Geoff Golden Basketball and Lakeshore Athletic Club – Flatiron will be teaming up to offer a variety of new youth basketball programs to begin in October.  The developmental programs will be designed for all abilities and will have an emphasis on learning and improving fundamental skill while increasing basketball I.Q through game specific drills.   All sessions will begin the first week of October, 2009.

*Little Hoopsters - Never to young to learn the game! This program is designed for 5 and 6 year old athletes looking to get an introduction into the basic fundamentals of basketball while developing a love for the game.  Each session will run 45 minutes every Saturday morning at 9am beginning October 3rd.

*All-Stars - Program designed for athletes age 7 to 10. Learn the fundamentals – shooting form/technique, ballhandling, passing, offensive and defensive footwork etc.  All abilities welcome!  Each session will run 60 minutes every Saturday morning  at 10am beginning October 3rd.

*MVP’s – Program designed to teach the fundamentals of the game while increasing basketball I.Q. for athletes ages 11-14.  All abilities welcome…if you have a desire to become a better player and prepare for success at a higher level this is your program.  Each session will run 60 minutes every Wednesday night at 6pm beginning October 7th.

All programs are on a month to month basis and will run year around.  Pro rates are available if you are unable to start at the beginning of the month.  All programs will be limited to 25 athletes so sign-up up today to reserve your spot.  All registration will be conducted through Lakshore Athletic Club. 303.729.4300 or www.lsac-flatiron.com.  For more information or questions regarding program content please contact Coach Golden at 303.549.1682 or coachgolden@geoffgolden.com. 

Geoff Golden Basketball – “Preparing for Success”

Nick Noffsinger

Congratulations to Nick Noffsinger, former Legacy (CO) High School standout, who will play for Trinidad State JC this fall. 

The 5′11 guard had an oustanding senior season averaging 17.1 ppg, 4.2 reb, and 4.1 ast in leading his team to the 5A state tournament while being named First Team All-Region.  He finished his career with the Lightning as the 2nd all time leading scorer in school history. 

I have had the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time with Nick on and off the court.  He is a great kid who has earned his success through hard work, commitment to the game and his willingness to make the necessary sacrifices to develop as a player.  There are alot of athletes that talk commitment, Nick is one that actually followed through with his actions.

I look forward to my continued time with Nick as he develops into a quality college athlete.  Congrats Nick…enjoy your success, you’ve earned it!

In preparing for shooting camp a couple of weeks ago I came across some old notes that I had taken at a shooting clinic a few years back by basketball guru Dave Hopla (Washington Wizards).   As a player development coach I’m always in search of new ways to make a point or really drive a point home to athletes of all ages and abilities.  One very simple portion of the notes really stood out to me regarding what it takes to become a great shooter.   I decided to share the thoughts in my camp:

“How many of you would be interested if I could tell you how to become the world’s greatest shooter?  I have the answer for you….its actually a very simple concept that contains only two steps and anyone is capable.   So here it is….to become the world’s greatest shooter you to must (1) learn proper from and then (2)shoot more than anyone else in the world!  That’s it….there’s your answer!”

As you can imagine this doesn’t get a raving applause from a group of young athletes who are growing up in the “microwave culture” and have very little appreciation for “delayed gratification”.  They want the quick fix…the magic pill…the answer that gets results immediately.  But that isn’t how the game works…its a process to become a great shooter or player for that matter and if I can get them thinking in those terms then I think I’ve made some progress.

The bottom line is this…shooting the basketball effectively is about form and repetition.  Learning proper form at a young age is crucial as bad habits can be very difficult to correct as an athlete gets older.  Attention to detail with the feet, elbow, hand placement on the ball and follow thru are all key elements in proper development.  As I have always said with every repetition you are either forming good habits or bad habits and those habits determine your success.  With young basketball athletes a lack of strength is a very common reason for developing bad habits…adjust accordingly.  Use a smaller ball, shoot at a lower basket, stay closer to the basket when getting repetition (stay away from the 3pt line) etc. 

In terms of repetition it just comes down to the amount of quality time you are willing to put into the process.  There is no secert here…the more you shoot the basketball the better shooter you will become.  With that said its also important to note that not all repetition is equal.  Game shots at game spots at game speed are going to get much quicker results than what I like to refer to as “social shooting” that does not contain the same energy and focus.  As with all great accomplishments there is always a price to be paid…I think that is a decision each individual athlete must make on thier own.  As an athlete are you willing to make the “time” sacrifice, the “effort” sacrifice, the “social” scarifice.  There isn’t a great shooter out there that hasn’t made those sacrifices in the past to get where they are today because every great shooter follows the same path to success…form and repetition!   Shooters are made not born so if your one of those basketball athletes who are willing to learn proper form and then take the quality repetition to another level of commitment maybe…just maybe you could become the “worlds greatest shooter!”

Coach Golden