DWNT 2012 Day 2

So here we are at the end of day 2. A busy day to say the least. Started with a 6:50 AM wakeup call, quick shower then off to breakfast. Nice to see Coach Harle join us this morning after flying in late last night. We had some good discussion at breakfast then headed back to the dorm before heading to the gym.

The first session this morning was one of physical testing. Joanie is a specialist who has been with Canada Basketball for a while and she came in to do the testing. First we did the beep test ( a running test that the kids hate) then we did different assessments. The goal was to identify different body issues the athletes may have that could cause injuries down the road. They are tested on a pile of things and will be given a report on what they need to work on. It was nice to listen to the girls talk about their training and ask questions about how to fix everything. I think this is a tremendous aspect of camp. The girls are monitored  in different ways and given great feedback that they can take back into their personal training.

The testing took about 2hours and 15 minutes and then we headed over to lunch. A quick bite and we headed back to the dorm. I took a van down the street to a store to get some drinks and a few snacks. After I returned the coaches got together to discuss practice. I explained what I had planned and we made a few alterations and agreed upon what needed to be done to get started. The coaches meeting is a fundamental part of the success at this level. We need to be on the same page and bringing the same message to the athletes. We met for a while discussing many things and then we headed over to the gym.

I wasn't sure how I would be during the first practice. nervous? intimidated? Turns out it was none of the above. I was relaxed and ready to go. At 4:30 I blew the whistle, brought the girls in and talked about what an honour it was to coach them and I wanted them to understand what playing for their country meant. I then did a quick activity to emphasize the proper mindset and turned them over to the physiotherapist to begin their warmup.

After warmup we began with some shooting drills, a few decision making drills and then went into some competitive 1 on 1 drills. I did have to stop the practice once and remind them that we can't be world class if were going to be half assed. I guess it was what I would call an intensity adjustment. Can't seem to shake my old self sometimes. LOL. After this we did some offensive breakdowns and then introduced the basic offense. It is simple and they seemed to get it right away.

Overall I felt good about the practice. The girls worked hard and it was a good first practice. Lots and lots to work on but we established some things early and this should be good as continue to build.

After practice we went to supper. The meals are good and the people serving them are very friendly. After supper was our nightly coaches meeting. FANTASTIC is all I can say. Chantal and I are relatively young in this game while Shawnee has a lot of experience and has coached at the Olympics. Tons of experience. She was AWESOME in this meeting. Challenged ideas, offered feedback and really helped us get some things straight. After one meeting, I think she helped us get aligned in a great direction. Lots of talk between the three of us and we were able to get some things set for tomorrows practice. We also just talked hoops and how we coach. I always learn a ton at these camps and this will be no different. I was taking notes all day.

So now I have to get ready for bed. Tired and a long day ahead. one practice at 9am and one at 4:30. It is a lot of planning at this level. With some of the new info we follow, Practices are planned at a different level than at the university level although I feel that will change in the near future.

So that is Day 2....see you after Day 3