Mo’ Motion Hoops is heading to the Hamptons this summer.  We’re currently working on setting up workouts at indoor and outdoor gyms Aug. 13-Aug. 24.  If you are interested in joining a workout or setting up a group, please email Coach Ryan – ryan@momotion.org.  More details will be announced soon.

Camp Motion is set up for Year 2 – June 7 & 8 and June 11-15.

June 7 & 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Upper East/Upper West pickup and dropoff points – $200

June 11-15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Upper East/Upper West pickup and dropoff points. – $550

June 18-22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Upper East/Upper West pickup and dropoff points – $550

Boys Only Camp – Grades 6-8.  Boys will bring lunch and/or lunch money every day.
Details on outdoor courts and daily itinerary to be announced soon.  See photos below from last year’s events.

CLICK HERE to register for June 7&8 and/or June 11-15 CAMP MOTION 2012.

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“My child is a very talented basketball player.  He/She wants to play travel and another program has offered my child a spot on the their travel team.  We heard great things about your program so I wanted to find out more.  Do you have travel?”

“What grade is your child?”

“Third grade.”

What was I doing in third grade?  Playing with my friends, going to an all-sports camp, playing pick-up in the driveway with my brothers and his friends, going to my brother’s practice and jumping into drills and games whenever my dad (my brother’s coach) needed an extra body, assuming my homework was done.

The same is true for all of Motion staff, including all those who played college and professional basketball.

Last spring one of my most entertaining phone calls was when a mom called up and said, “We’ve heard really good things about your program.  We’re looking for the right team – do your teams travel?”

“Sure, we travel – up to Harlem sometimes, and across town and down the street to our gyms in our neighborhoods.”

“Well we want travel – real travel – with a lot of games.  My son loves basketball – all he thinks about is basketball.  He has so much potential.”

“How do you know?” I asked.

“Well, everyone tells me.”

“Who tells you this?”

“Look, I’m not saying he’s going to play in the NBA, but he’ll definitely play in college.”

I wasn’t sure if I heard her right — maybe her child was in high school?  An all-state player?

“What grade is he in?”

“Fifth.”

Fifth grade?

“How can you be so sure?”  I asked.

The mom fired back up, asking about our program and I harped on the teaching and practice hours and also the fact that DNA and genes and aggression (see all articles below) play a major role in a basketball player’s current and future career.   I asked if either parent played college sports.

“No, but we played high school.”

“Just out of curiosity, how tall are you and your husband?”

“I’m about 5’8 and my husband is 6′ 1″.”

I mentioned that I did play college ball in a Top 25 program (and did not say that I played against many pro and Olympic players at the Olympic training facility–just in case they don’t know a) where Northwestern is and 2) that Northwestern is in the Big Ten).

But my opinion didn’t matter.

Maybe I’m too old or I wasn’t that good, or I’m just a female – female ex-college and pro basketball players don’t work as men hard, they’re not strong enough, and they basically don’t know what they’re talking about.

When I get these calls from parents who make these predictions or from parents who ask me to make predictions about their child’s ability, I say to myself I’ve got to put together that list of articles so the parents can read what they don’t want to hear from me.

Below is a list of articles that are good reads.  The only one that is missing is the one in the NY Times that reported on a study of WHY KIDS PLAY.  The study revealed that kids grades K-8 play sports for three main reasons – TO HAVE FUN, TO BE WITH THEIR FRIENDS, TO LEARN AND IMPROVE (and ultimately feel better about themselves).  Nowhere in the study did the kids play sports to 1) WIN or 2) FULFILL THEIR PARENTS TOTALLY INSANE PREDICTIONS.  Winning didn’t even appear in the top 10 reasons why they play.  (There’s nothing more to take away from that article, which I remind myself of all the time, particularly when I feel like I’m being too intense and demanding.)

The articles back on our rule of thumb, even for our grade 7-8 advanced players in our Motion X program (games year-round in moderation — read here for the blog about the thought-process behind X).

The rule is this:  the talent is practice, the practice is talent.  The proof?  College and high school teams play during the WINTER only (the rest of the year they’re training individually and as a team and in pickup and summer leagues).  These athletes spend 3 weeks of practice 6 days a week – 20 hours per week – practicing for their first game.   So the ratio of practice hours to game hours is about 60 hours for their first 2 hour game or fairly close.

Over course of the season, in thick of Big Ten basketball – January-February when coaches must lighten up — we practiced about 3 days for our Friday game, then practice on Saturday before our Sunday game.  Monday off.  Practice hours about 10-12 – lighter during season not counting weights and video tape sessions.  Game hours during season = 4 to 5 max.  Ratio:  12:4

Why are so many teams and programs making grade 3, 4 and 5 kids play in more game hours than practice hours?  Why aren’t they constantly assessing their practice hours: game hours ratio?  Why are parents not seeing their kids repeating the same mistakes and not improving as much as players who are following this mantra:  ”Make practice your masterpiece.”  (John Wooden)

For now, here are a few good reads that support Motion’s approach and philosophy.

 HOW TO RAISE A SUPERSTAR … The 10,000 hour rule has become a cliche. This is the idea, first espoused by K. Anders Ericsson, a pyschologist at Florida State University, that it takes about 10,000 hours of practice before any individual can become an expert. The corollary of this rule is that that differences in talent reflect differences in the amount and style of practice, and not differences in innate ability.

THE RAW INTENSITY OF NEW YORK’S ELITE BASKETBALL…(Note:  Make sure you read far into into this long piece until you read what the experts are saying on game hours vs. practice hours, particularly as they pertain to shooting the ball properly and effectively over time – basically all those game hours are eating up practice hours and kids are making the same mistakes over and over in games instead of fixing them through rote practice routines.)

PARENTS DRIVING COACHES AWAY FROM THE GAME

WHAT MAKES A NIGHTMARE SPORTS PARENT

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES MY CHILD WILL GET A SPORTS SCHOLARSHIP TO COLLEGE?

7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SPORTS SCHOLARSHIPS

HOW MY DAUGHTER GOT INTO SMITH COLLEGE

Mo’ Motion is offering positions for high school and college students to earn internship and community service credit this spring through July.  Commitments can range from volunteers contributing a set amount of hours up to a full May-July internship.

Applicants can specify how they’d like to spend their hours by choosing from the following options:

•  Coaching – Saturday/Sunday in Spring/June and/or in our June 11-15 and June 18-22 camps

•  Administrative support – In Mo’ Motion’s office and/or on site at our June camps

•  Video Editing - Mo’ Motion short instructional videos and highlights

•  Social Networking and Research Support

Anyone interested should email Maureen Holohan (mo at momotion.org) and include a full resume plus a paragraph on your basketball playing and coaching experience as well as the details of your commitment.

Last year, Daire Guilfoyle (Dublin, Ireland) spent her summer in NYC as Mo’ Motion’s first intern.  Here’s a shot of Daire in action during our Motion Early June Outdoor Camp.