I have always been very interested in basketball and I don't think I will ever lose my interest as long as I am around. I have probably spoken at more clinics than anyone. I have attended more than almost anyone, because I started attending as a high school player with my coach.

It is thought that three gentlemen from Indiana were the first to start basketball clinics. They were Everett Case, coach at Frankfort High School and later at North Carolina State, Glenn Curis, coach at Martinsville and Indiana State U., Cliff Wells from Logansport and Tulane University. This is the first time in all the years that I have spoken at clinics and some years as many as 16 a year, but never once in all the years did I speak without a topic, so I have jotted down some things I feel are important.

Two things I wanted in players: 
           1. Balance 
           2. Quickness under control. 

These were my ideas as a high school coach and my thoughts never changed once I went to college, and it would not change today even if I were coaching the professionals. I wanted quickness. Did I want size? Yes of course I did, but where some of my peers wanted size, I would sacrifice some size for speed and quickness. I believe that the most important thing in basketball, just as in life, is balance. Physical, mental, and emotional balance. Physical balance, how do we get it? I started every practice every day with drills for physical balance. We started out with feet as wide as the shoulders, head mid-point above the feet, chin up so you can see and vision is not impaired. Hands in front and close to the body. Joints flexed and relaxed, trying for this at all times offensively and defensively.

Now here's the way I started practice everyday. Everyone on the floor at 3:15 PM. No exceptions! We started on time and ended on time. Our players knew when we were starting and when it ended. We tried to do a good job of preparing our players for games and performance of games depends on how good you practice. At 3:29 I blew my whistle and my players knew immediately where to go.

Launch Wooden Reflections