WYC 016 Alan Stein – Hardwood Hustle podcast and Strongerteam.com – Youth Basketball

What does it take to be a winning youth coach? Listen in as Alan Stein shares coaching stories and discusses his journey to becoming a successful youth coach. Alan Stein is the owner of Stronger Team and the strength & conditioning coach for the nationally renowned, Nike elite DeMatha Catholic High School basketball program. Alan brings a wealth of valuable experience to his training arsenal from over a decade of extensive work with elite high school, college, and NBA players. He also co-hosts the podcast ‘Hardwood Hustle’ with Adam Bradley. Alan lives in Bethesda, MD with his wife Rebecca, twin sons Luke & Jack (aka ‘The Born Backcourt’), and daughter Lyla. Website: Strongerteam.com Twitter:@AlanStein Facebook: /strongerteam Youtube: /strongerteam Podcast: Hardwood Hustle Listen NOW: Listen in iTunes: iTunes link Listen in Stitcher: Stitcher link   Coaching/Leadership Quote ▪   ‘A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle’ click to tweet! Coaching your own Kid ▪   It is important for your child to have a positive sports experience early on – and if that means you need to step up and be coach, step up and do it My ‘Cringe’ Moment ▪   There are 100 ways to skin a cat - in Alan’s early years he wasn’t as open-minded about outside methodologies Coaching AH-HA Moment Meeting Todd Wright, Texas’ strength coach Teaching Children & Keeping it Fun Kids are different than adults! Physically, mentally, and emotionally Start with the foundation – their body, then move to their skill, then to their brain, then to their heart. HUGE IDEA #1 – 60 minute practice plans 60 minute practice plan for 8 year-old: o  20-25 minutes – body awareness/performance o  30 minutes – fundamentals/skills o  5-10 minutes – Play games: 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 60 minute practice plan for High-schooler: o  5-8 minutes – body awareness/performance o  15-20 minutes – fundamentals/skills o  15-20 minutes – Situational games, still lots of 3-on-3 Best Practice Warm-up HUGE IDEA #2 - 6 primary movements to include in your warm-up: Sprinting Backpedaling Defensive sliding Pivoting Jumping/landing Lunging Watch examples on Alan’s Youtube channel: Youtube.com/strongerteam Best Stolen Resource ▪   When watching someone else do a drill that you are going to implement- Ask: Why are you doing it? How are you doing it? What is the end result supposed to be? Discipline ▪   ‘You get what you bring as a coach’ – If you bring enthusiasm, and model the behavior you are preaching, and expect excellence of yourself – most of the time the players will respond in kind. ▪   Positive Peer Pressure – the team all is disciplined together Reward, Recognition, and Teambuilding ‘Coaching at its most fundamental level is about connecting’ Inspiring Story Kevin Durant – When he was in high school – he was very intraverted and quiet – yet Alan connected with him and appreciated Alan’s passion for making him better Coaching/Leadership Motivation ▪   Podcast – Andy Stanley’s ‘Your Move’ – the non-negotiables are Dishonesty, Disobedience, and Disrespect ▪   Quote – ‘Do the things others don’t do, and you’ll have the things others don’t have’- also very powerful if you replace the word ‘won’t’ for the ‘don’t’ ▪   Book – Coack K – ‘Leading with the Heart’ The One that Got Away ‘Play present’ – You have to focus on the next play- nothing in the past, nothing too far in the future Alan shares a story of a player at Dematha who barely missed setting an incredible record and what he did afterwards that was so impressive Parting Advice ▪   Always, always, always – do what is in the best interest of the player Stronger Team/Hardwood Hustle Podcast ▪   Alan co-hosts the Hardwood Hustle podcast with Adam Bradley – Great podcast for people of all ages- Have your junior-high/high-school kids listen! Interview Links / Promotional Partners