I am always looking for ways to get better. I leave no stone unturned when it comes to my professional (and personal) development. I want to be the best basketball strength & conditioning coach I can be. I feel I owe that to myself and certainly owe that to the players and teams I work with. I spend an inordinate amount of time reading books and magazines, combing the internet, watching DVD’s, attending clinics, and networking with colleagues. I have notebooks full of notes and drill diagrams I constantly refer back too. If I hear of something new in the training industry, I investigate it immediately. I keep an open mind and try to learn from every methodology possible, yet stick strong to my training convictions, beliefs, and philosophy. I am in a constant state of self-evaluation of my overall philosophy and I welcome and value feedback from clients, players, and coaches. If you truly love the game of basketball, you should have a similar approach to being the best player or coach you can be.
This past weekend I attended, and presented at, the 2nd Annual NC State Basketball Strength & Conditioning Symposium. This clinic was hosted by NC State’s basketball strength coach Charles Stephenson. A major kudos to Coach Stephenson for a fantastic event! This clinic brought together the top basketball strength & conditioning coaches in both college and the NBA and provided a plethora of information. I was thoroughly impressed by each speaker and picked up numerous ideas, drills, and coaching concepts. And as always, it was a pleasure to network with folks in the industry.
Bob Medina, the strength & conditioning coach for the Portland Trailblazers, has been in the NBA for 18 years. He gave a stellar presentation on strength & conditioning at the NBA level and provided an inside look at his year round program. He shed some invaluable light on things I think all players need to know. Whether you are in high school or college, if you aspire to play in the NBA, I hope you take your strength & conditioning seriously now, because you will need to when you get to that level!
Did you know, in the NBA, guys regularly train on game day? Some come in before games to lift; others stay and lift after the game.
Did you know guys have to get in a minimum number of workouts per month during the season, and if they don’t, they are fined $5,000 per missed workout? The minimum number usually averages about 3 workouts per week (during the season!).
Did you know that NBA players go through a structured warm-up session before every single practice or game?
Did you know NBA players are monitored weekly and monthly on their body weight and body fat? Those results, along with attendance, are sent to the GM and coaching staff.
Did you know each player gets a “report card” at the end of the season; an evaluation and analysis of their work habits, attendance, body composition, attitude and willingness to be coached?
Players; how would your strength & conditioning report card look right now? Do you hold yourself to the same level of accountability as guys in the NBA? Why not?
Coaches; do you hold your players this accountable? Do you keep track of attendance during off-season workouts? Do you have a method for monitoring progress?
If you have any questions or thoughts on this blog post, please email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com. I will respond as quickly as possible!
Train hard. Train smart.
Alan Stein
Alan Stein is the owner of Stronger Team and the Head Strength & Conditioning coach for the nationally renowned, Nike Elite Montrose Christian Mustangs boy’s basketball program. Alan is a performance consultant for Nike Basketball as well heavily involved with Nike SPARQ Basketball. He is the head conditioning coach for the annual McDonald’s All American game, the Jordan Brand All American Classic, and the Nike Summer Skills Academies. Alan is a Camp Coach at the prestigious NBA Player’s Association’s Top 100 Camp as well as the Chris Paul CP3 Elite Backcourt Camp. Alan has filmed over a dozen DVD’s on improving performance and is a sought after lecturer at basketball camps and clinics across the world. He has been featured in Winning Hoops, Time Out, Dime, SI.com, SLAMonline.com, American Basketball Quarterly, Stack, Men’s Health, and FIBA Assist Magazine.
