What is Your Culture?

The Clinton Junior High Girls' Basketball team has been in swing for two weeks and the kids are learning about the culture of being a Lady Maroon. I bring up this word "culture", because someone asked me recently...what is culture and how do you build it? Culture building is implementing a new way of life for a business, team, or organization. It's setting internal standards for the way things are going to be done. It's holding the entire organization accountable to those standards despite pressure from external sources. Whether the expectations are visual or not; everyone involved can feel them upon arrival in a team meeting, practice, or competition, etc. To put it simply; it's all about having passion and a purpose for what we are doing.

Every drill we implement with our players builds layer upon layer of the necessary fundamentals aligning to  our basketball philosophy. We are teaching our young ladies that success is achieved by relentless effort, repetition of actions, attention to details, and unparalleled enthusiasm for simple execution. We praise our players continuously for everything they do right, and in return, they listen to our suggestions for things that need improvement. We know that if we can improve our parts; the end result will be a more successful whole. Nothing is more important to our coaching staff than getting our kids to develop to their maximum potential, as a player, and as a person.

This season will mark 12 years of coaching basketball in my life. I've coached in four different school districts, thus developed four different cultures. I've seen over a thousand practices, games, clinics, etc. The thing I hear over and over from coaches about players are..."they can't do this, they can't do that, is anything actually being taught to these kids at the lower levels?"  Frankly, I get sick and tired of hearing these comments. For every second you spend complaining about your kids, you could be spending that time helping them develop those fundamentals that you expect of them. Good habits take time to develop.  Good habits must be repeated to maintain. If you allow a player to revert back to an old habit for a single day; you have just unraveled two years of hard work. Congratulations. Now you can go back to complaining about all the things they can't do. You now have an internal excuse to make you feel better the next time your kids lose a game.

Culture. It's what you create. It can be a negative environment, or a positive one. I prefer the latter...

Yours in Hoops,
Josh Williams


 

Player Profiles: Guards 2012-2013

Haley Toohill - An outstanding passer in transition; always looking to pitch it ahead with great vision up the floor. Has shown she has range to the college three. Tremendous mid-range shooter off the dribble. Arguably the best ball handler in the area; displaying equal effectiveness with the left and right hand. Gets to the foul line by attacking the basket and can absorb the contact.

Haley Ginger - Extremely athletic; can run and jump with the best in the area. One of the most electric players you will find in the open floor. Displays lightning quickness that gets her in the paint when she wants to; allowing her to make plays for her team. Shows a quick release with great range. Attacks the basket with either hand and can score off the bounce. 

Megan Tool - A long, rangy, and wiry defender that creates havoc for offenses with her ability to pressure the basketball. Her size and skill set makes her a versatile player who continues to grow. Can score off the dribble or off the catch. One of the best pure shooters that have ever come through our program. Shoots it with tremendous accuracy from deep and from the line. 

Miranda Ennis - Displays a nice looking shot. A very good set shooter with a quick release; can hit from three and from the line. Shows a high basketball I.Q.  Knows the system and is always in the right place at the right time. Always willing to put her body on the line to make a play for her team. A vocal leader that shows the necessary intangibles. (Video not available yet.) 

Player Profiles: Posts 2012-2013

Morgan Hickman - One of the top defensive players in the OVC that can guard the best post players and even some of the quickest guards. A tireless worker on the glass, who is capable of rebounding out of her area. Scores through contact on offensive rebounds and off post feeds. Has a great understanding of how and when to seal in the low post. Outstanding at running the floor, which leads to easy baskets in transition.

Jessica Scott - A stretch "4" that can step away from the basket and knock down the three. Has a very polished game in the low post with tremendous footwork. Shows the ability to score over both shoulders, with either hand, and displays a variety of counters. Rebounds well in her area and can put the ball on the floor with both hands. Has a good understanding of spacing and how to play.



Payton Bieber - A traditional low post player who can dominate the paint with her size, strength, and tenacity. She's learning how to use her body efficiently and effectively in the post. A tremendous offensive and defensive rebounder. Pursues the basketball with reckless abandon. Displays a soft touch around the rim and shows the ability to handle the ball in the open floor.    

Lady Maroons Basketball Camp 2012

Haley Toohill, Megan Tool, Jessica Scott, Payton Bieber, Haley Ginger

The Clinton Lady Maroons recently finished their 4th annual summer basketball camp on June 22nd. The week long camp hosted 30 girls that will be going into 4th-8th grade next year. The girls got to compete in full court games and win prizes for competitions involving ball handling, free throw shooting, and hot spot shooting. Prizes were also awarded for the Camper of the Day. Not only does the camp provide prizes, but the girls also got a chance to learn basic fundamentals from the high school coaching staff, along with varsity players, Haley Toohill, Megan Tool, Haley Ginger, Payton Bieber, Jessica Scott, and Shalyn Houston. The camp is a great way for the young kids in our community to get to work with our players. They look up to the older girls and want to become just like them. It's a great feeling to see how excited they get about Lady Maroons Basketball. Our players work with each camper throughout the week, and form a bond with them that creates a championship culture. The future of our basketball program is in great hands, because we have wonderful kids that have the heart, desire, and passion to become their absolute best.

Clinton Athletics

One of the topics that is currently being debated within our community is the improvement of athletic programs at Clinton High School. I'm often asked from people outside of our community, "How can Clinton be one of the biggest schools in the Okaw Valley and always finish near the bottom?" Well, this stigma that has been cast upon us is not entirely true. In defense of our programs, if you look at the 2011-2012 school year, you would see that softball won 56% of their games (18-14), baseball won 57% (17-13), volleyball won 59% (22-15) , and girls basketball won 62% of their contests (18-11).  Obviously, all of these programs had winning seasons and were very competitive within the OVC.

With that being said; I believe that school enrollment and the number of athletic options that are offered plays a big role in the success and failure of sports programs. If you look at some of the successful smaller schools in the OVC, you will notice that the kids have fewer options for athletics. This streamlines their skill development options in the off-season, allowing them to become better at fundamental skills that are required for specific sports. Also, our kids are becoming categorized and specialized at an earlier age than ever before for specific pathways. We have kids today who feel an obligation to participate in off season club activities, AAU programs, running clubs, etc. These programs are great, however, they take potential athletes away from the in-season sports team. Like in life, everything can have a positive influence, but only if it's done in moderation. We can't give our kids a thousand options, and then complain when our team sports aren't winning at a championship level. Our school district is not large enough to have kids that specialize in one sport. The outcome might create more college athletes, but it's also going to lead to watered down athletic programs that struggle to compete on a yearly basis. In the movie, Jerry Maguire, Tom Cruise's character writes a mission statement about his vision of an agency that deals with fewer clients, and has more direct contact with each athlete. This same vision can be applied to high school athletic programs. The problem is...everyone wants the biggest slice of the pie.

Developing Offensive Skill Sets

This post is designed to help our players and parents determine what our kids need to focus on during the summer to develop individual offensive skill sets. Often times we pick up a basketball and then become unclear of what we need to do to improve. I've attempted to breakdown what we feel is important in taking that next step forward. The following areas can take a player from average to good and from good to great. Ultimately, affording them an opportunity to play at the next level if their heart desires.

1.) Weak Hand Development - It is imperative that every player can dribble, pass, and shoot with both hands. I suggest a 2-1 ratio on weak to strong hand repetitions.

2.) Proper Footwork - I often hear people talk about this, but I seldom hear them elaborate on what this actually means. To us, at the most fundamental level, it means being able to shoot off the dribble, or shoot off the catch, with 1-2 footwork and on an inside foot pivot. It's getting ten toes squared to the basket while shooting the basketball without drifting.

3.) Ball Handling - A large portion of our skill development time is spent on this aspect. We focus on dribbling the basketball, but we also strive to improve our passing. You can incorporate weak hand development, increase confidence, and get a player comfortable with having the basketball in her hands. If kids can use either hand to drive and attack the basket, they will see their game grow by leaps and bounds.

4.) Shooting the Basketball - Game shots, game spots, game speed. Yes, technique shooting is very important, especially at our lowest levels. It is crucial that they can shoot the basketball with the same shot form on each repetition. Muscle memory must be created at an optimum level before game shots are encouraged. We don't want a player training their body with incorrect technique. However, the more our kids take shots that are simulated to game conditions, the faster we'll see an increase in their shooting percentage.

5.) Perimeter and Post Play - We want all of our players to be able to face the basket and make a play. They need to be able to shot fake and drive, rip through and crossover, and use jab moves to attack the top foot of a defender. We also develop ALL of our players post games. If players are comfortable playing with their back to the basket; they become twice as hard to guard. In the post each player should have a go-to move and a counter.

I've attached a video that shows a few of our current and former players working on some of the 5 areas discussed above.


"Don't hope for a lighter load, but work hard for stronger shoulders."


Yours in Hoops,
Josh Williams
Head Girls' Basketball Coach
Clinton High School

Summer of 2012

It's almost June and that means summer basketball is right around the corner. Last summer the Lady Maroons posted a 9-11 record at the varsity level and an 11-1 record at the JV level. The experience it gave our kids, however, was apparent and invaluable for the regular season. Because our system of play is quite unique and extensively comprehensive, the summer season allowed our kids to get a head start in learning our offensive and defensive philosophies. The attendance last summer was terrific and we're hoping for much of the same this year.

The 2011-2012 season was one to be remembered for all of our Lady Maroon fans!  The girls posted their first winning season since 2000-2001. They won the most games of any Clinton High School Basketball team since the turn of the century with 18 wins. The Lady Maroons ended with an overall record of 18-11, while finishing tied for 4th, with a 7-4 record in the Okaw Valley Conference. They won 3rd place in the 16 team Okaw Valley Holiday Tournament.  They were the only conference team to beat state ranked Tuscola. Incredibly, they won 17 games out of 23 from November 28th through January 31st.  Also, for the second year in a row, The Lady Maroons received a #1 seed. Last season they were the #1 seed in the conference tournament, while this season they were the #1 seed in the Clinton Regional.  Lady Maroons Basketball continues to rise to excellence. It's an exciting time for our community as we continue our endeavor of "Winning Championships, Developing Champions."

Click on the link below to be directed to our 2012 summer schedule.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fd5ridlv8251o50/1rJGG3VZyA/GBB%20Summer%202012.doc

Summer of 2011

The Lady Maroons hosted their 3rd annual summer basketball camp this past June. We had over 30 campers once again this summer and got to work with some outstanding kids. Camp staff this summer included assistant coach Justin Deters, First Team OVC selection Brooklyn Gregory, 2nd Team OVC selection Haley Toohill, Madi Bevins, Amber Miller, Morgan Witzke, Miranda Ennis, and Nolan Snyder.

The Lady Maroons summer basketball schedule wrapped up the second week of July after utilizing 24 of our 25 allowed contact days per the IHSA. We played 20 varsity games and 12 Fr/So. games this summer for a total of 32 games. The varsity team finished 9-11, while the Fr/So. team went 11-1. Their only defeat was the last game of the summer (3rd game of the day) against a large 3A school in the Pontiac Lady Indians.

This summer we saw several players at our skill development workouts trying to improve their fundamentals. Those we got to work with on a regular basis include: Haley Toohill, Morgan Witzke, Miranda Ennis, Jessica Scott, Payton Bieber, Megan Tool, Shalyn Houston, Mylee Tarbox, Ally Green, and Haley Ginger (who was our only player with perfect attendance...congratulations Ging)! We were also able to work with Amber Miller, Madi Bevins, Morgan Hickman, Alivia Powers, and Alex Hunt. It's very difficult for our players to attend our summer stuff and balance their schedules with so much going on such as: softball, volleyball, track, and summer jobs! I appreciate the time we did get to spend with our players and I know we were able to help them improve and grow as players.

For those of you who got to watch us and followed us throughout the summer you probably saw how much we improved as the summer went along. We had a lot of young players working with us and the adjustment period of going from Jr. High, to varsity basketball, was a slow process. By the end of June; our kids were starting to catch on to our team philosophy and what it feels and looks like to be a Lady Maroon. We still have a long way to go, but I have a feeling that I'm really going to enjoy teaching this team how to play the game the way we think it should be played.

Yours in Hoops,
Josh Williams
Head Girls' Basketball Coach
Clinton High School