Schedule for Upcoming Week...

Hi, all.

First, Happy Holidays to you and yours! May it be a safe, fun, happy "season" for you all!

Bummer that we couldn't get the Grandville game in yesterday, but it is what it is, right? We only worry about the stuff we can control, right? Let us always remember that through the course of the season, on and off the court! On the looooong list of things we cannot control (and therefore should spend NO energy worrying about): weather, referees, opponents, opposing fans, etc.

Here goes with the schedule for this first week of Break:

**Monday: practice 2-4 PM (MS). We'll have a warm-up, some conditioning, and then a 3 v. 3 tournament to spice things up a bit, be competitive, and have some fun!

**Tuesday: OFF…Christmas Eve

**Wednesday: OFF…Merry Christmas!

**Thursday: open gym (with Varsity separately)…HS…11-1 PM.

**Friday: practice 1-3 PM…HS.

On Monday, we'll vote for our "team theme" winner from this past week. Stay tuned for the new team theme!

Take care, all.

34-28 Win vs. W.Ottawa

Boys,

Job well done today vs. the big guys down the road. I thought we were mostly stellar on the defensive end…a huge step up from our first game vs. Hopkins…even though we gave up two more overall points than that game. Overall, our defense won today's game, in my opinion.

We can (and will) certainly get better handling ball pressure from here on out…and run more crisp offensive sets…etc…but either way, I like what I'm seeing overall!

Bring on Grandville!

See you tomorrow for 3-5 PM practice at the HS.

This Coming Week...

Hi, everyone!

Here goes with the schedule for this upcoming week. Please take note:

**Monday: practice 3-5 PM (MS)…team pics at 330 PM (at MS)…team dinner at McMahon's (6 PM)

**Tuesday: home game vs. W.Ottawa (4 PM)…be dressed and ready by 315 PM…Cam/Kaleb on JV video duty

**Wednesday: practice 3-5 PM

**Thursday: practice 3-5 PM

**Friday: game at Grandville (4 PM)…bus leaves right after school

Note: Our team theme (as mentioned this past Friday) for this coming week still revolves primarily around being physically tough at all times; that is, REBOUND!! We all need to have this mentality on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. Get after it.

 Of course, continue to always work on our themes from the past as well: communication, loose balls, and charges!

Boys, let's continue progressing individually and as a team this coming week…all the while focusing on the team principles and team goals to the left of this note.

Congrats...

…to Sawyer McMahon for his consistent "dirty work" these past couple of weeks. At the conclusion of practice today, Sawyer was nominated and voted by his teammates as alternate captain for his physical toughness (emphasis on charges and loose balls) in the recent past. Keep up the good work, Sawyer, and let's all strive for improvement in these areas!

34-26 Win vs. Hopkins….

Boys,

I thought that for the first game of the season…a win is a win…is a win…is a win. Job well done in that respect.

Now, as was mentioned in the post-game team room, we can (and will) get a heck of a lot better--handling full court pressure, attacking a zone defense, eliminating face cuts, rebounding positioning and tenacity, etc.

We'll get back to the drawing board tomorrow and keep working!

Check out the "game recaps" link below and to the left if/when interested for further game details!

Congratulations...

…to Chase Hagen and Keaton Mudd for their recent team captain selections as decided by their peers!

See the post below regarding "captain-like" characteristics that the team brainstormed the other night at our team meeting. And as I mentioned, it's great as a coach to see a LOT of individuals receive votes based on the criteria.

Continue to lead us in the right direction, you two…as well as the rest of us!

News, Thoughts, and Upcoming Schedule

Hello, all! I hope this weekend has been an overall therapeutic one?? Hang in there, and please let me (and/or the rest of the Hamilton basketball staff) know if you need anything at all!

First, here goes with the upcoming weekly schedule:

**Monday: practice 3-5 (MS East gym)

**Tuesday: no practice/no game…Mr. Hoppe's funeral/home Varsity game in the evening.

**Wednesday: home game vs. Allegan (4 PM) in MS West gym…more details to come.

**Thursday: home game vs. Hopkins (5 PM) in HS…more details to come.

**Friday: practice 3-5

Note: Our canceled team dinner is tentatively planned for next Monday, Dec. 16…same time/details…per Team McMahon's permission.

Next, take a look at the list of "team goals" to the left. The guys brainstormed and voted on these meaningful, measurable goals in our team meeting this past Friday.

Also, speaking of the team meeting, the guys also brainstormed fitting "descriptors" of what a TEAM CAPTAIN should have as part of his human skill set. Ideas like "takes charge", "has respect of others", "composed", "supportive", "personable on/off the court", "positive communicator", etc. were all brought up. As I review the anonymous nominations the guys made on paper, I'm very pleased to see that the clear majority of our 13 players at least received one captain vote! That's great news in my book. A lot of guys showcase some natural, positive leadership skills! Keep that up, everyone. And if you're lacking in any one department, make that a personal goal of yours to step it p. Oh, and captain results will be revealed in person tomorrow :)

Finally, keep in mind and continue to put into practice our team theme of TOUGHNESS (charges/loose balls)!

Take care, all! Let's get the game schedule portion of our season off to a positive start…while also focusing on the truly important things in life like loving and respecting each other!

Schedule for This Upcoming Week

Hi again, everyone. Please take note of the below schedule for this upcoming week, and please pay attention to a few minor changes.

**Monday: practice 3-5 PM (instead of 5-7 PM as previously stated)…receive uniforms...ORDER FORMS DUE!!

**Tuesday: practice 5-7 PM (Middle School East gym)

**Wednesday: practice 3-5 PM…team pictures at a time yet to be determined.

**Thursday: practice 5-7 PM

**Friday: practice 3-5 PM…team meeting from 4 to 5 PM in my classroom.

Note: stay tuned for further details coming soon regarding our first team dinner on Monday, Dec. 9 at the McMahon household!

Team "theme" for this week: TOUGHNESS.    Stay tuned for further information, and congrats again to Chase Hagen for his nomination/win as the best "communicator" thus far!