“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).
God directs His favor toward us, which means His will for us is abundantly good. He has already made good plans for our future even if we’ve been bad in the past.
We may forget our keys or our wallets before we leave the house but do you know what’s one thing you should NEVER forget before leaving your house? [Video and more below]
Knowing you’re deeply loved by your God.
Check out our latest video and see how knowing this truth will cause you to take on each day with a lot less fear and a lot more strength!
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THE MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP OF ALL
by Creflo Dollar |
It’s important to have happy relationships with our friends and families. Surrounding ourselves with those we love is good for our emotional well-being, and it makes life sweeter. However, there’s one connection that’s more important than any other bond we could have. A relationship with Jesus Christ enriches and enhances our lives like no other earthly relationship could ever do.
Most people know about Jesus without actually knowing Him personally; there’s a big difference between the two. Religion teaches the concepts and principles of Jesus, but stops just short of taking us where we need to be because of its limitations. Many of us have experienced personal issues in our lives, called out to God for help, and then inexplicably felt His presence all around us. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7). Jesus always comes to us when we ask for Him.
God wants a close, personal relationship with us no matter how many mistakes we’ve made. He’s always willing to accept us, flaws and all. He’ll never condemn or reject us for the things we’ve done wrong. When everyone else lets us down and turns against us, God sticks by us. “There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24, NLT).
Some people are difficult to be friends with. Their human frailties and insecurities can get in the way when we depend on them to support and stand by us in tough times. They can lose their temper, hurt us, or turn their backs on us. God will never do that. “But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15, NLT).
Some “friendships” are actually toxic relationships in disguise. These kinds of unhealthy relationships can drain us emotionally and cause us to make foolish decisions. Making friends with people who influence us negatively can cause us to go down the wrong path in life. This isn’t God’s will for us.
God cares about us so much that He’s always reaching out in love. He’s a master at working through others to get to us. When we’ve lost our way and need some redirection, He puts friends in our paths. “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense” (Proverbs 27:9, NLT). True friends don’t simply tickle our ears telling us what we want to hear, but instead speak the truth in love.
Godly friendships involve being with others who have our best interests at heart. Friends differ from casual acquaintances in that we can relax and be ourselves around our friends, knowing that they’ll still accept us when they know the real “us.” We can enjoy each others’ company in the knowledge that everyone involved benefits from the relationship. “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend” (Proverbs 27:17, NLT).
God loves us and wants to become deeply involved in our lives. He’s waiting for us to acknowledge Him and invite Him into everything we do on a daily basis. “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends” (Revelation 3:20, NLT). It’s up to us to let Him in or shut Him out.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Aubrey Dawkins scored 18 points and UCF beat East Carolina 76-65 on Sunday for its seventh straight win despite a 35-point, 20-rebound performance by freshman forward Jayden Gardner. [Video and More Below]
Gardner posted personal bests in collecting his seventh double-double. He had 17 points and 10 rebounds at halftime but the Pirates (8-8, 1-3) trailed by 12.
UCF maintained its double-figure lead most of the second half but a 3-point play by Gardner got the Pirates within six with 3:22 remaining. However, UCF's Terrell Allen scored six points in a 10-5 game-ending run.
The Knights' win streak is the program's longest since the 2010-11 team started the season 14-0. UCF has beaten ECU seven straight times.
B.J. Taylor added 14 points, Collin Smith 12 and Tacko Fall 10 for UCF, which made just 22 of 41 free throws while ECU was 14 of 24. Allen had four of UCF's 11 steals.
A large part of the game of basketball is understanding the surrounding circumstances. With this comes a time and place where pushing it in transition makes sense. However, there will be other times where it makes more sense to slow it down and set up an offense. Some teams favor getting up-and-down to score in transition, while others take a more methodical approach. This article will take a look at the both methods that strive to effectively and efficiently score the ball in transition.
Advantages
Before I get deeper into specific drills to improve your own abilities in handling and moving the ball up-court in transition, I thought it would be best to provide you with details on why and when it works. First off, it can easily produce some quick points. If the defense doesn’t get back right away, lay-up opportunities will be available. This leads me to the next advantage, which is the fact that it pressures the opposition to get back quickly. As a result, you may see more rushed shot attempts or less aggression in attacking the offensive glass: both positives for the team choosing to get out fast in transition. Lastly, it allows for more players to see court time. Due to the up-tempo nature it creates, coaches are forced to sub players in-and-out more frequently. This creates a more unifying culture and prevents any egos from forming in the locker room.
Get It to the Guards!
The most important tip for running the ball in transition is to get the ball in the hands of a guard immediately. Upon getting the defensive rebound, all forwards and centers should look to a guard as the primary ball handler. In order to so, a guard needs to hang back to provide a receiving option for the forward to pass to. It’s also important to point out that you can still run a transition offense even off a made basket. In order to implement this, coaches should designate one player to be the full-time in-bounds passer. This will speed up the overall process and ensure there are no situations where no one is there to throw in.
Ultimately, all young players must understand that if they’re a forward or center, the first order of business should be to get the ball in the hands of a guard.
Guards train to develop their ball skills to handle the rock in tight situations. For young guards, I recommend continuously working on these abilities. This video from CoachTube provides a number of incredibly helpful tutorials to learning new moves.
Practice these and make them seem second-nature!
Stay Under Control!
When younger players hear the coach talk about implementing an up-tempo, transition offensive strategy, it can be exciting. After all, you’ll get the opportunity to push it every time and likely get a few easy lay-up chances every game. However, the key is to stay under control and know when to push it. You won’t be able to play the transition game after every missed shot.
Additionally, the opposition might focus more on getting back if they get burned by the transition a couple times. With this said, if you’re the guard, you need to pick and choose times to speed it up. At the same time, when you are handling the ball in transition, keep your head up. It’s vital to constantly be gauging the surrounding circumstances and looking for passing lanes.
Also, never force it into the paint if the defense is already set up. Sometimes this will result in a pair of free throws, but more often than not it will be a charge or a careless turnover.
Know Your Lanes
I’ve already started to delve into some of the basics of playing in transition, which has included getting the ball in the hands of the guard and staying under control. The next element is for the other players to know their roles. Typically, coaches preach for the point guard to receive the outlet pass from the rebounder in the middle of the court. At this time, the other guard and small forward should be racing up the sidelines. The power forward will follow slightly behind the point guard to present yet another opportunity. Lastly, the rebounder (the center in this case, but could also very well be the power forward) will serve as the trail man. The center’s roll is to present a backup option, possibly as a pull-up three, or the emergency defense in case the transition chance goes awry. Each of the particular lanes may change based on where the players are at the time of the rebound, but the key is to fill each of those lanes. This gives the point guard the most room and options to work with.
2-on-1 and 3-on-2
A couple of the more common fast break/transition opportunities that there will be are the 2-on-1 and 3-on-2. Many coaches practice each of these a decent amount in practice, as there easy to train with and are perfect game-type situations. In this section, I’ll provide a few helpful hints that I’ve taken away from my playing and scouting experience.
2-on-1
On the 2-on-1 break, I believe it is most effective for the ball handler to take a shoot first mentality. As he or she is racing up the court, they should utilize their peripheral vision to see where and who their teammate is and where the opposition is. The reason why I say “who” is because certain players like bigs may be more adept at catching a lob rather than a pass where they have to put a dribble down. With this shoot first mentality, attack until the defender makes a decision and picks one of the two offensive players.
3-on-2
With the 3-on-2, you have to remember to keep the ball in the middle of the court. Otherwise, it becomes much easier for the defense to prevent all passing lanes. Most of the time, with these situations, I like the point guard to stop around the free throw line and make the open pass. One of the defenders will likely pick up the ball handler, while the other will choose one of the two wings. In the times where the defenders pick up both wings, go straight to the hole and either finish with a layup or a floater. At all costs, avoid overpassing, which can easily end in a turnover and missed opportunity.
Game Experience
In the end, the best way to become a more effective player in running and handling the rock in transition is to do it in actual games. Doing so will increase your confidence that you can consistently make the right reads and get the easy bucket. You’ll become more comfortable reading defenses and knowing when to push it and when to slow it down to run the offense. Transition offense can be very exciting, but while any play can look like a potential transition opportunity, not every chance is going to work out!
Pac-12 Networks' Jim Watson and Maylana Martin Douglas take a look back at Oregon State's 76-52 defeat of USC on Sunday. The Beavers' are moving to 4-0 in Pac-12 play with help from Aleah Goodman, who finished with 17 points, including 14 points in the first half and a career-high five 3-pointers on the day. [Video and More Below] Presented by CoachTube Basketball!
Coach Nicol takes you through all the best girl's basketball drills and tips to help get you ready to win come game time. Book this course....
Coach Credentials
Danielle NicolVarsity Girls' Basketball Coach at Uniondale H.S
Danielle Nicol is the varsity girl's basketball coach at Uniondale High School. In addition, she's the president of the Nassau County Girl's Basketball Coaches Association. Book this course.....
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Bowie State Bulldogs improve to 5-1 in league play (9-8 overall) after defeating the Shaw Bears 90-77 on Saturday (1/12) afternoon.
Junior Cameron Hayes led five Bowie State players with 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field and added four rebounds and two assists. Junior Rinardo Perry tallied 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field, tied for team-high assists honors with three, blocked two shots and recorded a pair of steals. Redshirt junior David Belle along with sophomore Keith Duffin, Jr. accounted for 14 points apiece and junior Juwan Smith contributed 11 points in the teams’ fourth straight win. Junior Saiquan Jamison hauled down a game-high 17 rebounds.
The Bulldogs dominated on the glass, holding a 44-18 rebound advantage, outscored the Bears 34-26 in the paint, had 20, second chance points compared to just two for Shaw and Bowie State’s bench outscored Shaw’s bench 34-23.
In a very tight first half that featured five ties, Bowie State led the majority of the first 20 minutes of action and carried a 42-38 lead into halftime.
Bowie State pushed its lead to double digits (56-46) at the 12:32 mark of the second half but Shaw was able to close the gap down to six at 64-58 with just over nine minutes to go. Fortunately, the Bulldogs put together a 12-3 run over the next four minutes to stretch the lead to 78-61 and never allowed the Bears any closer than 10 for the remainder of the contest.
The Bulldogs shot 57 percent from the field (16-of-28) in the second half and stuck all 14 of its free throws in the final 20 minutes.
The Shaw Bears (5-9, 1-5 CIAA) were led Amir Hinton with a game-high 34 points (21 in the first half) on 9-of-15 from the field and 14-of-15 at the charity stripe. Hinton was Shaw’s top rebounder with four and he tied for game-high assist honors with four. Joining Hinton in double figure scoring were Phillip Garner and Geremy Taylor with 16 and 15 points respectively.
Shaw shot well in the second half as well, hitting 14-of-24 from the field (58 percent), which included 6-of-12 beyond the 3-point line.
The Bulldogs wrap up its three-game CIAA Southern Division road swing on Monday (1/14), making a stop at Fayetteville (N.C.) State for a 7:30 p.m. tip time.
Official Basketball Box Score
Bowie State vs Shaw
1/12/19 4:00 pm at Raleigh, NC -- C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium
Basketball is a very simple game. However, many coaches fall into patterns that make it complicated for their players. Discover the three factors that separate teams that win from teams that don't.
Teaching Fundamental Basketball Skills presents an overview of the ways in which a coach can develop stronger players that is easy to understand and apply. In step-by-step detail, this instructional video course explains and demonstrates how to teach the techniques and fundamentals integral to winning games.
Sherri CoaleHead women’s basketball coach at the University of Oklahoma
Sherri Coale is the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Oklahoma, a position she assumed in 1996. Her impressive tenure at the helm of the Sooners’ program has produced a 132-85 (.608) record in seven seasons and five post-season tournament appearances. A 1987 summa cum laude graduate of Oklahoma Christian College, Coale began her coaching career as the head coach at Norman (OK) High School. Taking over a declining girl’s basketball program, she led her Norman teams to a 147-40 record in seven seasons, including a 53-2 mark over the last two years. Widely regarded as one of the top young coaches in the game, Coale’s coaching efforts have earned her numerous honors, including being named Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year twice (2000 and 2001). Book This Course......
Wisconsin's Beau Breske and Penn State's Bo Nickal meet in the 197-pound match. [Video and More Below]
More top-ranked Big Ten wrestling matches uploaded throughout the week. To watch every match from your favorite Big Ten wrestling team,check out BTN Plus Presented byCoachTube Wrestling!
There are a few key concepts and moves every wrestler must know to be successful. Coach Carlos Esposito is here to give you that foundation with Basics and Key Moves In Wrestling. Takedowns, offense and basic stances are just a few of the key concepts covered in this instructional course. Give your wrestlers the head start they need with step-by-step instructional videos every coach can learn from and adopt into their philosophy. Book this course......
Coach Credentials
Dave EspositoHead Wrestling Coach at the Edge School of Wrestling
Dave is the Head Wrestling Coach at the Edge School of Wrestling in Hoboken and the Hoboken PAL Youth Wrestling Team. He has been involved in wrestling for 25 years. He wrestled at Lehigh University where he received his B.S. in Marketing and was an Assistant Wrestling Coach at Columbia University where he received his Master’s degree in Communication and Education.
Among his accomplishments as a college and high school wrestler and coach include: NCAA Division 1 Finalist, NCAA Division 1 3rd place finish, 2 Time EIWA Champion, 105 Career Victories, University Nationals Finalist, Ranked 5th on US Open Level, Lehigh University Male Athlete of the Year 2001, 3 Time NJ State place finisher, Coached NCAA Division 1 Champions, Coached NCAA Division 1 All-Americans, Coached NJ State Champions and Placers. Book this course.....
Here is your chance to learn the legendary Pistol Offense as popularized by Coach Mike D’Antoni and now used by the majority of NBA teams. Los Angeles Clippers Assistant Coach Dave Severns teaches and explains with on-court demonstrations how the offense uses with flow and pace get quality shots early on. The great spacing allows for drives to the basket and the pick and roll actions provide interior scoring options as well as great 3 point opportunities. This is an offense that can be utilized at every level of the game! Book This Course.....
Coach Credentials
Dave SevernsLA Clipper Director of Player Development
Dave Severns is the Director of Player Development with the LA Clippers. Prior to joining the Clippers Coach Severns spent two years on Del Negro's staff with the Chicago Bulls as Assistant Coach for Player Development. Severns spent 13 years in player development with Nike, working with college players at the All-American Camp, All-Asia Camp, Jordan Flight School, Nike Skills Academies, as well as an assistant at the college level spending time coaching under Jerry Tarkanian at Fresno State. Prior to his time at the collegiate level, Severns spent 12 years as a high school coach in California. He has a Bachelor's and a Master's Degree from California State University-Chico. Book this course......
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