1/14
My boy Juelian Flowers (Walton High School) had been telling me about this team he was coaching that had tons of potential. "E, these girls are tough, they're skilled and we're deep. We are going to win a chip in the next year or two and build a dynasty from there", he said. "I just need you to help me get them ready on the defensive end-that's what you do E!" Today was my first encounter with the girls of South Shore. Thanks to Coach Anwar Gladden and Assistant Coach Juelian Flowers-I have the opportunity to improve the lives of these ladies both on and off the court. I don't know the ladies that well yet, but they seem like a great group. The one message that they were able to get across to me when we first met was that they needed someone that was going to be consistent. That's exactly what I intend to do!
As I proceed to pull my ladder and cones out of my equipment bag, I can sense the girls glancing over at me. Little do they know that I'm about to put them through some torture. Before we get started I stress to them that I'm here to get them better defensively-both individually and as a team. In order for them to get better physically, they have to buy in from a mental standpoint!
We mostly did a lot of conditioning (stairs, wind sprint ladders). From a defensive standpoint, we worked on defensive positioning in the half-court set. One pass away denial, two passes away help, and the proper closeout technique. My biggest concern was the lack of communication from the girls. This is so common on all levels, but I stayed on them about it. Before you know it, the intensity picked up. At the end of the day-progress is all you can ask for as a coach or trainer. I just talked to Coach Gladden and he told me that the girls prevailed over Lincoln 71-33.
Tune in next time for the next phase of the South Shore Girls Project.
trainwithericharris@gmail.com
