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Elevate Your Game

The Cost of Chasing the Scoreboard

by Shawn Jones on Jun 16, 2025

In today’s hyper-competitive youth and high school basketball world, it’s tempting—almost expected—for coaches to chase wins at all costs. Parents want championships. Communities want banners. Programs want trophies. But too often, in the pursuit of short-term glory, we lose sight of the bigger mission: preparing…

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Challenging the Myth: Why You (Can’t) Be Anything You Want

by Shawn Jones on Jun 11, 2025

I hear people tell kids all the time, “You can be anything you want, if you work hard enough.” The truth is, you can’t. You can’t be something you don’t have the physical size, strength, aptitude, or qualifications for. That’s just reality. I’d love to…

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Challenge the Best, Build the Rest: Coaching for Every Level

by Joyce Ekworomadu on May 27, 2025

Have you ever found yourself in a practice with a few athletes who are year-round superstars—maybe they play AAU in the off-season—while others only show up for school ball and that’s it? If so, you’ve probably witnessed the massive skill gap between athletes on your…

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Why Teaching Man-to-Man Defense Early Sets Players Up for Long-Term Success

by Joyce Ekworomadu on May 21, 2025

It’s tempting to run a zone defense with young players. Let’s be honest — most kids can’t consistently hit threes, so packing the paint gives your team a better shot at winning games. But here’s the real question: are we choosing the easy path and…

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From Dallas to the World: How Swin City Is Changing the Game in Youth Sports

by Joyce Ekworomadu on May 12, 2025

I recently had the chance to play in a Swin City league and was immediately struck by the experience that founder Tony Swindle has built. It wasn’t your average pickup game with a few people in the stands and players reliving their glory days. Every…

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Why the Next Era of Coaching Belongs to Data-Driven Development

by Shawn Jones on Apr 30, 2025

In the past 15–20 years, the role of technology in sports has evolved dramatically—reshaping how coaches prepare, communicate, and lead their teams. Not long ago, coaching meant early Saturday morning drives to swap VHS tapes—or, if you were lucky, a burned DVD—at halfway points between…

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Influence Without the Follower Count

by Shawn Jones on Apr 23, 2025

It still blows my mind that being a social media influencer is an actual career. Even more mind-blowing is the fact that they can make a lot of money doing it! But when you think about it, shouldn’t we all be influencers? Shouldn’t we all…

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Reason #5 — Organization

by Shawn Jones on Apr 16, 2025

There’s an app for everything today—money, family schedules, vacations, oil changes, pet vaccinations—you name it. As a head coach, you’re juggling chainsaws trying to keep everything organized. Between group chats, practice drills, workouts, schedules, team messaging, and travel plans, your tools are scattered across multiple…

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Conflict Resolution: Protecting Team Chemistry

by Shawn Jones on Apr 9, 2025

When—not if, but when—conflict arises between players on your team, you must address it quickly and effectively. Otherwise, it can derail even the most talented group. Every team will face player conflict at some point. It might be a scuffle for a loose ball that…

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Reason #4 — Competitiveness

by Shawn Jones on Apr 6, 2025

All great athletes, across every sport, share a common trait—they are fierce competitors. While it’s often debated whether competitiveness can be taught, here’s a better question: Can it be learned? Absolutely, yes. Over time, competitiveness grows through results and consequences. While not every athlete starts…

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