Basketball (Boys)
What does it take to be a Firebird Basketball Player?
Being a basketball player does not merely imply wearing a uniform and being a member of the squad. There are many areas to think about if you want to be a winner, not only in basketball, but in life itself. The importance of the following qualities, necessary for every great player, cannot be impressed upon you enough.
All participation forms and an up-to-date sports physical can be filled out through Final Forms after July 1. All forms must be completed prior to first day of open gym and tryouts.
- 1. Are you coachable?
- 2. Are you possessed with the competitive spirit which fires an intense desire to win?
- 3. Are you willing to practice?
- 4. Are you willing to make sacrifices?
- 5. Do you have a burning desire to improve?
- 6. Can you play in the chaos?
1. Are you coachable?
2. Are you possessed with the competitive spirit which fires an intense desire to win?
3. Are you willing to practice?
4. Are you willing to make sacrifices?
5. Do you have a burning desire to improve?
6. Can you play in the chaos?
Kobe's 10 Rules
- Believe in yourself.
- Get better every single day.
- Prove them wrong.
- Work on your weaknesses.
- Execute what you practiced.
- Learn from Greatness.
- Learn from Wins & Losses.
- Practice mindfulness.
- Be ambitious.
- Believe in your TEAM!
Tryout Information Guide
A Message from Coach Thompson
In the end - the responsibility for the final product rests with me. As they say, "The buck stops here". I can tell you the day I post the lists is one of the worst days of the year for me. There will be those that are not happy with the final list. As a father of four, my own children have experienced success and setbacks, finding a way to console them as it relates to the latter is the hard part.
There is no magical formula for handling this situation; hopefully the guidelines below can provide some insight.
I always ask for a 24 hour buffer before players contact me as to why they were not selected. I am always happy to meet with or talk to any player first about the process and the reasoning for the non-selection. I ask that Players try to handle this process first (great life lesson) and IF a PARENT would like to discuss the process or reasoning I will also talk to them.
While it is an honor to make the school team, it isn't always fun practicing hard every day and not playing. Some athletes would much rather play more and practice less. If this Is their desire please let the coaches aware of this rather than have a less than desirable season.
For athletes that do not make the cut, Michael Lewis is the seventh and eighth-grade flight coordinator for Lakota Thunderbirds. He is looking for high caliber players that do not make our cut. His goal is to place these players in a very competitive environment on and off the court. Once we are done with our team selections, we will provide Coach Lewis with Information to contact them for their tryout. His contact information is below.
Coach Michael Lewis
coach.lewis0776@gmall.com
Lakota Thunderbirds
7th-8th Flight Coordinator
7th-12th Grade Boys Asst. Coordinator
Nod to the Coach
When your coach tells you how he wants you to do something, if you understand what he is telling you, nod to him. This seems like an obvious thing and hardly a tip for a good basketball player yet very often it gives the coach a good feeling about telling you.
You may think a small thing like nodding is not necessary, that it is enough to look your coach in the eye while he is talking and take in the information. But it is not enough. Nodding to your coach will give him that little bit of extra satisfaction that will urge him to do his best - he's only human, too - and to keep helping and working with you.
This should apply not only to the times that the coach is talking directly to you, but also to the times when he is specifically correcting another player. Get in the habit of listening whenever your coach is talking and nodding when you understand. Your nod does not have to be some grand gesture. Just a slight tilt of recognition and eye contact that says, "I've got it, Coach."
It makes sense to make it enjoyable for your coach to work with you. Your success is intricately tied to his opinion of you and the confidence he has in you. A little nod when he speaks goes a long way toward establishing the kind of player-coach relationship that leads to winning basketball.
8th Grade Coach
7th Grade Coach
7 Must-Do's If Your Child Doesn't Make the Team
The roster is posted. Your child didn't make the team. All his friends did.
Despite staring at the computer screen for several minutes, his name does not magically appear. He is devastated. Your heart breaks for him.
This is a pivotal parenting moment.
How we react to our child being cut from a team will directly impact his ability to cope not only to this disappointment, but the inevitable ones that will follow in his life.
Your reaction can either discourage him from continuing to pursue the sport he loves or foster the resilience needed to handle such rejections.
Just as our kids learn life lessons through playing basketball, parents learn parenting lessons through our children playing basketball.
This pivotal parenting moment can be a golden opportunity.
- 1. Temper your reactions.
- 2. Validate your child's feelings.
- 3. Reassure your child that he still belongs.
- 4. Help your child gain perspective.
- 5. Have your son schedule a time to talk Individually with the coach.
- 6. Teach your child the power of grace.
- 7. Help your child find the silver lining and regain confidence.