Coach Donovan on attitude

Coach Billy Donovan of Florida has been a successful coach for many years - success that culminated in back to back NCAA D1 titles. With thanks to Jeff House for this summary, Coach Donovan offers the following Attitude Plan:

• always making today my best day
• taking pride in a job well done
• treating others with respect
• isolating my negative thoughts
• treating tasks as opportunities
• utilizing my talents every day
• doing the job right the first time
• expecting positive outcomes daily
• speaking well of others every day
  

Coaching Clinic - 2009 workout highlight

As mentioned in previous posts, the annual Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic is fast approaching (June 4th-5th) and will offer the attending coaches excellent value for time and dollars spent.

For a highlight from one of last year's intense sessions with Coach Larry Shyatt (Assistant Coach to Billy Donovan at University of Florida), please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3zMleGByPY or http://www.youtube.com/user/cobacamp and enjoy. You will be watching a Windsor Lancer forward working very hard to get in the target number of high quality reps of a sprint to ball screen, slip, shoot, and shoot of a second ball. Coach Shyatt was always clear in his instruction - in order for players to reach their next level, they need to put in the quality work in the gym (both in season and off season).

Watch for an announcement over the next few days. Coaches Don Casey and Dave Odom have confirmed for June 4th-5th, and the third coach is about to be announced. Again, for those coaches wishing to attend the clinic please simply go to the online form at cobacamp.com.

Balance is important

As coaches, we are repeatedly emphasizing the concept of balance to the players in our program. In a court sense, balance with respect to their feet when shooting, their stance when defending, etc. Also balance away from the gym with respect to family, school, volunteering, friends, work, community, and many other important priorities.

It is equally important that, as coaches, we remind ourselves of the balance that is vital to maintaining our passion for coaching basketball. In the wake of the health problems experienced by Coach Urban Meyer of Florida, Andy Katz of ESPN.com wrote a timely article concerning the great importance of life balance for coaches. In his entry, Mr. Katz relates the balance issue to Coach Billy Donovan of Florida, Coach Dino Gaudio of Wake Forest, and Coach Stan Van Gundy of Orlando. With respect to Coach Donovan, Katz cites the topic of balance as a guiding light in Coach Donovan's decision to remain at Florida and NOT make the jump to Orlando. Coaches may never achieve the balance that they seek but that is no reason to stop striving for something close to it.