Special Olympian hits half-courter at buzzer

At a Whitworth University game in Spokane, Washington on February 26, 2010, the Cheney Parks & Recreation Special Olympics Basketball team played an exhibition game at half-time. Just before the buzzer sounded to end the exhibition game, Special Olympics basketball player Scott Tobin hit a half-court shot bringing the crowd to its feet with wild applause.

Special Olympics basketball: where amazing happens!

ENJOY THIS VIDEO

Legendary Basketball Coach Don Meyer to Retire

Don Meyer, who has recorded more than 900 career victories as a college basketball coach, announced his retirement from Aberdeen’s Northern State.  Last year, Meyer was the winner of the ESPN Jimmy V. Perseverance Award.  At the NCAA Final Four, he is to receive the Legends of the Hardwood Award. Sports Feel Good Stories had an opportunity to catch up with Meyer in October of last year and posted the interview below.

———————————-

Is Don Meyer the best-kept secret in basketball? Despite passing Bobby Knight, Dean Smith and Adolph Rupp on the all-time NCAA men’s college basketball coaching victory list, would average basketball fans recognize the name Don Meyer? Probably not, but they should.

Currently coaching at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Meyer also earned victories at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee and at Hamline University in Saint Paul. The national basketball spotlight doesn’t always shine brightly on these basketball locales, so Meyer’s amazing 903 career victories were earned with little national fanfare.

Last year, some may remember the video clip shown and speech he gave at last year’s ESPY awards when he won the Jimmy V (Valvano) award for perseverance. The video detailed his car accident on September 5, 2008, in which he lost the bottom of his left leg and suffered many other injuries. During emergency surgery, cancer was discovered in his liver and intestines. After recovering from surgery and rehabbing, he was released from the hospital on October 30, 2008. The next morning at 4:45 he was back in his office working on the season ahead. He didn’t miss a practice or a game the entire season.

Meyer has had 26 seasons where he won over 20 games in his 37 years of college coaching. Highly regarded amongst his coaching peers, Meyer’s coaching clinics and resources have taught thousands of basketball coaches. Perhaps his most impressive stat relates to the success of his players in the classroom. In his 37 years of coaching, one player — only one — hasn’t graduated.

——————————————-

Sports Feel Good Stories: In youth basketball programs across the country, parents volunteer as coaches frequently with only high school playing experience (or less). What three tips might you suggest for youth coaches as they begin seasons with their teams?

Don Meyer: You will usually only have one hour to practice, so keep it simple and fundamental. Start with fundamentals, move the fundamentals to the next section with competition, and finish with scrimmage. No more than four trips up and down before critiquing the play — praise, correct, and then play some more.

SFGS: From your experience, what are the important qualities that separate the good coaches from the bad?

Don Meyer: Character…Servant’s heart…Love for kids…Love of the game…Desire to improve and bring it every day.

SFGS: Some coaches seem to be able to quickly adapt key learnings from other coaches. What couple of coaching tips, strategy-wise or tactical, have you picked up from other coaches and found really valuable?

Don Meyer: You have to get all the good ideas but you cannot use all the good ideas. Study other coaches, leaders in any profession and determine how they motivate, instruct, and drive athletes to high levels of performance. How do they build teams?

SFGS: For young basketball players intent on improving their games, what advice might you give them on how to improve their driveway workouts?

Don Meyer: Start slow, get a rhythm and then go fast enough to make a mistake — mistakes are your friends if you are going at a game speed. You learn what you can do at game speeds and you overload your mind and body. That is how you improve. After you have worked on something and know what to do compete with yourself by time or score or both.

SFGS: What suggestions could you provide coaches who are encouraging players to take some risks during game play, e.g. how to encourage players who will only dribble with their right hands to dribble with their left hands during games?

Don Meyer: You work on it in practice and look for time in blowouts to concentrate on some of those skills. Confidence comes from demonstrated ability and that comes first from practice.

SFGS: What do you find most rewarding about coaching basketball?

Don Meyer: Seeing individuals and teams improve and play to the highest level of their competence. Overcoming difficulties and combating adversity whether it’s on or off the floor for yourself, players, and teams.

SFGS: What’s your favorite basketball drill in practice and why?

Don Meyer: I have no one favorite drill. We try to use drills that simulate game situations and require concentration by the players and coaches. We like to use stop and score a lot. You must get a defensive stop and a score to win the game. We like to play three possessions when we do this. Short games accentuate the pressure and make each possession important. We also like to play 4 on 5 to promote ball movement, defensive rotations, and develop athleticism in our players.

SFGS: Your comeback to coaching after the terrible car accident and cancer diagnosis is a great inspiration. In addition to the great support you received from family, friends and supporters; what helped you through this incredibly difficult time?

Don Meyer: The desire to come back and coach a team. The desire to be part of a team is very important to me. Bible study and prayer were big keys for me. You think about the things that are really important when you are flat on your back.

SFGS: How have these events changed your approach to coaching?

Don Meyer: I am more intense and try to squeeze more into each day. I am hungrier and I believe more understanding and appreciative of great efforts. You are always looking for ways to win on and off the floor. You can’t have one personality while teaching on the floor and another off the floor.

SFGS: Linking the learning of basketball skills with understanding some important life lessons is a specialty that you excel in. How would you explain to a beginning coach how to go about doing that?

Don Meyer: You are constantly looking for teachable moments, times for informal learning, and ways to use “soft rain” to get life lessons across. Jesus is referred to as “teacher” in the Bible more than any other descriptor.

###
Check out Coach Meyer’s site at http://www.coachmeyer.com/. It’s a great resource for basketball coaches at all levels. Books, tapes and DVDs are available. Also, check out the Players’ Corner, Coaches’ Corner and Parents’ Corner sections.

ENJOY THIS VIDEO

Basketball prank backfires when teacher makes half-court shot blindfolded

Students at Olathe Northwest High School attempted to pull a prank on Joel Branstrom, one of their science teachers and the girls basketball coach. Undoubtedly inspired by College Humor’s Prank Wars, the plan was to have Mr. Branstrom shoot a half-court shot blindfolded. The students promised him NCAA Final Four tickets if he made the shot. Beforehand, the student assembly was instructed  to applaud like crazy after his shot attempt to make Mr. Branstrom believe that he had made the shot, as they all expected him to miss.

However, the former KU walk-on player made the basket and the assembly’s applause was genuine.  Branstrom has since appeared on ESPN and on morning news shows explaining his feat.  As the students never had NCAA Final Four tickets they promised him, a gift certificate to a Mexican restaurant was given to him.  However, someone has stepped forward with Final Four tickets for Branstrom and his family.

ENJOY THIS VIDEO

And, if that’s not enough for you. Check out this Fox4 promo with Rob Low canning a backwards shot on the first take. The surprised look on his face says it all.

Chaska’s amazing buzzer beater tops Eagan

In a Lake Conference basketball game on January 15 in Chaska, Minnesota, Chaska beat Eagan 88 – 85 on a well-orchestrated play that set up a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Chaska guard Jacob Meyer won the game for the Hawks with his last second shot at the end of overtime. An earlier buzzer beater by Chaska’s Jake White sent the game into OT. The dramatic finish offset a 38-point performance by Eagan guard Jameson Parsons, who made 10 three-pointers for the Eagan Wildcats.

ENJOY THIS VIDEO

Kentucky fans do the “John Wall Dance” and the Jayhawks hit 4 in a row from half court

College basketball provides lots of opportunities for fans to get excited about their teams.  Two cases to consider.

1.) After John Wall did a little arm flexing dance at Kentucky’s “Midnight Madness,” the “John Wall Dance” swept the Bluegrass State.  Kentucky fans have submitted videos to YouTube of the dance being performed after a deer hunt, on the Great Wall of China, at the Macy’s Day Parade and just about everywhere else.  It even made a brief appearance on the TV show “Cougar Town.”  Check out the two renditions below.

2.)  Led by Cole Aldrich’s opening shot, 4 Kansas Jayhawks made shots from half-court in a row during a recent practice.  While the Jayhawks had a harder time making shots against Tennessee on Sunday, the shooting magic on display here will come in handy later in the season.  See the video below.

Young Kentucky fan does the “John Wall Dance”

Kentucky Alumni celebrate with “John Wall Dance”

Kansas players hit 4 in a row from half court video

Special Ed Student David “Chubbs” Stillman drills 3-pointer

David Stillman, aka “Chubbs, is a special-ed student who has been managing the basketball team since he started at the Kirkwood High in Missouri. His coach promised him he would play in a game at some point.  He got his chance in a January 4 game.  He led pre-game cheers, was introduced, played and ended the game hitting a 3 pointer.

Per Bryan Burwell on stltoday.com

“Chubbs,” 18, is a senior at Kirkwood, who until Monday night had never played even one minute of high school basketball. He is a special-education student with more than a half-dozen learning disabilities who has spent the last four years behind the bench, always in the shadows, never in the spotlight, passing out cups of water, dry towels and high-fives to the Pioneers’ varsity team as their dedicated student manager.

But on Monday night, he was in a white Kirkwood uniform, wearing his favorite jersey number 23 — Michael Jordan’s number — and with the clock ticking down the final seconds in a game against Fox High, he settled into the far corner in front of his own bench, patted his hands together, planted his feet perfectly behind the 3-point line and waited for a perfect pass from senior guard Ahmad Hicks.

And ….

Well, what else?

Swish. String music. Basketball’s sweetest sound.”

Although his stats were modest — Chubbs ended the night shooting 2 for 9 with 2 rebounds — it was a magical moment when his last 3-pointer found its target and fans poured on to the court.

READ:  Bryan Burwell’s column on stltoday.com

ENJOY THIS VIDEO

Next Page »