People have responded to my tweets in the last month with “Ganon, what’s your motivation? How do you keep doing what you are doing? How do you stay UP?”

Well here is what gets me out of bed every day! These people hit a nerve (in a good way)! I am, Just being as transparent as I can. I really am tired of players and coaches “thinking” it’s too hard. They don’t come out and say it, but their questions reveal everything. With this said, I will continue to help them, but I want them to get to the point where they don’t ask “How do I get motivated” they ask “Where do I go from here? What can I do NEXT?”

Q- “How do you motivate yourself each day to work hard on your game? I’m struggling.”

Great question! When I was a player and still today I have to get motivated to workout and perform at a high level, not average but beyond average. Mediocrity means “squat” to me.

These are my thoughts:

• About how God has blessed me with a healthy body. I am not immobile or bed rested, so why wouldn’t I max out my body and mind every day! So I have that thankful and grateful attitude!

• I HATE losing and not being a starter, all star, and champion. My drive to be the best makes me motivated!

• Listening to upbeat music and watching inspirational movies makes me GO HARDER. Listed below are some movies that have impacted my life and still to this day I view often to pump me up!!

1. Rocky series- 1, 2, 3, 4, 6

2. Hoosiers

3. Brave Heart

4. Passion of the Christ

5. Wizard of OZ

6. 300

7. Gladiator

8. He Got Game

9. White Men Can’t Jump

10. Happy Feet

Watching the above uplifts my spirit. It’s your spirit that gives life man! There is no drill for you to improve your spirit! Your spirit is a trait you are born with that God has implanted in you from conception! It’s in your DNA, it’s in all of our DNA’s. It’s our job to uncover it! We let fear, doubt, laziness, procrastination, peer pressure, temptation, ignorance, negativity, negative anger, the list could go on and on. Squash our spirit which is our drive our motivation! To battle doubt you must spend time reading, listening, speaking to positive words and thoughts in your life. I spend time every day reading the Bible, and other positive motivational words.

To sum it up, motivation comes from within. All the above will help but you are control of your OWN thoughts. You are in control of your own emotions! So work on them. Your ears listen and become your thought. Your thoughts develop into your words. Your words start to shape your motivation. Your motivation will define your character. Your character fulfills your destiny. I truly believe this, because my entire life has exposed this: I can be a witness to this statement – Whether it be in basketball or billiards, politics or being on the police force, being a teacher or a technician, we were not created to live in mediocrity or poverty! So please players, don’t act like it!! I am not saying I always achieved. But I would not stay average, I would not stay a benchwarmer, I would not stay in 3rd place, I would not stay as just being a follower! I wanted to be the head not the tail!! If every player maxed out their POTENTIAL this game would be better and a lot more competitive (don’t get me wrong, we have a wonderful game and many talented players)! But there could be more successes! In my 10 years of running this skill development business I have seen numerous players under achieve and fail because of SELF inflicted wounds! Call it no motivation, call it basketball and life ignorance, they should have done better with what God had given them!

In Closing, you better be motivated! Use me, use GBB to help you on your way but it comes down to your own will to get up DAILY and put in the work! To fight the battles, to get past the hard stuff to the point when the hard becomes easy!! If you think getting up to work on your game 5-6 days a week, 3-4 hrs per day is hard, it is but now compare that day to a single Mom who gets 3 hrs of sleep a night , who works 2 jobs and has 3 kids? Or how about the 3rd World country father who lives in Haiti, who just lost their “Hut” and has to keep his wife and 2 kids ALIVE!! Forget a job, he has to FIGHT for his FAMILY’s LIFE!! And you can’t dig up enough motivation to play Basketball for 2 hrs a day?? Come on! It’s not your fault for the conditions of the people I just mentioned, I get that, BUT it is your fault if you DON’T maximize what you have, take advantage of where you are in this great country, and utilize the God given abilities you have! Nobody has the right and no Thing has the power to take you away from doing what you were MEANT to do on this earth! If it’s Basketball, what are you waiting for!

Get After IT!!!

Ganon baker

Do you want to be inspired? Do you want to be motivated? Do you want to see some one work hard? Check out this compilation of Ganon’s Most viewed Youtube Clips. Get after it: http://www.ganonbakerbasketball.com

I get emails asking me this question all the time. So I decided to share this with everyone. Obviously you have to PRODUCE and have talent, skill, toughest, and be in good shape to play! I know you feel differently but your coach does NOT suck, maybe you need to work on some things, so get better!

Your coach is not a hater, is not against you or does not dislike you. They want to win and they will play the best players that game to get the job done. Now coaches are not perfect and they do make mistakes, but I guarantee you if you execute the strategies below, your talent, skill, toughness, and wind will improve and so will your playing time

Thanks for your interest.  Here is how to get the coach to recognize you:

•Be the first one in the gym for a practice and game. Here is where you can get up extra shots and work on your moves and weaknesses

• WIN every drill in practice. WIN stands for
W- Work out hard in every drill
I- Intensity in every possession of 1 on 1, 2 on 2 , 3 on 3, 4 on 4 and 5 on 5 drills
N- Nothing Negative out of your mouth to managers, teammates, and coaches. You must be an energy giver not energy taker!

•People must notice you in EVERY practice. If a stranger visited practice you are one of the players they remember

• Constantly learn 3 things daily

1. Strengths and weaknesses of your teammates. Why? So you know how to play with them and can lead them. This will help you communicate better with them.

2. Strengths and weaknesses of your game. Why? So the coach knows what he is getting from you. You can play to your assets in the game and work on your weaknesses in practice. This will keep your head clear in games and practices.

3. Know the coaches play book. Why? So you can always be a play ahead. The game and practices will be easier for you. This will develop your teammates and coaches confidence in YOU!! This will help you cut down turnovers and your play will be more efficient.

• Meet with your head coach. Ask him 2 questions

1. What can I do better to help the team win?

2. Do you mind watching film with me so I can get better? When you watch film with him or an assistant coach (he might not have time) ask him questions of “why things happened. What happened there…”

•Watch film of practice with your assistants or yourself. Write down and memorize what you need to work on and what you are doing well! These are the things that you work on before and after practice.

•When a coach talks to you, look him in the eyes, stand at attention and no yawning ever. Your SWAG must command respect!!

•Make sure you are the BEST at the following things in practice:

-Win all sprints and conditioning drills or be in the top 4.

-Be the most energetic, positive, and most intense player in practice

-In games, when you are not playing be the loudest cheerleader. First one off the bench during timeouts.

-Get players water and towels for them from time to time when they need it.

-Sprint to bench and out of games

-Show NO negative emotion to coaches who criticize you or substitute for you.

-WARM UP HARD in warm ups before or after the game!

Players, you do these and you WILL be successful!

Good luck!

G

What a wonderful experience I had Sunday Nov 7 2011 in Central PA at the Triple Threat Camp. Coach Mike Bailey (2 Time HS State Champion and Allen Iverson’s former HS Coach), Rob Butterworth and Mark Natatez organized a unique experience for me and the players. We had a pre-game game day talk with the kids. A radio host introduced me. He was from Lewistown PA, Dave Burman, what a great voice he had!! It was supposed to be an interview but I took the stage and “lit candles” before we played. What I mean is:

• I got into their hearts before I got into their heads.

• You can’t create a winner if they don’t believe or “BUY in” to the coach. Once they believe the Coach, the Coach can help them believe in themselves.

I had 4 short hours to get them to respect me and listen to me. The pre-practice, during practice, and post practice “huddles are crucial times for me to captivate my players”. Must I say, I had them at hello (lol).

We met in the Auditorium and I laid out my DNA and my expectations for them:

• As a coach and leader they HAVE to Know who and what they are getting.

• Players and Coaches – Let your light/candles shine! Unconsciously you allow everyone in the room to let their talents, gifts and light shine as well. You empower people you uplift people. You share and teach the power you have. You impart knowledge. To do this you have to have street credibility with players. Amare’ Stoudemire and I call it “NIKE MAFIA”. You let people know you are connected! You are not bragging or name dropping

•Coaches I will repeat this again. It’s OKAY if you let your players know about your previous achievements and what YOU have done. It builds trust with Players. I say be transparent and seep them into VEINS

V- Build the Victor Attitude in your Players not Victim

E- Enthusiasm is contagious and you better have some

I- Implant Intensity in all they do

N- Nothing negative. You are correcting mistakes; you are not making your players feel like they are one.

S-Spirit- It’s your spirit that gives life, so as a leader you better spend time building that. Your spirit has to do with

•Your spiritual walk with God

•Your energy

•Your health mentally and physically. Basically you give them your Heart and those intangibles I mentioned above seep into them through “your veins” in everything you do as a teacher.

You see Coach Mike Bailey has his VEINS in kids. He loves his players, lives for his players, will step on a grenade; will take a blade or bullet for his CREW.

That’s why he had Pre-GAME. I am going to start to do that. That’s why he had ALL the equipment ready, all the water ready, every coach at every basket 12 coaches all dressed the same. Music, chairs for parents. Film and post game room set up like an ESPN studio, big screen TV. I love it when people are ready, then the TEACHER shows up.

Not Triple Threat. I mean the logo of Triple Threat was hot and above average. Derek Machado of FIVE19creative.com impressed me. I might even hire him on my TEAM.

We had a great workout, 3 hrs of work with the 111 kids who showed up. PLAYERS READ below:

•HARD WORK beats Talent when Talent gets comfortable

•HARD WORK beats Talent when Talent gets ungrateful

So many kids are not grateful for what coaches, parents, and even myself and staff does for them. Hell, when I grew up, I had daily clinics in my back yard. My dad, my brother, mom, and my grandparents told us to go home.

This Triple Threat camp was in awe and SOOO grateful for what we did. 1 kid yawned and ALL were engaged. I did not want to leave. These kids literally, in front of my eyes started to change their lives. Read below of emails we got-

Coach Baker:

Just wanted to give you a HUGE thank you for coming and doing the clinic at the Bald Eagle High School in Central PA! You made a comment that your basketball wasn’t going to change the world, but you were so wrong with that. You are such an inspirational speaker to the kids that you can be a huge influence in the way they live their lives. You have no idea how much your speech meant to my husband, my twin boys, and myself. Just that morning my husband and I were trying to get the message through to the boys that they need to be thankful for what they have, they need to be respectful, and that they need to take charge and be responsible for their lives (and to think this all started over a fight over some Nike socks and who was going to get to wear them to your clinic–and them both being “grounded” from the socks for awhile). Of course being 12 year olds, our talks that morning were falling on deaf ears. I wanted to get up and cheer and yell “thank you” during your morning speech when you hit on the exact same things we had being trying to beat into their heads that morning. At some point during the day you touched on the very subjects we have been trying to get into them for the last several months. Last evening they were talking about what you said and how they understood what you were saying to them so thank you, thank you, thank you. You are a great coach and mentor to the kids of today!!! I am so glad we took the time and money to attend yesterday. My boys have to try out for the Junior High basketball team this year and we have been trying to get them all the extra help we can because they are not even close to being the best players trying out. Your talk and skills really showed them that they can achieve great things if they put the effort and time into it. They have been trying to work out hard on their own during their football season, but get frustrated because my husband and I know nothing about basketball and can’t help them. You showed them that they can do it on their own if the keep drilling the drills they’ve learned at the clinic and keep working hard. Again, I want to thank you so much for taking the time to come to work with our kids. We’d love to see you back in our area some time—the boys would love to get the chance to work with you again.”

• Players- every practice every repetition is determining your value. It works into your DNA. Basketball can be a vehicle that you use to set you up for a successful life

• That with repetition and hard work you will achieve your goals, just don’t expect Instant results. As I told the players I worked hard from 8-16 and did not reach my goal of a Division I College Scholarship. 1 year later 31 offers…

• With that said if you believe in yourself and you have a work ethic, then that’s all you need!!

• Success only comes after pain. A champion has power that comes from his pain, but many people don’t want a Champions Pain!

At our camp every kid was Hungry, every kid VALUED the second of every drill.

Non-elite players (because at age 12 I started out as one)

•You are in a fight! Fight every day for your respect in this game.

•You got to be willing to Die “metaphorically” for your respect.

•Success has to be as important as Breathing! When it is, you will reach your basketball goals!!

•No one can make you practice every day, YOU have to!!!

•If you don’t give all you got every day Your Dream of playing at the next level will DIE because you don’t have the TALENT and athleticism to survive!!

• Unfortunately ALL players say they want to be Successful but they don’t WORK to be successful. It’s all Talk! Triple Threat and I showed them, what to do. Will they believe? Will they really change their lifestyle? Mindset? Approach to rejection?

•Players have to work in the moment so one day they will BECOME! It’s a Process!!

•Try to keep going, try to keep fighting, don’t Quit! You are already frustrated and in Pain. Now you deserve a reward.

•You have to be able to say that no matter what, I will SURVIVE!!

•Be like Harriet Tubman- make yourself so strong that you survive and then you go back and bring a “Team with you!”

•Pain is Temporary but eventually it will go away! But if you quit before you learn and master the fundamental, your pain will last FOREVER and then you quitting, mediocrity and fear will creep into your Life!

•You not gonna die cause you face Pain

• GO FOR IT!!!!

I know this! I left and I was moved!

Mike- We got to do this Again brother!!

God bless

GB

When you hear thunder you hear a huge sound, energy is created and people take notice. Well that is what we did in Australia. People recognized!! Before or after Thunder is lightning, and Natalie Porter’s NPIRE (www.npire.com) was my lightning. I had a chance to work out over 660 players and educate over 425 coaches in 2 EXHAUSTING weeks. It was the hardest I have ever worked in my training life with logging 8-9 hrs a day in the gym on my 39 year old body was a challenge! However since “Rocky” is my role model… I did not stop till I heard that “bell.” Amazing what you can do when you carry a sound in your soul!! My sound was passion, love, truth, the Holy Spirit, and innovativeness for the game of basketball and life. We were on a mission to get out the following word to Coaches:

• People and players can change for the better.

• You want to change a basketball culture? You do it one player and one coach at a time.

• The only way to learn is to be uncomfortable.

• You can be comfortable or outstanding, but you can’t be both.

• The only way to a player’s development is to connect with their mind and their heart.

• Coaching and teaching is not about skills and drills, it’s about communicating, motivating and building trust that one day turns into “blind trust.”

• Motivating, communicating, and relationship building is more important than skills and drills. Once you have motivation, communication and blind trust from your players, then the skills and drills will work even BETTER and a coach really sees improvement

• How can you expect your players to learn and get out of their comfort zone when you don’t as a coach

• Once a year you should go somewhere and be in a learning environment where you feel like you are the “stupidest person in the room”

• To break the cycle of the “same old, same old,” stale, monotonous crusty, vanilla, generic, boring, out of date, non motivating, non relating to the “young players generation,” of practice and skill development, you have to change the way you look at things. WHEN you do these things you look at change!!

• A GREAT KEY to relating to players (8-28…..) and motivating them is to have an adult mind but childlike heart and Joy

• Don’t worry about what players or peer coaches will say about your style and technique. Get past uncomfortable and cool. Players want to have fun, players want to be pushed. Players need to be challenged by an intense coach who challenges their mind with questions, the why’s, the when’s’ (basketball IQ)

• Don’t worry about what your coaching peers think when you are sweating with them. Players love and respect that!

• Don’t worry if you are the most passionate, loudest, non-reserved coach in your program. The more high fiving, chest bumping, fist pumping on the court the better! These actions are contagious and FUN comes back to you and your team!!

• The Australian way of coaching has produced winners and winning teams. One of my favorite basketball players and coaching programs I visited is from Australia. I love their structure and their direction towards making players better. The styles and techniques above will only enhance your practices, invigorate you, give you energy to go out there and be even better!

• Any coach can always learn more. There are no absolutes in basketball. If you don’t learn and grow as a coach you are DEAD!

Training beyond the Limits

A. Coaching

• Nothing magical about coaching you just have to have 2 intangibles Passion and Ability to Keep Learning

1. Passion

• Your example is not the main thing in influencing players – IT’S THE ONLY THING!

Examples of Passion

• Claps

• Tone of voice

• Body language

• On hands with players – clay – you are the potter -”Look” the part

o 8 hrs sleep

o Eat right

o Exercise

o Endorphins release a fresh spirit

• Demonstrate with your mind and body

• Sweat with them, run, walk, slide

• Be a story teller – inspire them (film) – NEVER have a Silent gym (hear coach every 6- 8seconds) – You see passion, you feel passion!

2. Ability to Keep Learning

• Be able to change for the better. Never be satisfied personally with good, it’s the enemy of great!

• Sometimes you WANT to feel like you’re the stupidest in the room

• You get an extra 182 hrs a year if you subtract 30mins of TV time a day. You always can find time.

• Have a passion for self improvement. How?

• Clinics, camps, watch other coaches, film, Google, read books, youtube, cold calls/emails

• The key is to take great notes so you can retrieve, review, then reinforce

B. Two things Kill your Coaching and your Career: Boredom and Fatgue

1. Boredom

• Coach has to have energy (passion)

• Except for beginner sports, keep score on every drill

• Make every drill competitive – time, number, winner

• Go 10-15 minutes one on none, then go 10 minutes 1 on 1, 2 on 2 etc..

• Music during practice

• Innovative drills – disruptors like cones, tennis balls, paddles, 2 balls

• Find 50 ways to teach same skill. I am a big believer of variety of drills

• Peer coaching – players OWN the drill

• Either before or after practice relate lesson of the day to life – sport is just platform for life

2. Fatigue

• Mind set of

o “You are not allowed to be tired” (Celtics)

o “Get Past Hard” (Patriots)

o Don’t Workout “Blackout”(Kobe)

• Make drills on the clock

• Simulate game conditions to work on game conditioning – don’t just run

• Would you enjoy your practice

• Make it fun (USA today research)

• Rest – more gold medals were lost with over training than under training

• Unless you are working on technique push their bodies past what they would go in the game. Go beyond game speed

C. Coaching Is an Investment not an Entitlement, Invest in the: Kids and The Game

1. Kids

• They have to trust you

• You can’t build trust if you don’t have a relationship with them

• How?

• Social media

• Take a walk and talk with your players vs sit behind a desk and be the judge, jury, and executioner

• Lunch, happy meal, ice cream

• Work them out before or after practice – rebound for them – be a time giver not time stealer

• Ask them questions in practice – involve them

• Don’t BS them – tell them the Truth

• They want to be challenged, confronted. Stretch their mind and body to a place where it’s never been Ex- D. Rose story

• Teach them what they don’t know – details – have them keep a notebook.

• Work out with them – make them feel you are with them and not above them

2. The Game – Be a Teacher/ Coach

• We already talked about learning

• Understand teaching

• Teach the skill not the drill

• Why are they doing it, when do they do it

• Emphasize the process over the product

• Mistakes are an education – it’s okay to mess up

• Communication is your asset (tone of voice, delivery passion.. etc..)

• Your tongue can bring life or death

o Ex. Behind back pass or a big shooting 3’s in practice – how do you handle

• I know what you feel but what you say ex. dumbest white boy, diabetic, girl/boy, cerebral palsy

• A person’s greatest emotional need is to be appreciated and loved – catch them doing something right – ANYTIME

Are you a Motivator? Are You Motivated?

• The most important job is the one you have right now. Your dream job won’t actually materialize unless you take care of the one you have now

• It’s not what you know; it’s what you bring – Every single time you are on the field!! Period!

• The more motivated you are the more successful you will be

• Do you give your players a belief wheel

• Thoughts – Words – Judgment – Action – Results – Belief

• A MESSAGE is only a message if it’s received and acted upon

Notes for Bathurst clinic to All Sport Coaches:

To PLAYERS:

• You do not have to have a coach with you to do an “individual” workout by YOURSELF!

• What I said is not “magical,” you have already heard the message from your parents and your rep and state coaches. What are you waiting for? Grab it, seize it, CHANGE your game! Get Better!

• There is no “microwave success.” Change takes 2 weeks to 2 months to 2 years. Put in the time.

• You won’t fail if you don’t quit. Stick to your workouts and listen to your coaches.

• Happiness is a decision you make ahead of time. If you are bored, you create fun, you activate your intensity – it’s not up to the coach all the time!!

• A silent gym is a dead gym! It’s okay if you are the only one clapping and talking in practice and the rest of the team is laughing. It’s okay if you are the ONLY one working out before practice and staying after. It’s okay if your teammates are making fun of you for always sweating before practice starts. Your TEAMMATES won’t laugh for long, they WILL thank you for going to battle with them and making the team better and they WILL start to do these things with you and NO ONE will be laughing. You ALL will be COMPETING and kicking some butt!!

• When no one is guarding you in practice you HAVE to go hard and have PERFECT Reps

• If your shooting form is messed up, change it now while you’re young.

• For every one game you play, have three 45min individuals to balance play and skills

• Try to play 1 on 1 to 5 on 5 every day or every other day with players BETTER than you or faster or stronger or taller than you

• Contact me and I will put you in touch with Alan Stein, our strength coach! He can transform your body!

• Please don’t email me “my coach stinks”– develop a Relationship with them. Listen to them. Ask them a question every day. Tell them what’s on your heart. Respect them. Learn to Love them! High five them. They are YOUR COACH!! You have in life… GOD, FAMILY, and YOUR COACH

• Don’t you dare limit your skills. You work on all aspects of your game!

• Google and you tube your favorite player and learn from them, study them, research them. Try to get what’s in their mind. See what they see in the game

• Learn HOW to be a winner, not just how to win games but how to live like a winner!! What are you learning from winning and losing that will help you in life? That’s your real TROPHY! Your career in Life will last A LOT longer than your career in basketball!! Winning games is important, but Winning in Life is Eternal!

• Always remember; never forget to find the FUN in practice!! It’s a GAME MAN!!

My wife MJ and I visited Bathurst first. I had to do a 3 day coaching seminar to all sport coaches, not only basketball coaches. There were 80 coaches from all over Australia and New Zealand. Netball, hockey, soccer, basketball, football, to name a few were all represented. My theme was “Training beyond the Limits” (see above). It went well and I was asked back next year. We laughed a lot, the Aussies and New Zealanders have such a sense of humor. While we were there I stayed with my good mate Brett Coxsedge. Very good man, he is a very bright and successful young coach. We saw cows in his neighborhood, raced the world famous race track, and even saw a momma KANGAROO and her Joey in the Wild.

See article and Pix below

Academy courts top basketball mentor

26 Sep, 2011 05:00 AM

THE Western Region Academy of Sport secured a coup over the weekend as renowned basketball mentor Ganon Baker came to Bathurst to help ‘coach the coaches’ and impart some of his considerable knowledge.

A number of basketball mentors from across the region were subject to plenty of training from Baker, who has plied his trade with some of the world’s greatest players including NBA stars LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter.

A former high school, college and professional player, Baker has been in the coaching game for the last decade and has become one of the foremost tutors in the sport in America.

Since meeting WRAS director Brett Coxsedge eight years ago, he has been a regular visitor to Australia and jumped at the chance to make an appearance in Bathurst.

“I train kids from as young as 10 right up to NBA and WNBA level, through clinics, DVDs, coaching certificate classes and motivational talks,” Baker explained. “After playing in high school, college and as a pro, I went back and coached at college for five years as an assistant and I’ve been doing this for about 10 years now.

“The thing about coaching is that the same lessons I give to someone like LeBron James, who is at the top of the sport, are often exactly the same as the lessons a hockey coach might teach his players.”

Baker went on to explain that the only thing that separates some of the world’s greatest players and coaches from the people who he was instructing in Bathurst is the personalities and motivations of his students.

“The lessons don’t change, only the talent level and the personality,” he said.

“The importance of success changes too, for a LeBron James basketball is their job and their livelihood, so their motivation is different to a 12-year-old who just loves playing the sport but it doesn’t mean everything to him if he wins or loses.”

In the time Baker has been coaching, Australia’s presence in the basketball world has grown and he sees a positive future for the sport in this country given the potential available.

“Australian athletes are gritty, and tough and their skills are on the improve,” he said.

“Since I’ve been coming out here Andrew Bogut was a number one NBA draft pick and Patty Mills has been picked up as well, and Lauren Jackson has been named the WNBA most valuable player. The girls regularly finish in the top two at world championships.

“The thing the Aussies are missing though that the USA has is the ability to be playing against great players all the time. You can go to any city in the US and there are great players there. That doesn’t happen in Australia.

“If you took the top young Australian players and planted them in American cities where they were constantly exposed to better competition, they would all be among the top 100 players on the planet.”

BY SAM DEBENHAM

Next we went to Sydney and had a beautiful dinner on the Harbor. Seafood on the water and my wife has never looked more beautiful! I am blessed

We did player workouts for 2 days.

We then went to Brisbane and did a HUGE player workout and coaches clinic. This was the best talent. MJ found some girls to recruit and I found a. JRNSA player to invite ( www.jrnsa.com) We had beautiful weather, it’s Australia’s Spring time now!

We then went back to Sydney for 4 days of workouts and had our First GBB Australian Coaches Certification Class. We had 47 coaches take the course. Man we laughed we got moved, we learned we made lasting friendships!!

We then moved on to Melbourne. Very interesting city! Each of Australia’s cities are all unique and have so much personality. We did 3 days worth of player workouts. One day I was in the gym for 13 hours. We did a 250 coach’s clinic and even had more coaches’ at my clinic than the clinic the NBA had (180 coaches). It gives me great confidence that people appreciate my work and validates that our style of teaching works and is relevant. Thank you Basketball Victoria, this organization has PASSION, for that is why they are called the “Big V”

We are now going to start GBB Australia. We will make 2-3 trips to Australia every year to do camps, player workouts, coaching certification classes, coaching clinics, and school assemblies. Natalie Porter of NPIRE will be our Country Manager. We will have the gbb.com.au website up and running soon. Products and resources will be available soon for sale. Shipping now will be from Australia and not the States, so you can get your products sooner.

Australia is thousands of miles away, but it’s our PASSION, TRUTH and LOVE for the Game and its players that connects our Bridge to SUCCESS!!

Ganon Baker

I had the pleasure last week to train a former client Amare Stoudemire. Stat (Standing Tall and Talented) LOVES to work and I love working him out. Not because of the fact he is tall, talented, current All-Star and future Hall of Famer. Not because we were in gorgeous Miami and beautiful LA, but because he is a REAL student of the game and when the student shows up the teacher can go to work! The teacher can help facilitate learning and the teacher can impart knowledge energy and passion into the student! Sometimes the student teaches the teacher- below is what I learned: (I hope young players will read this)

Stat is a REAL Player- no fake wanna be NBA athlete

R- Respect the game

• Oh does he respect the game. He showed up every day at 9am to go thru 1 hour of stretching and flexibility work

• He then had 45mins-1 hour of weights and strength performance work

• We then worked out for an hour to hour and a half on skills and positional moves

• When you respect the game you respect the coaches. He was locked in the ENTIRE TIME, no BS with his approach, “yes coach, I got you G” “How was that” “one more” “push me harder G” was what I got. Amazing and the season has not even started yet and his respect and focus is at a high place right NOW!

• When you respect the game you respect the fans. Almost every fan that came by and asked for an autograph or picture was walking home with a piece of Amare. He accommodated every single person, (even the ones on the road, in the airport, the drunk girl at TGIF’s. ) He was graceful, kind and always respected the fans. He even gave one of my JRNSA players (who I was training in Miami also) some pointers on his game. EJ could not have been more excited to get a piece of time from one of the greatest power forwards in the Game. I was very proud of Amare for his patience and kindness to young EJ. Do you know how many people tug at him, ask him for stuff, and leech on him for things? I lived with him for 3 months and this past week I got irritated at times by ALL the people who wanted a “touch of the big fella”.. It was draining for me man!! You think you want to be at the highest level until you LIVE in their shoes. I love my privacy and somewhat simple life. However he never let them interfere with his workouts!! That is true respect for the game!

E- Enthusiastic Approach

• I would not be blogging about STAT if he were not so passionate! To hire me or one of our staff means you are getting a confrontational coach. I would not let him loose his fire in the workouts. I can honestly say he would not let me loose mine! We were one flame vibing off each other. No music, just his own heart and soul driving his reps. He went hard mentally and physically. Stayed in the Drill till he got IT Right! Was holding himself accountable instead of me holding him accountable! He owned the workout; the workout did not own HIM! I only blog about certain elite players and his passion definitely can’t be matched (only ones that are up to par to his I have seen live and worked out are Kobe, CP3, Mya Moore, Rotnei’ clark, Brandon Knight, to name a few) You can’t get better unless you HAVE IT- EVERY TIME

A-Assimilation by Association (You become what you are around)

• Stat surrounds himself with a TEAM of Good dudes. His business people, his chef (who is world renowned), his Canadian body specialist, his basketball trainers (myself, Tyler, Idan the Hoop), Whisperer ( I hear is outstanding), all add value to him and whether you like it or not you become who you hang around with. He surrounds himself with a good “posse.”

L- Love of the Game – Even When it’s Hard

• He loves to play but more importantly loves to work!! The KNICKS can’t talk to him- so who was getting himself out of bed? Who was driving him to work on his weaknesses? Who pushed him to get better and get the Solutions he needs to win a championship this year? Who picked him up when he did not feel like going Hard? HIM and his Love of the GAME!

• You got the Love ?

So it was a simple workout! Simple things done every day the same consistent way!

That was a REAL Player!

See photos below!

Week 13  Kelowna BC

I have never been here before. Love Coach Dino and his program there!! I thought I was going to Vancouver but I was wrong and ended up in BC. Small but beautiful town. Gorgeous terrain and clean mountain air. They are famous for all 4 seasons, their fresh fruit, wine orchards, and bears. Did not see one but I know they were there!

I had 3 days of private team workouts with 25 kids in each group. The players were ages 12-19. Man I loved working them out. They had a lot of interest and were really curious and intuitive. They hung on my every word and drill!

I did a small coaching clinic while I was there as well. They had 25 coaches and I was invited to Calgary for next year. I am also going back next summer to Kelowna for a week. Below is some food for thought:

What I learned?!

-The players were great IN FRONT of ME but what are they like BEHIND ME? What do they do on their own after practice, the next day. It would be incredible if players would work as hard in an empty gym as hard as they work in a full gym!! I reminded the boys and girls to work not play at their game!

-If I want to get the players to buy in, I have to ESTABLISH a relationship with them! I have to give them touches constantly before, during and after practice! Touches might be a look, a point, high five, chest bump, fist bump or low five…(nonverbal) or verbal encouragement or correction. Players just want your time. I have to do this very quickly as I only have a short period of time when I do travel camps and workouts!

-Players DON’T KNOW what they DON’T KNOW. So they have to do research on what it takes to be good. They have to search for the real truth and it’s in a place where they have never been!

-I met Pete Guarasci. He was a 10 year pro over in Europe and played with Steve Nash on the Olympic Team! He and I worked the kids out and then we shared Nash stories (you have to join our membership to hear some authentic Nash stories .

But put it this way, Nash is a machine. Has a “Kobe’ Killer” mentality when it comes to keeping his game and body in shape! The guy is cut from a different cloth. Pete was able to live and be around him for years and he has shared these stories with me.

-I learned a lot from Mark Hogan, who is a playing and coaching Legend!! He came down from Calgary also to work out the players. He was a former Mr. Basketball in Canada and retired college coach. Very bright guy, He said, “there is a difference between asking something and then making a STATEMENT!! Am I going to the Rim? Or I am GOING to the RIM!!”

Week 12 August 15-21

Howdy?!!  Man Texas could be its own country! I spent the first part of the week in Dallas. We have the honor of being the basketball skill provider at the Frisco Fieldhouse!  They are going to let us run the GBB Basketball Academy there this year, so I had a few meetings with the staff.  Unbelievable multi-million dollar, 13 court facility.

We had a 2 day helping kids play camp.  HKP (www.helpingkidsplay.org) is a non-profit organization that sponsors camps for underprivileged kids or at risk youth.  I gave my time to an elite camp and open camp.  The elite camp was filled with some of the best players in Dallas boys and girls.  They were truly appreciative of our time together. The open camp was a fun camp and we had a lot of fun there as well. HKP is a wonderful organization because it give kids a chance that normally they would not have!  Many of these kids would not be able to afford a GBB camp so giving them one for free made the day perfect!

We also did the same thing in Houston, 109 all day! Praise the Lord for AC. We worked out of the Legends facility and Alodia Academy!  I love Alodia! They are a class organization.  Same set up open camp and then the Elite camp.  A lot of Sweat and Smiles! I have a great career! Basketball Teaching is my calling!

I met a wonderful man in Houston through Simmie Colson.  His name is Thomas Henderson who is a  9 year NBA vet that was at the workout because his Granddaughter was there.  We started talking and he was the starting guard on the 1972 olympic team that beat the Russian Team but did not get the gold medal.  Doug Collins was his back court mate on that team. It was a very controversial game where the Russians had 3 chances to take the ball out of bounds to win, hearing Thomas tell it was truly remarkable! He told it like it happened last week.

Below is a pic of me and him as s well as a report on one of the workouts..

http://girlzprepreport.blogspot.com/2011/08/ganon-baker-camp-alodia.html?m=1

We then Headed to Texas A & M for our 3rd Annual Skills Select Texas Girls Camp. Only this time we had the honor of being at the National Champions Practice gym. We had 75 girls flat out get after it. They had energy, charisma, talent and they listen.  I challenged their mind and body and showed them how basketball could be a vehicle to success in life. You see there are 4 things that female players deal with

1- They overestimate their talent

2- Some underestimate their talent

3- They don’t know their strengths and weaknesses

4- They don’t think for themselves, they are not self sufficient enough on the court.  They wait for the coach to tell them what to do. They need to be “Wild Animals and not Zoo Animals”.

What did I learn?

- You can’t be anyone without anyone , so you better love and respect everyone!

-The biggest resources in this world are time and young people.

- Like the bible says- “give and it will be given to you! Train a child in the way he should go”… It’s very important for me to influence  all kids and not just elite or privileged ones. Every child should have a CHANCE!

Now off to BC Canada!!

I had a wonderful time in Orlando.  The first part of my week we met with our business team.  Harvey Blom even came all the way over from Holland to give our program a business face lift.  Sometimes you have to break something apart, look at the pieces and put it back together again!  Only its bigger, faster and stronger than ever before!  That’s what we are doing with the structure of our business model.  Although I would rather spend time working on ball, it’s good to get with my team to figure things out for the future!

After many days of office work and brainstorming, we went to Disney World!  I know I am 38 (soon to be 39), I always act like a kid when I am there. Mickey Mouse is my boy   Had a great time there with my fam!

The 4th annual Coaches clinic was a success!  We had 25 coaches who were all eager to learn until all hours of the night! We spent a total of 23 hours on the court and in the class room.  They were sponges. We had coaches from as far as Seattle in the US.  We had a coach from the Caribbean, 2 from Australia, and London, England.  This is one of my favorite events because you can visibly see the passion and learning taking place.  Coaches seeing the game from different eye’s. Its also exciting and sometimes rather humorous to see coaches get out and demonstrate drills like their back in HS again! Very uplifting.

Its also very rewarding to know that my impact on them goes back to their communities. That I have branches reaching out in all neighborhoods across the globe. That’s why I take my profession so seriously. Because I help influence so many lives!! Its very humbling!

What I Learned:

I learned A LOT! Come to a coaching Class to find out   Next year we will be in Las Vegas in June and Orlando in August.  Now off to Texas!!

Week 10- Nassau Bahamas

We spent 7 days here, 3 were for camp.  I did an interview the first day.  The people here are so thankful and laid back.  I could have spent hours with them.

The next 2 days we ran a 2 day camp in conjunction with the 365 sports Tournament. 10 teams from the US and 6 teams from the Islands participated in a 2 day tournament. 2 days before the tourney began they worked out with me and MJ.

We had 135 boy and girl players in the gym and only 2 baskets. I spent 2 hours each workout going over stationary, dribbling, driving stance, footwork and shooting form.  I hit them with basketball IQ questions and motivation deposits of energy.  It probably was the hottest gym I had ever worked out in!  95 outside- 105 inside.  But we persisted!  Below is what I learned.

1.  That regardless of gym conditions, if the coach uses his imagination and has “Solution Eyes and not Problem Eyes” then a lot can be accomplished in a practice setting.

• We had 2 baskets and 135 plus players.  Every one got better and had a workout.  We executed a lot of stationary drills.

• Basketball is a game where you use your feet to get into a position to use your Hands.  So we showed the players how to train your hands and feet.

2. The majority of players age 14- 19 will coast or settle if you let them.  The intensity and focus of the players and the drills when they are standing in front of you is amazing (at least when I train them).  However when you turn your back, they let up.  I can see from across the gym the same player start to coast, and I have to get on them, give them a jolt of energy, intervene some how.

3. To follow up with the point above – Players are fine when they are in front of you.  It’s what they do when they are not in front of you that counts. Players are good from 3pm- 6pm in practice.  I’m worried about them from 6pm – 3pm.  This is where champions are made or lost.  That consistency, that follow up.  Research says you will forget 90% of what you said or did in practice if you don’t practice or study that skill on your own in the upcoming week.  I agree totally!!

4. The gyms we used were poor.  Tile floor, raggedy rims, no AC in a humid environment.  Mice and lizards in the bathrooms.  If any player had a reason to loaf or complain it was these kids.  The majority of Bohemian players had rubber or worn down balls. But ALL thanked us for working them out.  ALL were grateful and appreciative of what they had and it pushed them to learn and listen!  SO many players in the US don’t appreciate the beautiful furnished gyms they play in, often times leaving their litter, spitting gum or saliva on the floor, not thinking twice (I have witnesses this numerous occasions).  Gorgeous Nike uniforms, leather new balls and some of the best coaches in the US instructing them, and yet they don’t MAX out their intensity and passion!  Oh they work and get a little excited but I EXPECT MORE from them!  Why?  Because in places like the Bahamas, Scotland, Philippines, and other places out there , they don’t have the best of everything and yet kids give it All they got!

Gratefulness and appreciation is something that we as coaches need to keep teaching.

5. Players love coaches who show them moves. Players love to learn moves. We showed them dribble moves and footwork to be successful at finishing and triple threat and they ate it up.!!

6. We saw a bohemian practice.  Kids went Hard but the coach had them doing warm up and running drills for 30 mins in a 60 min practice without a ball.  He did this because he coached on what he felt comfortable with and what he knew.  This is not correct but he could not teach the players something he did not understand.

We have to stop coaching kids the way we were coached. We should not parent that way either. Get an education, learn new techniques.  All coaches should know that whatever you do in a 60 minute practice, have a ball involved. Have each kid bring their own ball to practice.  Get reps with the ball. Get your “conditioning ” in you basketball drills.  It can be done, I do it every day!!

Off to Orlando and the Coaching Class!!