Who said Teaching was limited to the classroom?

Kevin Jackson and I have been blessed with the opportunity to teach basketball to players for well over a decade.  I know that coaching can include so many things, but to the heart of coaching is teaching.  Our experience of running summer basketball camps, or offering individual and group skills training sessions will now be made available to the DFW area by simply booking the date and time that works best for you!

Camps and Group Training Sessions will divide players up by age level in order to teach them.  Seed level (Ages 5-7) will teach basic fundamentals of basketball and ignite a love for playing.  Root level (Ages 8-10) teaches all skills and techniques focusing on proper form and execution of drills in a fun and engaging way.  Stem level (Ages 11-13) will teach more in depth sills, technique and increased basketball IQ.  Tree level (Ages 14-17) will engage players both mentally and physically to perform at their peak during training which will teach them elite level training.  

Training will always include honest evaluations and information on how to take your game to the next level!  

We believe in teaching life skills through basketball at KBJ Academy and our coaches Kevin and Brenita Jackson offer skills training for ages 5 and older.  

We have extensive experience training players in college looking to prepare for their next season.  We have also trained players preparing to perform at pro-combines or heading overseas to play professionally.  You can e-mail kbjacademy@gmail.com to book your skill development session at any level!  Happy Hoops to you all!  Go KBJ!

-Brenita Jackson

Adapting To Change Part 2

As seasons change - we must understand and prepare for seasons to change.  Change is inevitable and as surely as time passes, things will change.  People will change.  Relationships will change.  Jobs will change.  Finances will change.  Circumstances will change.  You have to understand that just as you celebrate the blooming flowers of spring and enjoy seeing them bloom -- there was a season right before it where mostly everything beautiful died.  What was once desolate has come into full bloom and is beautiful again but only for a SEASON!

How can we adapt to change?  Here are my recommendations to being prepared for change:

1. Be aware that change is going to happen at some point.  Be prepared for unexpected change.  For example:  Most financial planners recommend that you have at least 3-6 months worth of savings in the event of getting laid off, medical trauma or some unexpected life event.  This is a great example of being aware that change could happen and being prepared for it.
2. Know that not all change is good and not all change is bad.  I gave an example of an unexpected negative change to happen but lets say the exact opposite happens.  What if your job's administrators came in and said you were being promoted to Vice President of the company which would include a heavy increase financially but would require you to travel 50% of the time.  Is your household prepared for this change or would they have to get ready for the change?  If you have children and pick them up from school every day - you now have to find someone who can do that for you.  Don't be so focused on the money you would be making - understand that to whom much is given, much is required.  So your family and whatever other places you serve will be without should you take this job.  What would you do?
3. Sit down with your family and decide what are your core values individually and as a group.  This will help you making good choices when change happens.  Example: They hire a new coach on the team you play on that has no morals - are you willing to subject yourself to that for years or would you rather transfer to keep your morals in tact and peace of mind?  Your decisions will be in alignment of your core values and your core values should be consistent with your immediate family or household.  (There are some circumstances that are different.)
4. Once change happens accept it and make a decision on what you are going to do about it.  Don't just sit around complaining about the change.  Make a decision that you will do something about it that aligns with your core values.

In conclusion, I encourage each of you to read and share this article with somebody.  Know that you are going to see change at some point or another and be prepared for the change that comes your way. You can listen to our podcast that talks about adapting to change. 

E-mail kbjacademy@gmail to subscribe to our e-mail list for free.  We include updates and motivation to get you through the week!

Proper Conditioning & Stretching Decreases Lower Limb Injuries

Proper conditioning and stretching will minimize injuries when combined with effective strength training. Coaches all over the country have been trying to get to the bottom of the surplus of lower limb injuries -- especially with women's basketball players.  As a part of my graduate study, I researched leading causes in lower limb injuries and found the following to be prevalent: 

• Collisions around the rim 
• Landing off balance after a jump
• Changing directions suddenly
• Body anatomy - overweight and larger cup sizes can cause strain on the knees/ankles
• Previous injuries on one limb can cause overcompensation on the other limb

I found these causes in various articles on line and from asking coaches I knew.  Then my husband and I began to create an injury prevention plan that we implemented on every team we coached.  So we have found that after 5 years of using this injury prevention guideline we have only had 3 ACL surgeries out of 72 players that we coached.  Of those 3 ACL injuries - 2 had previous ACL injuries and admitted to not taking the rehab process serious.  

The injury prevention plan that we implemented consisted of daily attention to detail and observation of how each player's body was responding to drills.  Keep in mind that no two bodies are made the same.  So you must be aware of each player's body type and normal body movements.  Below are our daily guidelines to properly condition and stretch our players which helped decrease our lower limb injuries.

1. Stretching:  Every day we spent 20 minutes stretching starting with dynamic stretching (EX: high knees, butt kicks, walking lunges, high knee skips, knee grabs).  After a few down and backs of dynamic stretching, circle up for static stretching (EX: bend over and touch toes, hamstring stretch, pigeon stretch, butterfly stretch, groin stretch).  Resistance band stretching was next and players should be able to get deeper into each stretch by now.  Each stretch should be held for 15 seconds.  The last 2 minutes was for players to stretch any area that felt tight.
2. Agility drills:  We included a form of agility drills to warm their bodies up, such as speed ladders and cone drills to name a few.  With the ladders we would tell players to focus on their foot placement and making sure their feet were hitting each square - this causes them to not just go through drills, but focus on their foot movement and placement.  This is so valuable because where ever your feet go - your body will follow.  So if players can be in control of their feet, they can be in better control of their body.  With the cone drills - these were always short distances to practice breaking down and changing direction quickly.  Players were trained on how to have proper stance and chop their feet to prepare body for change of direction.  This is a great form of conditioning as well, but our teams always had fun doing these high energy drills.  Also include defensive slides to practice those quick changes of direction.
3. Sprints:  With women's basketball, full court sprints must be conditioned daily because that's what the sport requires.  These sprints should be consistent with your style of play.  For example if you like to press or play up tempo, a lot of sprint conditioning is needed to build endurance for this style of play.  Running a simple down and back is just not sufficient conditioning for basketball players.  Players need to run 5 or more sprints at a time.
4. Jumping and Landing on Balance:  Our belief is that rebounding is a great way to control possessions for your team.  So we taught and practiced rebounding techniques every drill of every practice.  A huge part of rebounding is jumping and landing on BALANCE!  We would practice this with basketballs, medicine balls and tennis balls by throwing the ball off the wall and having players pursue the ball with 2 hands and 2 feet.  We would practice landing on 2 feet at a time with bent knees on the balls of your feet.  One sign that players are off balance or landing too hard is how loud the landing is.  So I would always remind them - soft landing.  Bend those knees and use your whole body to absorb the landing.  

You can always e-mail us at kbjacademy@gmail.com to get a sample practice plan or season practice schedule sent to you.  We love sharing our experience to help others be successful.  You can always visit our website for free information and blog posts at kbjacademy.com. 

These are suggestions that we make based on our own experience and research.  We highly recommend that you as a player or coach would consult your doctor or athletic trainer before making any sudden changes to your normal work out routine.  Implement some of these strategies slowly and pay attention to what areas your body needs most.  

#BeBlessed

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Be sure to follow our Facebook page for live viewings of all KBJ Academy podcasts - Monday nights at 7:30 PM CST! "Coffee with KBJ" is 15 minutes of fuel to motivate you each week! #KBJAcademy

The Freedom of Forgiveness

KBJ Academy rolls out new Podcast every Monday Night for listeners called "Coffee with KBJ."  Kevin and Brenita Jackson offer an uplifting and honest dialogue for 15 minutes that will keep you engaged while also offering self reflection.  We merge our background with sports to our experience in business to give practical concepts on winning in your relationships, on your jobs and your life!

Subscribe to our channel on spreaker.com and our YouTube Channel to listen to our motivational podcast for free.  All shows are live at the following link Monday nights at 7:30 PM Central Standard Time:

Listen to "KBJ Academy's show" on Spreaker.

You can also like us on Facebook: KBJAcademy for the live viewing of each podcast.

Team Player

Are you a Team Player?  Coaches all over the world have given speeches about it or even just asked the question.  When this question is asked or this speech is heard, some players may just very well not understand what being a team player really is let alone how to go about being one. This can be the same way for other coaches on a staff.  They may simply be asking themselves, what is a team player or how to become a team player?

Let's look at what a Team Player is.  A Team Player is a person who plays or works well as a member of a team or group.  With this being said, you always have to ask yourself, "How do I work with others in a team or group environment?"   When you answer this question and your answer is that you are a team player, then that is awesome and I encourage you to keep building on that and never let up.  If your answer is that you are not or that you are not sure, then this is the time for reflection.  The world of sports and all it's concepts is one of the greatest things in my opinion that has been discovered.  Everyone that has ever played on a team, coached, or been apart of a team environment knows that to be successful as a team, everyone that is involved has to be team players.  If you struggle with this, ask yourself, "Do you give your all with what you are empowered to do as part of the team or coaching staff?  Do others around me enjoy working with me in the act of play or in the office?  Do I value my role as part of the team or staff?  Do I show everyone I interact with the respect they deserve?  Do I value other people's opinion. Do I communicate affectively?  I'm I part of the issues or part of the solutions?" 

All of these questions are very valid when doing self reflection on if you are a team player or not.  I want to give you a few key tips that can help you get better as a team player and turn your answer to the question earlier from "I'm not to I am." 

1. Always show everyone the respect that you would like people to show you.
2. Get some understanding when communication between you and some is not clear.
3. Take ownership in what you were empowered to do within your team.
4. Value your position and other people's position as well.
5. Never be part of the problem, but always strive to be part of the solution.

Working in a team environment is not always easy but you can always strive to make things easier then what they are.  I stand by the fact that on teams or staffs in sport that are full of team players, look at their success record.  It never fails that teams that suffer from lack of team players doesn't have as much success or longevity then teams that do have Team Players.

BE BLESSED and GO KBJ!
 
















 

Success Has No Age Limit

Success is attainable to you!  Don't let anybody tell you any different.  You are who God says you are and you are who you believe you are.  So listen to the things people tell you and if they do not align with who you are and who God says you are - don't receive it.  Surround yourself with people who see you for what God created you to be and know that you are better off without the others.

There is no rule that says you must wait until to a certain age to be successful.  You can be successful now - it is your mentality about it.  If you think you have to wait, then you will.  If you are open to working toward your goals with no hesitation or reservation -- then expect to succeed soon!

At the same time, you are never to old to dream, strive for your goals and succeed.  You did not miss your opportunity!  As sure as you have breathe in your lungs, then pursue your goals with determination to see them come to pass.  If you have life - you have purpose!

In our latest podcast, we discussed Success and how it all applies to all ages.  You can listen to the 15 minute motivational podcast at the following link:  https://www.spreaker.com/user/kbjacademy/success-has-no-age-limit
or on YouTube:

Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel.  Comment. Like Us.  Follow Us on Social Media!

UNITY

UNITY is one of the necessities that every person should seek in all areas of life.  It means together or joined as a whole.  Combined.  Oneness of mind.  On one accord.  In harmony!   Here is my take on unity and how it relates to different areas of life:

1. Unity in relationships requires each person to put down selfishness and embrace their partner's needs.  Each person should look for ways to uplift and elevate their loved one.  If you have been in a relationship with someone for at least a year and you look back to evaluate their input in your life, did they help you through a hardship or were they no where to be found when you needed them most? I also believe that you cannot support someone else in a time of need unless you first listen.  You cannot be so quick to talk, or offer your suggestion to fix it.  Most people in pain just want to be heard and know that someone has their back.  The person who is committed through the highs and lows of life is someone who is showing unity. Anybody who is here today am doing gone tomorrow-doesn't deserve your energy so consider who you unite yourself with.
2. Unity in teams requires each person to set aside their individual ambitions to pursue the common goals of the team.  What are the goals that the team wants to accomplish?  Without considering any individual accolades, can you truly commit yourself to giving your best effort in pursuit of reaching the goals of the team?  If not, then unity is not going to happen and winning could also be effected.  
3. Unity on jobs for employees is so crucial!  Probably one of the least discussed words in any workplace is unity but without it, your company will crumble!  I have worked for many companies that were in good and bad financial situations and the great equalizer in each company was unity being present or absent.  Unity will cause your employees to stay late to make sure deadlines are met.  Why?  Because they are not just doing it for the business to succeed alone, but because they are united with their co-workers and they understand that if this business goes under - it will impact the lives of everyone here and everyone we are connected to! 

Unity in relationships, on teams or on jobs is one in the same.  Let's view it from the large view perspective and take a step back out of the right now through a few mock scenarios that a united mindset would view on success:

"If I give my best to this team and we win a championship, although I don't desire to play college sports - I know Sean does.  Getting to that championship tournament will put him in front of the best college recruiters in the state and give him the opportunity he needs to be the first in his family to go to college.  I want to see him succeed and be great."

"If I leave early today instead of finishing my project on time, I will cause Sasha to run behind on her deadline as well.  I know she is planning a wedding so I don't want to add any additional stress on her during this season.  Let me go ahead and get this done today so we can move forward on time."

"This morning has been crazy, I got yelled at by my boss and two clients called to complain about our services.  I feel like quitting - but I cannot do that.  We have so many other clients that depend on us and I have 20 other employees that depend on me being here to do my job.  If I leave, someone else will have to pick up my work and complete it which could put everyone behind.  It could also cause them to miss out on family time because they are here at work after hours fixing a problem I caused."

"After 10 years of marriage and two children, I just feel drained.  I want to start over and start fresh with someone who gets me.  If I do that, I will cause pain to my wife, my children and all of my in-laws because now someone else will have to be there to support my family because I wasn't there for them.  I am not going to bring hurt to my family, instead I am going to bring them healing."

These are just some mock scenarios that you could be wrestling with and the bottom line is - when unity is in place, we think about our actions and how they can impact the life of someone else.  So at your next meeting, I implore you to find ways to unite your team, staff or family.  Ask them for suggestions on what would make them give more commitment and be willing to do some of the answers.  Maybe not all of them but you would be showing unity by embracing their suggestions as well.  Hope you enjoyed this read and please tell somebody you know about KBJ Academy!

#BeBlessed

Commitment

What is the lack of commitment in our society and within sports?  Some say its generational, but we cannot settle for the cause being a trend and be done with it.  After doing some research we found that 53% of Americans are not happy on their job.  Another study said that 78% of college freshman transfer.  There must be a connection from people not being happy and lack of commitment.

Leaders: If you are lacking commitment from your team or employees, then here are some suggestions to help them let their guard down to get better commitment.  

1. Give your expectations early and often - set the environment!
2. Treat your players fair and don't show favoritism.
3. Give Feedback and give them time to adjust and confidence to work on their weaknesses.
4. Verbalize and show your commitment to your players/employees.

It's not going to be a quick fix so a trip to go bowling is not the fix to building trust to get commitment.  People need to know you care about them - outside of what they do for you.  You have to show compassion outside of just when they are doing everything right.  That includes when they make mistakes.

Players or Employees:  If you feel like your authority does not have commitment to you and is making you feel uneasy then here are some steps you can take:

1. Communicate directly with your supervisor/coach about your frustrations.  Do it with all discretion and with the utmost respect.
2. Show compassion to your supervisor and give them the benefit of the doubt that they may not even realize what they are doing.
3. DO NOT EVER LET IT CHANGE YOUR WORK ETHIC OR YOUR LEVEL OF COMMITMENT!  Understand that you cannot control how people treat you, but don't let it change you from being a good person who is dependable.  Keep working hard and know that you will not always get back what you give to others.  Don't let it change you! 

You can hear the Jackson's Podcast on commitment on spreaker.com or by following this link:  https://www.spreaker.com/user/kbjacademy   

We air motivational podcasts Mondays at 7:30 pm CST on spreaker or you can like us on Facebook: KBJ Academy   to see us recording live.

  

Are You Coachable

Being coachable can be applied in so many areas of our lives on a day to day bases. Everyone has been coached by someone in some way, shape, or form at some point in their life. Whether you are a player or a coach, with that thought in mind, "Are You Coachable?" Let's look at a word like coachability. Coachability means the willingness to be corrected and to act on that correction. When we are coachable, the application of the information that we are given is where coachability is in affect. Another way to determine if you are coachable or not is your willingness to learn. A lot of players and coaches struggle with the tall task of learning. Coaches get to the point sometimes where they feel as though they have arrived and their ideas are the greatest invention to their sport and players can have one successful game and they turn off the listening switch because they reached their peak. If you get to the point where you think you can't learn anything else, you just put yourself out of the running of being coachable.

As a player or coach, how can you become coachable?
1.) Always be willing to learn and grow into what you are learning.
2.) Develop the ability to apply the information that someone gives you correctly.
3.) Get around great examples of someone that is coachable so you can always identify it when you need reminders.
4.) Practice being a great listener.

A lot of people sometimes say that being coachable is something you have or you don't but I very well believe you can develop this skill if you will just put in the effort. Michael Jordan said "My best skill was that I was coachable. I had an aggressiveness to learn." If you are a player and you are struggling with your production in your sport or if you are a coach struggling to be the best coach you can be, I encourage you to ask yourself "Are You Coachable?"

#BE BELESSED