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Skyline Basketball Blog
Written by: Michael Peterson/Head Boy's Basketball Coach at Skyline High School in Longmont, Colorado
September 2, '11
As we venture into the Labor Day Weekend, we are exactly 3 months from the first game against Mountain View High School. In just over 2 months (November 11), we start our tryouts. What a great fall so far with the dedication of so many guys attending open gyms, lifting sessions, and the tough conditioning nights with Coach Pearcy. We are blessed to have such a knowledgeable and professional coach on staff that cares a lot about helping each of the boys being the best they can be physically. For those parents wanting their son to reach the next level, he is a perfect resource for personal training.
Building a foundation takes a collective effort from so many people that sometimes go unrecognized. The custodial staff at Skyline is nothing short of amazing in helping with everything we need from opening doors, helping keep the gym floor and facilities clean, and kindness everytime we need anything! They deserve so much credit. One of the custodians made a comment to me the other night while he was watching our team condition, "In the 16 years I've been at Skyline, I've never seen a basketball team work so hard in the fall. We enjoy seeing the kids around and a little old-school is good for this school!".
On February 18th, after our last win of the season, I spoke with the returning team members and offered the opportunity to practice, play, and learn all summer and fall. To help grow as individuals, and collectively build chemistry and team talent. We are blessed to have such a great group of guys that accepted that opportunity and are being rewarded. It guarantees NOTHING during the season, but I've always said, without that type of commitment, we have NO CHANCE of ever being a viable, successful program at Skyline High School. We've seen what giving no effort during the off-season has done to programs in the past, and history has a way of repeating itself if you aren't willing to change it. My grandfather would say, "If it hurts to hit your thumb with a hammer, stop hitting your damn thumb with the hammer!" He didn't go down in history as winning the Nobel Prize, but rest assured, it's the same as I say to my team since I took over the program last year. "If we are tired of losing, then let's stop doing the things that created all of the losing in the first place".
September 15, '11
Another great week of hoops for our Skyline Falcons! Our Jr. Falcons program featured over 50 players in our free clinic offered on 9/11. Our fall league began on the same day with our 9/10 grade and varsity teams participating. Throughout the week, our varsity players have been volunteering their time to participate in our 'Breakfast Club' position workouts, team practices in the evening and conditioning 2X a week has made some of these boys into bigger, stronger, confident young men.
Grade reports came out for the first time last Thursday! We compiled a 3.5 GPA on all of the boys participating in the fall hoops program! Awesome! Smart students make smart athletes and dedicated to doing their best! I am extremely proud of this focus and SIGNIFICANT CHANGE from just a year ago when I took over the program. We are coaching young men to help them succeed far beyond the high school years in which they are now experiencing. GREAT JOB TO ALL OF THE PLAYERS!
September 21, '11
Enjoyed a great 'Breakfast Club' practice this morning from 6:00-7:00 am. Austin Gutierrez was already in the parking lot at 5:30 am waiting for me to get there. The kid is amazing in commitment. Football star, family, girlfriend, great grades and despite it not being basketball season has committed since last February to literally attend almost every practice and game we have had. His dedication is legendary within our basketball family network. The kids are tired when they walk in the door, but within 5 minutes, they are having fun and getting better.
October 6, 2011
6:00 am practice today with the varsity boys. Great admiration for a team that didn’t understand the level of commitment needed to be successful when I started coaching at Skyline, but are well aware of it now. I couldn’t be more proud of the sacrifice these young men have put forward in the past 7 months. 37 days until the official start of the high school season!
One of the greatest qualities I tell my players they can receive from anyone in their life is the honesty of someone to share the REALITY of what is, and what is not. I don’t hold any punches or keep things from the boys. I have too much respect for them.
Players are developed during the off-season. There isn’t any question about it, and those that understand that enjoy a level of success that simply can’t be achieved without the hard work. Our players started in March of last year, and in no way were ready to play high school basketball this season. In some areas, we still aren’t. However, it’s the only way we have a chance of turning the program in the direction I expect. These young men don’t give excuses anymore. They accept the truth of their current abilities due to the work they have or haven’t done in the past. The seniors are where they are and in the next five months, their high school basketball season will be concluded. Their careers are over. We’d like to think that they can develop into incredible players in the next four months, but the truth is, they are what they are based on the effort they have done in the past 4 years. Many have crammed four years into learning into 9 months! You can only do so much.
When our entire program, parents and players that care about being part of the Skyline program understand this concept is when we see transformation. Not just in one good season, or a couple of years, but a consistent development of players that create a winning tradition, a dynasty! We have to find players that want excellence in basketball and are willing to work hard during the off-season for the moment they come in as 9th grade players. We’d love to identify these players when they come into the Jr. Falcons program at 4th grade! This is when you just reload every year with the talent pool being abundant and people having a full understanding of what is expected within Skyline Hoops.
Some people have the philosophy of sending their son to tryouts on the first day and think, “make my son a winner/champion/great in basketball!”. Truth is, that doesn’t happen during the season. All of the individual skill development comes during the off-season, in the driveway, attending clinics, camps, our early morning position workouts, and traveling with our off-season program. Without it, players simply don’t develop and won’t excel during the season. Coaches try to enhance their individual talents as they exist, but the majority of time spend during the season is on team concepts, trying to get the team ready to compete.
It takes time. It takes education. It takes togetherness of parents wanting something more for their children, and the players wanting basketball to be a positive part of their high school experience.
October 10
Returned from 4 day trip to Minnesota. Had a great time visiting my family in small town Russell, MN, population 392. What an amazing place to grow up. We didn't have anything financially, rather, family and friends that simply supported one another. Sports, construction, and farming is all we did growing up, had to go to work everyday we didn't have school hanging drywall year-round. Hated it back then, but oh so appreciate the values of working hard and earning everything on your own efforts. We had nothing handed to us, and my family would tell me, "If you want something in life, don't expect anyone else to get it for you. You have to achieve by working hard, and everyday, sacrficing to get better..more opportunities". That attitude carried me through my high school and college days playing basketball and achieving a master's degree education. It is the center of my coaching philosophy on the discipline we expect our Skyline Falcons to exhibit.
It's exciting to return as I purchased a 15 passenger bus for our Skyline basketball team to travel to off-season games, team events, dinners. It's nice to have enough to give back and help the guys on the team.
Other than the love of your life, faith and your family, there is nothing in the world greater than having the opportunity to coach and help make a positive difference. I was fortunate enough to see my high school basketball coach that is entering his 50th year of coaching this season. After nearly 30 years since graduation, he's still one of my best friends and support systems. Those players that want the same relationship with me are guaranteed that same commitment.
I think about my grandfather, who passed away the single most important influence in my life. I still think about him sitting on the dock listening to the Twins baseball games, fishing, as the sunset.. He'd say to me.. "You only live once. Wake up everyday and work hard and do something to help others and you will never regret a day in your life". Words to live each day.
November 29, '11
The life of a coach, up at 3:15 am. After 9 months of off-season preparation, training, traveling, and sacrifice, our boys start the season on Friday and Saturday with back-to-back games. It's been a journey, but none unfamiliar to those that understand that coaching isn't a November-March responsibility. We've done everything possible in the past 9 months to prepare and put our best foot forward. There is only so much time in a day, weeks, and in this case, months to develop the individual players and team concepts needed. We are in a unique situation, building from the bottom, and trying to establish a foundation of future success by the hear-and-now. In order to be viable, and simply a competitive high school program, you have to lay the foundation and build once the solid pieces are in place. We are there in a lot of ways, but in an honest evaluation, a ways to go. It's not about 1 year, or a few players, rather, a PROGRAM and the entire school at Skyline being represented with class, poise, and a winning character driven program.
Probably the most difficult part of coaching is having to 'cut' players during the tryout process. I hate it. Due to number of available spots on a roster, there simply isn't a choice. Unfortunately, some of the players didn't meet the criteria in which we have a standard, and are not participating this season. I hope they will be back next year to tryout and improved for a better chance of earning a spot.
We venture forward. '11-12 Skyline Basketball. No guarantees, and certainly no predicutions other than I believe each time we step on the court, we will be competitive and represent with pride.
January 1, 2012
As we turn the page into another year, high expectations are set for the Skyline Falcons moving forward. As we remember where we have come from over the past 20 months since our new coaching staff took over the program, we now have a new level of expectations. Our program is evolving into the right direction. We start the 2012 season with the toughest game of the year on the schedule against Sterling. We expect to win. We always do. Our team is now built for success on the road. Our players have improved individually and are now understanding the team concepts.
Thanks to everyone that has been so supportive in 2011.