PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Prep Work
Our first practice for the 2014-15 basketball season is one month from today! I’m so excited to get to the fun stuff…the coaching. I even like practices more than games…well now that I’m a coach, not when I was a player. But most of all, I just like to be on the court.
However, the prep work is just as important if you are a coach, or an athlete (or in life). As a coach, if I don’t have everything ready to roll for the season; schedules, school district paperwork, parent meeting packets, fundraising information, updated first-aid card, etc, it can make for a hectic year. As an athlete, if you don’t prep by getting in shape, it can make for a more difficult start to your season and can even contribute to injuries. Take care of your prep work. It isn’t alway fun, but it is a necessity.
On that note, I better get to work!
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Always Believe In You
Today I’m speaking at TEDxSpokane. I’ll be talking about believing in yourself, and how doing so has not always been easy for me, but has helped me to achieve goals and overcome obstacles in my lifetime.
In fact, when I got the call to be a part of the TEDx Conference, I had to remind MYSELF to believe, because public speaking scares me. I had to remind myself that I am capable of anything that I put my mind to. Well, maybe it’s too late for me to play professional basketball, but most anything…
When you come up against obstacles or have goals you’d like to achieve, remember always believe in you!
WRITING PROMPT: Write about a time that you didn’t believe in yourself. Write about a time that you did.
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Focus On The Good
There are so many great life lessons that can be learned on the basketball court. For example, when my daughter was in middle school, she had a coach who yelled at her, and all the girls, a lot. He even yelled at his own daughter until she cried. I was not fond of this coach, yet I felt the best way to handle the situation was to teach my daughter how to cope. To use it as a life lesson, so that as she grew up she would understand how to work with different personalities in the work place and in life. So I talked to my daughter about focusing on the good, enjoying her teammates and enjoying the game.
There will be times in life when people try to fill the world with hate and drag you down with them. Don’t go for it! Instead, take a deep breath, surround your self with positive energy and focus on the good and enjoy, because life is way to short.
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Books, Books and More Good Books…
Have you read a good book lately? I was enjoying dinner at our neighbors last night and long with an amazing meal, I got a new list of books to read. Now if I only had more time.
What are some good books that you would recommend?
WRITING PROMPT #1: Casey grabbed the tattered book from the counter and…
WRITING PROMPT #2: Write the first page of a book you would want to read.
Meet Sonya
Meet Sonya
Sonya Elliott’s memoir, Back on the Court: A Young Woman’s Triumphant Return to Life, Love & Basketball, is her story of finding hope in the wake of tragedy after she and her fiancé were hit by a train. She blogs about writing, basketball, and life and is currently working on a Young Adult Novel and a Non-Fiction Coaching book. Stories of her career as a fashion model are woven through her memoir, as both the Soloflex and Easy Spirit Shoes commercials were filmed during that time period, and this unique and intriguing business continues to be a part of her life.
Sonya played basketball at Eastern Washington University and was a starter for the Big Sky Champion team that went to the 1987 NCAA tournament. She coached for almost 25 years and was voted Seattle Times Coach of the Year, Seattle Officials Women’s Basketball Association Coach of the Year, and twice voted Metro League Coach of the Year. She loves the game of basketball and is thankful, not only for her husband and kids but for her ability to continue to get back on the court.
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PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Offense sells the tickets. Defense wins the games.
Sonya Gaubinger Elliott – Eastern Washington University – 1987
A quote that has always been a driving force in the way I play basketball, and coach basketball, is, “Offense sells the tickets. Defense wins the games.” I LOVE defense. I love playing it, and there is nothing better than coaching or watching a team that plays intense and cohesive team defense.
Personally, I was not born a good shooter, which may have something to do with my preference for defense. But even as my shooting improved with practice, my defense is what got me into the game, and made things happen on the court, and I always had it to focus on if my shot was off. You can always play tough defense if you’ve got heart and hustle. And when you play tough defense, it will spread like wildfire to your teammates. And when each and every player on a team […]
Monday’s Pen to Paper: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
I love using a photograph or a painting as a writing prompt. You know the old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, you don’t need to go the full 1000, but take a look at this photo a let your mind and pen go wild.
WRITING PROMPT: Look at the photo above and write.
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Practice + Heart + Hustle = Reaching Your Dreams
Since becoming a parent, I’ve realized that, to a certain degree, each and every one of us is hardwired at birth. Born with certain tendencies. My son and daughter have different wiring, different ways about doing things, even though they were raised in the same house. But no matter your hardwiring, there’s an equation to living that will help you in following your hopes and dreams, practice plus a whole lot of heart and hustle.
If, for example, your dream is to make the varsity basketball team for your school, you’ve got to put the work in, practice. Get up early, or stay up late, and go to the YMCA or the closest park to shoot and work on your ball handling, expand your knowledge and go to camps or ask your coach for help, go to open gyms and consider […]
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