Episode 007:  Matt Santangelo is the Executive Director of Hoopfest, which is the world's largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament. He was the all-time leader in assists at Gonzaga University, won an olympic gold medal and played professionally in Europe.  

A native of Portland, OR., Matt Santangelo led the Gonzaga men’s basketball team to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in 1999 and the Sweet 16 in 2000. He remains the school’s second all-time leader in assists and ranks sixth in career points. 

He won a gold medal with Team USA at the 1999 World University Games in Spain and was an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American the same year. Matt played professional basketball for seven seasons in Europe, earning ACB All-Spain Rookie honors and contributing to an Italian League championship with Benetton Treviso in 2006. 

Since retiring from basketball, Matt has made Spokane his permanent home. He has worked in financial services and insurance and now serves as Executive Director of Spokane Hoopfest Association, the world’s largest 3-on-3 tournament and our region’s showcase event since 2014. The organization also runs Spokane AAU, Ignite Basketball Association, Easter Washington Elite, the Fitz Clinic and Tournament. 

In 2019, he successfully launched the community brand, Hooptown USA. Matt and his wife, Cathy, are parents to three children; Calvin, Luca and Stella.  

 We sat down and discussed the challenges that come with being a player, coach & basketball parent.  Check out this week's podcast and hear Matt's thoughts on:

- Are we too hard or too soft on our kids?
- Why giving your best is more important than being the best
- How to be a life-long learner
- Navigating the roles of player, coach and basketball parent
- Leadership for basketball

Go to HoopCommitment.com to get your FREE 5-Day Leadership Course and start your chain of success today!

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Episode 006:  In today's show I share the 3 Levels of Leadership: Synergy, Sweat, Serve.  Leadership for basketball is a skill that can be taught & practiced.  Just like we teach our athletes how to progress their ball handling and shooting skills so they can be successful on the court, we must teach them to progress their leadership skills so they'll be successful in life.

Level 1 of Leadership is SYNERGY... your ability to create relationships with teammates.

Level 2 of Leadership is SWEAT... your ability to lead by example through hard work.

Level 3 of Leadership is SERVE... your ability to tell teammates what they need to hear with love.

Here's what you'll learn by listening to the 3 Levels of Basketball Leadership:

- Why you can't be a Level 2 Leader if you don't like your teammates
- How to implement the Think, Say, Do model for leadership
- What John Stockton does to be a Level 3 Leader
- Why being a vocal leader can backfire without the 3 Levels
- How to influence your team without even stepping on the court

Go to HoopCommitment.com to get your FREE 5-Day Leadership Course and start your chain of success today!

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Episode 005:  Doug Gray is a genius at basketball movement.  He's an accomplished businessman, entrepreneur, national lecturer, author, coach, trainer, and athlete with a deep understanding of and experience in Applied Functional Science® (AFS). He has worked extensively with coaches, trainers, therapists, professional athletes, children, and parents. 

Doug currently is the President of Gray Institute®, as well as serves as Director of GIFT (Gray Institute for Functional Transformation) since this post-professional educational program began in 2006. He annually co-directs, coaches, and trains at Hot Rock Training Camp (a local basketball camp) and 3D Personal Conditioning Camp.

He has participated in the development, production, and delivery of seminars, certifications, programs, lectures / workshops, and videos / DVDs dealing with functional prevention, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement, including the 3D Matrix Performance Series. Furthermore, he has pioneered in the extensive development and publishing of AFS Nomenclature, as well as co-developed 3DMAPS® (3D Movement Analysis & Performance System).

He also currently serves as principal Member / Officer of Free2Play Academy, Inc. (DBA “Free2Play®”), a dynamic 501(c)(3) organization teaching Movement Literacy® and utilizing movement to transform the lives of children across the world. He is a proud Adjunct Professor at his alma mater, Siena Heights University (Adrian, MI). During his collegiate days at Siena Heights University, he had the opportunity of playing basketball (NAIA Division 2), earning Player of the Year his senior year (Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference) and 2nd Team All-America.

Doug is very active on local boards and resides in Adrian, Michigan with his amazing wife (married in 2011) and best friend, Valerie, and their amazing blessings – son, Zion Wynn (born October of 2013) and Lawson Louise (born May of 2016).

Our conversation focused on how movement can help players improve their performance on the court.  Check out this week's podcast and learn the answers to these questions...

- What is basketball movement?
- Do basketball players need to squat and deadlift?
- How do you tweak and progress movement?
- What are the 7 ways to test vertical leap?
- At what age should kids start training?

If you want to learn about basketball movement from one of the greatest minds in basketball, you have to listen to this episode!  Check out HoopCommitment.com for show notes, blog posts and videos on how to eat, train & lead for basketball. 

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Episode 004:  There are so many great basketball training resources on the internet and and endless exercises on social media, that it's easy to become overwhelmed with how to create basketball workouts.  I created the 3 Levels of Basketball Training to be a road map for coaches to take their players from where they are, to where they want to be.

By using the Drive, Defend, Dominate model, you'll learn the importance of creating mobility in basketball transformational zones, why you need dynamic strength in those movements, and when the right time to add plyometrics and power exercises.

Check out this week's episode and learn...

- Why DRIVE is the foundation of all training programs
- How Transformational Zones are key to creating mobility
- Basketball strength shouldn't be trained in stillness
- The right time to add power exercises to your program
- Why there isn't a perfect exercise or a magic training tool

Go to HoopCommitment.com to download your FREE Commitment Calendar and learn how to jump higher, cut quicker and finish stronger on the court!

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Episode 003:  Learn how to fuel your athletes on the basketball court from Brad Dieter, PhD.  He's an exercise physiologist, molecular biologist, biostatistician, scientist and entrepreneur whose goal is to bring science and industry together to improve human health and optimize human performance.

He holds a master's degree in biomechanics, doctoral and post-doctoral fellowship in translational science at Providence Medical Research Center, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital.  His research has spanned the translational spectrum utilizing basic science, human trials, and machine learning in large data sets to identify and develop novel therapies and technologies.

That's a fancy way of saying that Brad really knows his stuff.  We sat down and discussed how what players can impact their performance.  Check out this week's podcast and learn the answers to these questions...

- How do I help unmotivated players?
- Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day?
- Who should drink Gatorade?
- What is reasonable to expect out of high school athletes?
- How soon after lifting do players need to eat?

Go to HoopCommitment.com to download your FREE Basketball Nutrition Menus and start your chain of success today!

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Episode 002:  Food is the fuel we use to jump higher and cut quicker on the court.  After we finish our workouts, it's the food we eat that rebuilds and replenishes our muscles.  Knowing how important food is, it's amazing that most players don't have a solid basketball nutrition plan.

Listen to this episode to learn:

- The foundation of sports nutrition is getting enough FUEL
- How to create healthy and energizing meals
- Why players might need to eat pizza
- How to build long-lasting nutrition habits

The 3 Levels of Basketball Nutrition are a road map for players to optimize their performance through the way they eat. 

Level 1 = Fuel. 
Level 2 = Fire. 
Level 3 = Food. 

Go to HoopCommitment.com to download your free Basketball Nutrition Menus and learn how to identify your nutrition level. 

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Episode 001:  Today's podcast is all about motivation and how to be your best.  When I learned the difference between a GOAL and a COMMITMENT, my whole life changed!  Check out this week's podcast and learn...

- The difference between goals and commitments
- Why you make commitments for your worst day
- The key to Jerry Seinfeld's success
- How to become great at any skill
- Why you need a commitment calendar

A goal is something you want to do.
Goal = I want to
A commitment is something you have to do.
Commitment = I have to

When you change your goals into commitments... when you can turn, "I want to" into, "I have to"... your whole life changes!  Go to HoopCommitment.com to download your free Commitment Calendar and start improving the way you eat, train & lead today!

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