sheCANball Apparel Coming Soon!

Do you know a young girl who has truly shown the potential to be a great basketball player?  Do you know a star MVP player on your team who has showcased leadership qualities both on the court and off the court? Do you know a player who should be rewarded for improving a certain skill? Do you know a player who should be recognized as a player?  Our New Apparel Line is the perfect gift for ANY basketball player.

We're excited to share our new Apparel for sheCANball. These Apparel items will feature our sheCANball logo with a basketball emphasis for Basketball season! Our Apparel store will Launch soon! We will release the date during our next blog! Be on the look out for a secret code word for a special deal on our Apparel.

sheCANball T-shirts, Hoodies, Crew Necks, Tank Tops and more are perfect gifts for

Young girl basketball players, junior high school players, girl high school basketball players, Womens Leagues basketball players,  Most improved awards, Most Valuable Player Awards, Player of the Week Awards, All Team Awards, Participation Prizes, Tournament Prizes, League Prizes, Championship Prizes, Christmas Gifts, Birthday Gifts, Graduation Gifts, Encouragement Gifts, Holiday Gifts and many more reasons to give a girl a shirt that shows the world that sheCANball. It's fun and exciting to give!

Im excited and cant wait till the next time... keep ballin girl, the games not over yet! Coach Sykes sheCANball.com

It's Basketball Season!

It's officially Basketball Season! Teams across the land are now able to practice, train, and play scrimmages or pre-season games and regular season games. The NBA has set the tone as the WNBA starts in May, yet Junior High Schools,  High Schools, Junior Colleges, Universities and most Euro leagues begin in the fall. It's an exciting time of year as many have gone through the steps of getting to this point. Whether it was condition, trying out, working on mistakes, building grades or simply making it to the next round the season is here and if you made it, Great! If not don''t quit keep practicing and try again next year.

Okay so you have turned in your physical, you have officially made the team, you have a minimum of a 2.0 gpa, and you can now focus on a new venture. OFFICIAL PRACTICE. Practice now has a different tone. You are learning plays, new drills, and learning game situations. You probably have played some 5 on 5 before but now you are learning the coaches way of leading your team to winning some games, if not all.

This is the time you find out where you fit on the team and how the coaching staff will utilize you. This is the time where you ask questions, step up and be involved in drills, go hard, and work towards getting a chance to play in a game this season. This is the time that coaches look at your attitude, your improvement and your skill development for your position. Here are a few tips that will help you get on the court this season.

1. Practice like you're in a real game. You want to go hard in practice so that playing in a game is simple not matter the competition level. If you are lazy in practice it will show in your games and the struggles you may run into. If you set your mind to play like your playing against the toughest teams or players you will not only make yourself better but your teammates better as well.

2. First in Last Out. Begin coming to practice earlier and be on the floor shooting, warming up, stretching, jump roping etc to get. You don't want to rush into practice without warming up, working on things on your own and just getting the mindset early to have a great practice.  The same with rushing in, you don't want to be the first person rushing out the door. Stay a while longer, shoot around some more, go over in your head or even with your coach or teammates what you just learned in practice. There is nothing better than extra practice and If all your doing is running home to watch some tv then you need to rethink your commitment to becoming a better athlete.

3. Have leader qualities. If you showcase qualities of being a leader your coaching staff and teammates will recognize that and will be in your best interest to have you on the court because you are a motivator, work hard, and push your teammates to be better. Please take note that I am not trying to get you to be "better"than anyone or "bossy". I mean reminding your teammates to not talk while the coach is talking, or clapping for all your teammates, saying "Great Job ladies"and being a vocal presence on the court. Work hard in all the drills, hustle, hustle hustle ( Coaches really love hustlers! )

4. Have FUN!! Through this all you want to enjoy the game. Have fun! Give your teammates high fives, smile, be happy even while losing encourage your teammates to keep trying down to the last second. People will recognize our enthusiasm and support for your team.

These tips are just a few ways to get your coaching staff and teammates to notice your excitement for the game and it will become contagious. It's time to play ball and you can work your positive magic and enjoy this beautiful game of basketball.

Have a comment? Leave one below!
Im excited and cant wait till the next time... keep ballin girl, the games not over yet! Coach Sykes sheCANball.com

My teammate wont pass me the ball!

Are you having an issue with your teammates passing the ball to you. Do they look your direction and give a turn away and pass the ball to someone else? 

This could be because your teammate is either a ball hog or doesn't trust you on the court. Id like to say its a trust issue. Are you involved in practice? Do you call for the ball when you are open? Does your coach realize what is going on? If not then you need to look at a few things before you become upset. 

#1  Communication is key. If you ever feel neglected on the court then you need to speak up. If you feel that you have been practicing on your game and you're confident enough to handle the ball whether its to dribble drive, shoot, or pass to another teammate then  you need to speak with you coach about the chemistry on the team . 

Sometimes athletes whoa re a little more seasoned feel they have the need to have total control over the basketball. But it is fact that you NEED 5 players on the court and as a team everyone should be able to touch the ball at least once. 

If your coach felt confident enough to put you int he game, then you certainly deserve a chance. If you are silent and hang your head low then you are heading in the wrong direction. While in practice you must learn to call for the ball with confidence and let your teammates know that you are ready and available to handle that ball. Dont be afraid to speak up.  You never know, maybe they just think you dont want to be too involved. 

Talk to your teammate who you think might be over looking you. Let them know that you can do it and that you are ready to play in this great game of basketball with them. After time they will see that they can trust you and will knowledge you more often on the court. 

If its a team chemistry issue then your coaching staff most certainly needs to recognize that there is an issue with sharing the ball on the court. Even if you have superstars on your team if you belong on the team, t hen you deserve to be apart of the game. 

I personally have always loved to pass and get my teammates involved and as a coach I am sure to remind my players to pass the ball around so that the defense moves and we can get a good easy shot versus one person throwing up a crazy shot because they feel they are better than their other teammates. Its really difficult to have good team chemistry if the ball is rotated and touched by every player, even the post. 

I cant stress it enough how important it is to communicate with your team and your coaching staff. Speaking up will work wonders for you and your team. So get out there, open your mouth and be ready when its your turn to touch the ball. Stay focused, pay attention in practice, stay active and involved and volunteer yourself when the coach asks for players to step on the court.

Wishing you the best of Luck as always!!

GET YOUR BALL ON GIRL!! 

CAUSE SHECANBALL!! 

My Coach is Picking on Me!

Have you ever had the notion that your coach was picking on you, yelled at you more than your other teammates, had to run extra for no apparent reason or picked you out of the bunch to demonstrate but it makes you feel like they are attacking you? Well I have a secret, they aren't.

If a coach is paying extra attention to you, it is highly likely that they see something in you that you don't. They also want to make you a coachable player, meaning you most likely have a certain type of attitude towards the team, coach or even yourself that reflects that you don't have the time or capacity to listen  to or believe in anyone. Most coaches used to be players and they know what it takes to make it to the next level. They generally want to push you to your maximum limit and train you to be prepared for the best. 

I remember a time when I despised my coach. I felt like she always want to make an example out of me, or make me feel like I was being punished for not being as good as my teammates. After time, alot more ups and downs with not only my coaching staff, teammates but myself as well, I began to understand that my coach was only trying to get me to stop being so negative, clear my head and focus on basketball, especially when I am on the court.

A poor attitude will definitely get you extra attention and often times its not going to be good attention. If you focus that negative attitude into positive and keep your head up after a missed shot, or run the extra suicide because your coach knows you CAN! Never limit yourself, always know that you WILL get better, especially after lots and lots of practice. Here are a few things to remember.

• Your attitude = your attention - a positive attitude will bring positive attention
• Everyone misses shots- Never get down on yourself for that ever!
• Hustle changes your game-  Every coach appreciates a player who hustles. 
• Focus on listening and learning-  Trust me, YOU DO NOT KNOW EVERYTHING. Listen and learn. 

How to Handle a Loss

Throughout my career as a basketball player there was one thing that I totally hated. LOSING. At one point in time I focused more on losing than having fun, playing hard and enjoying the game of basketball. I would cry and scream and be angry with my parents, teachers, coaches, teammates and even my young siblings. I would say it runs in the family, this hating to lose thing, because my mother is one to tell you " Don't lose to night or you wont eat". Sure she was joking, slightly, but that mentality can really make your game pretty sour.
Look, BASKETBALL IS A GAME.
DEFINITION OF GAME:

game/gām/

Noun:

A form of play or sport, esp. a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck.

And it should be played as such, especially at high school levels. I do understand that winning maybe spoken about often during practice and in the locker room before a game, but winning or losing is not the most important thing in the world, or even in basketball. Having fun and enjoying yourself is most important. Learning new skills, meeting new people, and of course crossing someone over so clean, because you, YES YOU have been working on your game!

Remember, there will always be a winning team, and a losing team. GUARANTEED. And the most talented teams don't ALWAYS win games, but when you look at those teams that do usually win often, they have a different mind frame as a unit. They all want to reach a certain goal, eg. winning more games than losing, winning the league championship or even TAKING IT ALL HOME! The more you play, the better you will get and the better you get at losing, learning from it, and understanding how and why it happened, of course without ever pointing a finger, you will notice that the winner inside you was already there!

great quotes from quotationbooks.com

"Giving yourself permission to lose guarantees a loss."

Riley, Pat

"You have no choices about how you lose, but you do have a choice about how you come back and prepare to win again."

Riley, Pat

"The minute you start talking about what your going to do if you lose, you have lost."

Shultz, George

Getting off the Bench

Have you ever sat on the bench during a game, hoping you get selected to get in the game but your left feeling incapable, not as good as your other teammates or your coach just HATES you? Do you pout, huff and puff or roll your eyes if you only get to play in the last 2 minutes of the game?

STOP IT!! :-/

If you display negative attitudes on the bench, then what do you think your coach will think you will do on the court? If you practice hard and stay motivated your time will come. You have to remember basketball has strategies, and if you lack certain skills that may keep you on the bench for another year, or maybe even two. But REMEMBER! YOU ARE STILL ON THE TEAM. There are so many who would be honored just to get that status, so chill out for a minute and consider these tips to help you get noticed more in practice, and even on the bench and your coach just might call on YOU! So BE READY!!

P.A.C.K.S

1. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. You must schedule a personal workout that involves improving on the skills you lack in the most. Whether it be defensive or offensive skills, you need to work on these types of things on your own time as well as regular practice with your teammates. 

2. ATTITUDE. Your attitude = your Altitude, never forget that. If you miss a shot and you frown and move slowly on defense or do not follow your shot, that is displaying a poor attitude not only towards your coaches, but also towards your teammates, the opposing team, the refs, the scorekeepers , your parents and your fans. Who cares if you missed a shot, hustle back on defense, focus on getting the ball back and try, try again. YOU CAN DO IT! :)

3. COMMUNICATE. Talk to your coaching staff | Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Position coach, to see what you need to improve on, or simply ask what more can you do to get more playing time. Most coaches have an open door policy and encourage student athletes to engage in forms of communication that will help them improve.

4. KNOWLEDGE. Enlighten yourself. Do you know your coaches philosophy? Do you know what your coaches are looking for? Do you know ALL the rules to the game of basketball? Pick up a book on basketball rules, and practice what you have learned. Are you familiar with all the plays or at least most? If not work with a teammate or two, or three or 10 and get those amazing plays your coach has for your squad down pact! Watch the greatest and learn the game from them! Watch some WNBA, NBA, College to see how things REALLY should be done and try to apply the effort everyday. You cant learn everything about basketball over night. Remember its 90% mental and 10% physical so work on your mental game too! That includes Knowledge!

5. STAY POSITIVE. This may tie in with Attitude, but there is a slight difference. I cant stress enough the importance of staying positive in practice, in games and in life general. No one wants to be around a negative minded person. If you are on the bench, cheer for your teammates, smile and enjoy being at the game. In practice be more vocal and give 110 % of your physical abilities  The coaching staff will notice your effort and will remember you when it comes time to playing in the game. 

The 6TH WO(MAN)

Too many players in the Junior High, High Shcool and Collegiate level are concerned with Starting a game. Sure it shows that you have been selected by your coach as a star player, or someone who can get things going while others await the game. But there always, always , always must be a player off the bench who can continue the momentum on the court. That person is usually coined the Sixth (Wo)Man.

The Sixth Man is the key player to many coaches strategies as the star players, or starters will need a rest for a few minutes. The Sixth man is the player who takes on the challenge, has no issues coming off the bench, stays focused on the game so that when its their turn, there is no great difference between the star players and the bench players.

If you find yourself coming off the bench and able to average 15 to 20 minutes per game then you should take pride in the fact that your coaching staff and team has trusted you to take the wheel and keep the ball rolling! Dont be upset, be proud that you have been selected to take on such an important role inn this beautiful game of basketball. Remember, Everyone on the team is important, not just the scorers. Everyone!