Vault: Uncategorized

Good To Be Grounded

I should say… Good to be grounded and at home – at least for a little while. These past few months have come and gone at a blistering pace and were chalk full of travel. I am happy to report that it was all in the name of basketball. (Yes!) Being back at home allows …

Mining For Gold

I feel like one of them ol’ time prospectors out sifting through the sludge mining for that nugget. Trying to find ‘pay dirt.’ 27 hours of basketball, 24 games, all in a span of 36 hours. “And, not all of it good,” as one coach exclaimed. I just finished Day 2 of Canada Basketball’s U15 …

Language Can Be A Barrier, But Communication Is Universal

Good poetry makes me forget words, renders me speechless. I don’t hear language littered like trinkets. These aren’t roadside tchotchkes, they’re riverbed stones. Feelings don’t clink like pebbles on tin scraps. These landscapes are laid like boulders, grenade-shattered reveries, vast canyons we’ve ignored… but poetry lets us walk among their ruins. —Kerry Flory What a …

Tests And Trying To Right A Wrong

I just read a wonderful quote by Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and Holocaust survivor: Whosoever survives a test, Whatever it may be, Must tell the story. That is his duty. This thought resonates with me on a number of levels, but it also connects, I think, to the this video that was on …

U16 FIBA Americas: Pictures Speak Louder Than Words

Wrapping up the 2009 U16 FIBA Americas Championship in Mendoza, Argentina, by sharing some pics from our time there. These will do far greater justice to the experience of this national team than anything I could ever put in written word… 2009 U16 Canadian Men’s National Team, Bronze Medal (back l-r) Sefu Bernard, Kriby Schepp, …

Proud… Very Proud

We lost a hard fought, well coached, game last night to the Argentines in overtime at the U16 FIBA Americas. Wow, what a basketball game… what an environment to play in! Our boys got their first taste of the passion and fire that comes along with international basketball yesterday. And, there’s no better way to …

Welcome To International Basketball

International ball is a lot of things: Fast-paced, athletic, physical, skilled, crafty and… often times, outright dirty. This was a no call…! Filming credit goes Kirby “Kirbinder” Schepp (Assistant Coach, Canadian U16 National Team)… working his tail off breaking down film. /sef.

Lions, Tiger and Bears. Oh My!

I get around — (ahem!) all in the name of ball, of course. This beautiful game has given me the opportunity to travel and coach/observe all around the world. As I do, I’m continually reminded about the importance of being concise and efficient with your words when teaching. This is especially true when working with athletes who …

A Letter From Isiah Thomas

Growing as a kid, I was a HUUUUUUGE(…!) Isiah Thomas and Detroit Bad Boys fan. I had pictures of Isiah, Joe Dumars and Vinnie ‘The Microwave‘ Johnson plastered all over my room. And, I even modeled my game after Zeke. My career in professional sports, in a way, followed Isiah’s path too. Like him, I …

State Of The Union: Basketball In North America

Pull up a chair, grab a drink and dig in on this article on NYtimes.com called Allonzo Trier Is in the Game. It gives a good snapshot of the culture of basketball in the United States. (Thanks Coach Gram for sharing it). From the author… “I often hear from parents of young athletes that their …