Fast Model Sports Technology

03/02/2012 1:00 PM -

This article was originally published at Words on the Bounce by Fast Model's own, Kyle Gilreath. This excerpt has been resurfaced here with permission.

It’s March and your season is over, now what? As coaches, we constantly tell our players that the Summer is where they improve their game and become better all-around players. However, sometimes we forget that we are the most important part of this equation. If we as coaches are not trying to improve ourselves, then we are not only cheating ourselves but our team and program as well. I am going to go through a few of the things we have already done with our program and then expand on them.

Team Meeting

The first thing you need to do to move on into the post-season is to meet as a team. I recommend giving your players a few days to handle the emotions of the season ending to allow them to clear their minds. This meeting should be a round table discussion. Talk to your players, get their feedback; were there elements or situations that they felt effected the outcome of the season? Were there any long-term distractions throughout the season? I think that it is important to gain their perspective as more times than not you as the coach can actually learn from your players just by listening.

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03/01/2012 3:00 PM - Every coach goes through it.

You spend months working with a group of players to mold and shape a season. Countless hours go into designing plays and drills to help the team succeed. The time spent always has ups and downs, but through it all the team becomes a family. A special group that, in its current form, ultimately has an expiration date.

Now, the final buzzer has sounded, and that date has arrived. Some arrive more dramatically than others, but with the exception of one team in any postseason tournament, its arrival is inevitable.

Your season is over.

The words hit you like a cold bucket of water, and as you walk to the locker room, you search for words to console your team with. Depending on how closely your exit from the tournament matches your expectations for the postseason, you may or may not be prepared. Usually coaches have a feel for when the time may come, but no one wants to prepare a speech for this situation.

02/17/2012 2:00 PM -

This following challenge is one we started making to our players two offseasons ago after a disappointing 9-18 campaign. Along with the challenge, we provide scheduled workout times and workout programs for players to do on their own.

For a player to become great, (or for college and professional players) the 44 minutes is not sufficient; however, if this becomes the bare minimum that everyone does on a daily basis, your program will reap the benefits. In the two seasons since implementing the challenge we have gone 24-5 and 22-6..

The 44-Minute Challenge

In life, if you want to be successful at anything you do, you must put in the time and effort to hone your skills and give yourself the confidence to perform when it counts. The more you push yourself to work - when no one is watching, on days you don’t really feel like doing it, and/or without someone prodding you - the more confidence you will gain and pride you will take in your achievements.

From now, until the day our next season begins, we are asking you to commit 44 minutes a day to basketball. Why 44 minutes, you ask? There are 1,440 minutes in every day. 44 minutes represents a mere 3% of that day and is a small investment that will pay huge dividends. Even if you take into account that the average American teenager sleeps for 9.4 hours (564 minutes), there are still 876 minutes in your conscious day, and we are only asking for 5% of that day.

02/14/2012 1:00 PM -
Many of our loyal customers have noticed drastic chnages to the section of Plays and Drills we offer on this site. Well, we are just getting started and will be posting new features and contributors every day, so check back often!

The design of these pages allows us to bring our loyal Play of the Day followers a much better experience based on feedback we have received over the past year. Some of the new perks include:

02/10/2012 6:00 PM -

02/09/2012 4:00 PM -

02/01/2012 7:00 PM -

Fast Model is excited to introduce you to our latest creation: Interactive Content Pages! We have created a section of our website that will allow you to easily navigate through our extensive library of Plays and Drills, and even choose which ones you would like to have sent to your FastDraw Library.

We are converting our Play of the Day archives now so that everyone will have access to all of the plays and drills posted during the past year.

Starting next week, we will be increasing the amount of content that gets posted daily with regular submissions from some of the brightest minds in coaching. We believe this section will quickly become the staple of your daily coaching resources. Be sure to bookmark http://content.fastmodelsports.com today!

A few other notes of interest from the Fast Model Family:

• We have redesigned the website to make navigation faster and easier.
   
• We are expanding our 'Articles' section to include feature articles, blog posts, quotes, and more!
   
• We are working closely with our friends at CoachingU Live and their exciting newsletter powered by FastDraw! The Newsletter is sent every Monday morning, and features Expert Insight, Plays of the Day, Podcasts, Videos, Book Reviews, and a section called "Twitter Talk." Don't miss another issue, sign up here to be added to the list!

Let us know how we can help your team by visiting us on Facebook or following @FastModel on Twitter.

12/01/2011 3:00 PM -

Twitter: @CoachCzes

If there is one trait that stands out in those considered the best of the coaching and teaching profession, it is passion. Watching a teacher or coach who truly loves what they are doing is both inspiring and educational. A great teacher brings out the best in those around them because their passion is contagious and creates an environment in which learning and working becomes fun for everyone.

As coaches, we must always remember that teaching is the most important part of our job, and that our passion for what we do is our greatest tool. It helps us in building relationships with players and other coaches which both enhances the impact we can have, as well as makes our job more fulfilling.

Here are 7 ways you can spread your PASSION for the game and this profession:

11/14/2011 10:00 AM -

This past Veteran's Day (11/11/11), we posted 11 Practice Ideas at 11:11am for each of the four U.S. Time Zones. We received so much positive feedback from the resulting 44 Practice Ideas, that we decided to post it here for easy reference.

With so many of our loyal customers beginning their seasons at the youth, high school, college and international levels, we have been hard at work developing and supporting products, so our coaches can stay on the cutting edge of innovation.

Producing relevant content, like the list below, is one way we try to help make the lives of our coaches a little easier. Helping coaches create high quality, advanced Scouting Reports, Team Playbooks, and Practice Plans are several more!

09/09/2011 6:00 PM - We talk to a lot of coaches here at Fast Model. It's what we do. We design tools to make coaches' lives easier. Currently, we are in the final stages of testing for our latest product, FastPlan. In researching the need for a complete team and practice management tool, we have spent a lot of our time with coaches discussing practice organization.

One thing we have found in common with coaches everywhere, is that the most often neglected area of practice is "Special Situations". Coaches agree that this is a vital area that is key to game success, but also admit that they don't spend enough time on it.

The "Special Situations" category encompasses all of the little things that become very important in close games. Having practiced these situations before you need them can often mean the difference between winning and losing. Preparation breeds confidence, and if your players feel prepared for a pressure situation, they are more likely to perform to the best of their abilities.