A Pen And A Napkin

Holy crap . . . I designed a website! Today we're launching apenandanapkin.com, which opens up access to sign up for "A Pen And A Napkin University", your online coaching course where you can "hone your craft" to help you become the most complete coach that you can be! Details for both are in the pod, so enjoy and get fired up to get better today!!

In this week's podcast, we dive in with Dexter Goodner, the GBB HC from Ord (NE). In our outside discussion, we go through his career, bouncing back from a heart-breaking loss, the influence of Kansas basketball on his career, taking a stand on social issues, weightlifting, music in practice and summer workouts. Alot of great conversation and fun interaction!

We're kicking into high gear with our summer camps and leagues, and it's easy to get sucked into things like focusing on winning and losing. Although you never turn down a win, you need to focus on a multitude of things to ensure that your program grows in the direction where you are using. your summer activities to build towards the most important season; the winter. Enjoy!

In Part II of this 4-part Book Club series, we take a look at Pillar II of Don Yaeger's "Great Teams", which is Effective Management. When we look at our teams, we have to look at them from the perspective of their "boss", and the strategies and leadership styles it takes to get our players to "go to work" every day, build a great and deep staff and develop camaraderie!

A terrific episode on our latest podcast with Nate Sanderson, the new GBB HC at Mount Vernon (IA). In this episode, we discuss rebuilding programs, winning state championships, bouncing back from getting asked to resign, basketball analytics, practice design, communicating with your players and . . . wiffle ball!!!!! TERRIFIC chat; you're going to draw alot from this one!!

One of the key components of a high school program is running an effective elementary level camp in the summer to spark interest in your program. In this "Foundation Friday" podcast, we talk about suggestions that will make your camp better and to help run it smoother while also giving your campers a great experience!

In Don Yaeger's "Great Teams", we break down the essential qualities that a "Great Team" should possess to be considered great. These 16 qualities, broken down into four pillars, will help you figure out what you should be looking for to identify and/or build a great team, whether that is in sports or business. Over the next four weeks, we'll take a look at each pillar, starting with Pillar I, finding our "why"!

Most of our coaching careers are focused on the next job, but we often forget about what we should and should not be doing leaving our last job. Although I"m sure that I've made my fair share of mistakes leaving my current job, here are some thoughts and advice on what you should and should not do as you leave one job behind and transition into the next one.

This week's interview pod features Jason Isaacson, the head boys basketball coach at Council Bluffs (IA) Abraham Lincoln. In this pod, we discuss the keys to turning around his alma mater, developing players in the off-season, the recruitment process of a Power 5 player, practice set up, defensive philosophy and much more! Alot of great stuff to learn from this pod!!

Have you ever wondered what your impact on your former players was? Have you ever gotten a chance to sit down and ask about your players experience with them after there's been some time to reflect on it? Have you ever wanted to ask your former players what you did well and what you didn't do so well? This week, three of my former players (Laura (Speer) Dischler, Tara Cannon and Caley Barker) sit around at my driveway and we talk about coaching, the coach player relationship and much more in this unique roundtable podcast!