South County Spartans!

 Coach Greg Haskell
Website gshaskell.com/southcountyspartans
Email gshaskell@cox.net

Vision- What is a South County Spartan?

*Courageous in the face of adversity, danger, hardship etc…

*Very self-disciplined or self-restricted. WE NEVER QUIT!

This is a truly hardcore hoops program for those that want to become excellent basketball players! This is for some but not for everyone! It is for those that TRULY want to be the very best they can be! "THE WILL TO WIN IS OVERRATED BECAUSE EVERYONE WANTS TO WIN, BUT THE WILL TO PREPARE SEPARATES THE WINNERS FROM THE LOSERS". VERY FEW ARE WILLING TO DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO BE THEIR VERY BEST! ONE MUST PREPARE FOR A HIGH LEVEL OF SUCCESS! This is an elite force! We will improve individual skills at game speed and in adverse conditions (very competitive culture ), so that an athlete can better compete at the higher levels of basketball. Most every drill will involve competition. Often we will compete against teams that are older, longer, stronger, and faster, in the AAU circuit.

About me (Disclosure) - I have coached as both a head high school and college assistant. In recent years I have coached at the youth level. I've been part of many successful teams and a few teams that were limited but in most cases still made me very proud to coach. I was blessed as a young coach to spend months watching great coaches run their practices i.e. Bobby Knight ( Indiana University ) and Boyd Grant ( Fresno State University ). I know and love the game more than most but have little or no interest in the politics, fund raising, etc.., that go with coaching at those levels. My role is to help build players that coaches want! Coaches want players that can make plays. I love developing players and complete truth (feedback) is my gift to you, perhaps also my curse? The eggs must be cracked to make a good omelet. It is the only way to make players tougher ( mentally and physically ), and more skilled than they ever thought they could be. Basketball is also a game of roles where players might ultimately expand their roles i.e. scorer, distributor, screener, etc.., but also need to understand how to play to strengths and hide weaknesses. In order to do this there can be no personal monetary gain involved (I work for free, but can get priceless results!). There is purity to this process that will not allow me to take any money. Freely I have been given and so freely I choose to give. Not judging those that do, but I can't do my best work if money is involved. It is simply a passion of the heart and mind. Fees are very basic and only used to cover reversible uniforms, tournament fees, and insurance. My payoff is simply watching the people that persevere truly improve! The secret to success in anything is dedication and perseverance!

We will work in conjunction with Triple Threat Basketball (in my opinion great basketball club for the money- I volunteer/ coach and have my sons receive excellent instruction from the various coaches) so schedules will not conflict. This is a supplemental basketball program that will help athletes go above and beyond. FACT! TO BE AN ELITE BASKETBALL PLAYER ONE HAS TO PLAY FOCUSED and CONCENTRATED FOR A MINIMUM 15-20 HRS. PER WEEK UTILIZING PROPER FORM, FUNDAMENTALS, TECHNIQUE, etc..AT GAME SPEEDS.

Malcolm Gladwell- Author of "Ten Thousand Hours"

Gladwell cites all sorts of really bright, well-educated and naturally talented folks who never made it. The premise is that those that grind can overcome great talent.

Gladwell really gets on track when he suggests that cognitively complex pursuits require ten thousand hours to get good. Drawing on a supply of examples, the rule seems to go for champion chess players, classical music composers, brain surgeons, top hockey players and fine artists. We're talking fine artists here; those who more or less know what they're doing.

"Success has to do with deliberate practice," says Gladwell. "Practice must be focused , determined , and in an environment where there's (honest) feedback." Further, the penchant for study, reflection, application and hard work is often propelled by obsession. One has to have concentrated workouts most everyday over a period of years to accomplish true excellence! While obsessive behavior may be an antisocial plague to societies and communities at large, it's total moxie when lone practitioners catch it . In other words, this is how one becomes great at something!