I speak at summer camps, I always use Dan as an example of someone who held his dreams close to his heart and put in work. Holding your dreams tight and putting in work are two qualities I want to teach my kids. I tell them to hold your dreams tight because there will always be people telling you that you’re not tall enough, not talented enough or not good enough. If you’re not holding yourr dream tight, you might actually start believing them. But dreaming isn’t enough, you also have to put in work. And that’s what Dan did such an incredible job of. He was always the first to the gym and the last to leave. If you don’t know much about Dan, he was a First Team All-American at Gonzaga University and played six years in the NBA. After he finished his playing career, the Portland Trailblazers hired him as a player development assistant. Dan is currently an on-air broadcaster and the host of multiple basketball podcasts. Since we’re both parents to kids who love hoops, I wanted to see how he’s handling the balance between helping his kids with sports vs. just being a fan. In this interview I asked how his parents helped him on the court, his take on coaching youth basketball and what he’s specifically doing to help his kids become their best. Here are some of the questions I asked Dan:
If you want to learn more about coaching youth basketball, check out Episode 007: Basketball Player, Coach, Parent w/ Matt Santangelo | |||
| 16 Mar 2021 | NBA Basketball Conditioning w/ Houston Rockets' Willie Cruz | 00:42:58 | |
Episode 076: Do you want to know learn more about NBA basketball conditioning and getting your players in optimal shape on the court? Conditioning is a lot more than just running until you're tired. There's an art and science to getting players ready for a long season and keeping them in shape through playoffs. Willie Cruz is the Director of Performance for the Houston Rockets and joined me on the podcast to share how he gets and keeps his players in peak shape. Prior to joining the Rockets, Willie spent two years with the Oklahoma City Thunder as an Athletic Performance Coach and two years at Fordham University as their Director of strength and conditioning for mens basketball. He is certified as a Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach (RSCC) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Willie has a M.S. in Exercise Science from Edith Cowan University, M.S in Media Management from Fordham University, and completed his bachelor’s degree at Eastern Kentucky University majoring in Sports Management. He also earned a full-ride scholarship to play Division 1 basketball at Eastern Kentucky University. In addition to being a great basketball strength coach, he's also a baller. In his free time, Willie is committed to serving his community, empowering the next generation, and impacting lives through performance coaching. We sat down and discussed NBA basketball conditioning and how to best get players in shape for a long season. Here are some of the questions I asked:
If you want to learn more about basketball conditioning, listen to Episode 008: Basketball Conditioning w/ Joel Jamieson | |||
| 23 Mar 2021 | Personal Growth For Basketball w/ Brett Ledbetter, Lisa Fortier & Travis Knight | 00:47:49 | |
Episode 077: Doing the work of personal growth off the court will lead to gains on the court. Performance consultant, author and speaker, Brett Ledbetter joined me on the podcast to share how his work is helping players and coaches grow as people. He focuses on character development, priority alignment, behavior management and self-awareness. Brett has authored four books: What Drives Winning, What’s Really Important, What Drives Winning Teams and What Drives Winning Environments. He has also given three TEDx talks: What Drives Winning, Building Your Inner Voice and How to Stop Comparing and Start Competing. Brett currently works with several Division 1 athletic departments––including Gonzaga, Oregon, Florida and Oklahoma State to name a few––that hire him as a thinking partner for athletic directors, coaches and athletes. He also applies his high-performance training within education, military, sport and business sectors. Gonzaga Women's Basketball Head Coach, Lisa Fortier, also joined us to share how working with Brett has helped her create clarity in her priorities. Gonzaga Men's Basketball Strength Coach, Travis Knight, joined us to share how Brett has helped create his weekly Personal Growth Monday meetings with the team. Here are some of the questions I asked Brett:
Instagram @HoopCommitment | |||