Not that often does that certain athlete come along whom doesn’t say much, but their actions speak louder than words. This best describes Manute Bol. When I first met him in 1985 he was with the Washington Bullets, and the first thing he said to me was “I will block your shot before tip-off”, I started laughing! No one had ever said that to me before, and then he gave me a humbling smile, and me, being cocky in my 2nd year in the NBA, quickly said, “I don’t think so”, and the battle was on!
As I got to know you over the next 6 years I realized you didn’t say very much, but one word from you spoke volumes. We laughed a lot during your time in Golden State, and this is when I realized that you were a good guy. One who put others before himself, and tried to make a difference in the world through your humanitarian efforts and activism. The people of Sudan and the world will have one less bright light in the sky tonight. You casted up millions into the sky and they too are twinkling because of your humanitarian efforts. Thank you my tall African brother. I will miss you. May God be with your family and put a hedge of protection around them until they see you again. Though you have laid your spear and shield down for the final time, you are still standing tall in our hearts and mind!
Oh, by the way, you were right, you can block a 20-foot jump shot standing 10 feet away. I still laugh about that today and tell the story to my kids. Rest well my friend.
5/25/10: Is it Me or the Coach?
Parents, while this might seem like only a question for you, in essence it is one for both the parent and the player. Do I have to like the coach? As our student athletes stay in the world of sports, and through childhood, you both at some time will play for a coach that you or your child might not like. Lets talk about that!
It is so commonplace today with young athletes or their parents not liking the coach. When you don’t get along conventional wisdom teaches me to give it time, and after that with no resolve, you first try and figure out where the real problem is. If your child really is unhappy try and coach them through the situation. Adversity, as I have learned in my life, is a great teacher. Seek an objective solution between you or your young athlete displeasure with the coach try and give him or her the benefit of the doubt, after all it is extremely difficult trying to mesh and mold 10, 15, maybe even 20 young minds together in a short period of time and that is not always easy especially with expectations that the both of you have in sports.
If after awhile, there is no positive result, and your child is a teenager, I recommend he or she speaks to the coach after a practice, not before, during, or after a game. Emotions are to high, and we usually say things in the heat of the moment. If your child is a pre-teen I recommend you ask to talk with the coach before or after practice during the week. My policy is never talk to the coach after a competition as to many emotions are flying around unchecked, though you may feel better in the moment if you go off on him or her, in the end you will regret it and only end up looking like a disgruntled parent, not good! When you do get that talk in with the coach, act as though you are a diplomat representing a country, be kind, respectful, and to the point. Ask how your student athlete could get more playing time or action in the game. Can he or she show up early or stay late to get better. Let him or her know I am willing to work with you to solve this problem.
Keep your conversations few and far with the coach about this subject, don’t appear to be a over zealous parent who’s only interested in what they can get out of it for their child only. Do not bring up other children on the team, stick to your issues with your child. See the big picture, this tough season will only strengthen your child’s mental toughness. Don’t be afraid to let them grind things out. If this fails at the end of the season make a decision to change teams. Don’t be a team hopper or a pot stirrer. Don’t carry your problem through the team; it’s yours to deal with, and yours alone. Stay positive, and have other coaches or qualified individuals help you assess the situation, especially if you didn’t play the sport at the highest level. Once again an objective opinion will serve you well.
In closing, my policy in our house is you can play any sport you want, you just can’t quit during the season, and you never ditch practice. Motivate your child to see things through perseverance, it is an awesome ally, and hard work always pays off. You don’t have to like the coach your child is playing for, if it’s that bad and irreconcilable, just change teams at the end of the season. There are those cases where a change must be made during the season, but rarely should that happen, and if it does happen great thought should be put into it, and not based on emotion!
“Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself”
John Wooden 1910
11/5/09: Why Sports and Academics
Which came first, sports or academics or is it easier to answer the chicken or the egg? A reasonable question today, considering how athletes are so quick to abandon their education for the playing fields and arenas… Do I agree in some cases, at a certain age yes. But isn’t our objective one day to own a business and make enough money to live comfortably on? But even I draw the line somewhere. Let’s investigate.
Case in point: 16-year-old high school basketball player in San Diego recently decided to pass up on his senior year to pursue a basketball career, said it was for hardship reasons. Is this right or wrong? Now, you may say Bill Gates the founder and CEO of Microsoft, and one of the richest men in the world today, dropped out of college; is college and high school a reasonable comparison? I am willing to bet that Bill Gates IQ level was a lot higher in college than in high school. This kid from San Diego who dropped out of high school, but is that the difference maker or is there something else like chance or happenstance? Can you pursue just sports in life with no thought to academic presence and come out ok? Is this a legitimate goal in life?
Of course not. Academics and sports have always shared a marriage, whether we admit it or not, that pre dates back to early Roman Empire and even further back to the Mayan civilazation of the Yucatan. Algebraic and geometric principle have always existed in sports. Those who have a basic understanding fare much better to level the playing field for lack of talent, size, or strength. There are geometric principles in basketball that can help you master the angles and shot trajectory. The game itself is played with in numbers, the size of the court is 94x50, the hoop is 10ft high, the free throw line is 15ft, the hoops diameter is 18 inches, and the basketball is 9 inches in diameter. As you can see we have a very real algebraic and geometric relationship here on the court, the relationship of shot trajectory completes the equation. Ok, now I’m getting in over my head!
In conclusion, sports and academics co-exist and must co-exist in our young athletes thinking there is way more to life than just sports I have found out since my 15 year NBA career concluded. There is an IQ that is prevalent in all sports and it transcends the sports world into marriage, family and business that will last a lifetime. Encourage athletes to seek and acquire these basic principles in relation to their own sports as an exercise while they are young! Oh, by the way the high school kid is struggling and almost broke playing basketball in the war torn Middle East, and Bill Gates, well you know his story!
E=MC2
7/17/09: Summer Time
Parents, it’s summer time, a time for kids and young athletes to have fun, relax, and step away from their sports. For everything there is a time and a season, a time to weep, a time to laugh, a time of war, a time of peace, a time to break down, and a time to build up. Summer is the perfect time to build up.
This is where you are to be the most careful with your children, they are having more unsupervised time now more than any other time in the year. The most important thing for you to consider is how productive or unproductive will that time be. First, let’s start with the athletes, they need an off season or down time pretty much the same way summer break from school signifies an end to homework, exams, and the daily routine of getting up for school. This concept of off season started for me back in high school when my coach made all of us, at the end of the school year, take a 2-3 week break to let our bodies rest, recover, and rejuvenate. This is especially true for two or more sport athletes. The kids are training harder and at a younger age today; this was not an issue in my day. This concept has become even more apparent today. Don’t start signing them up for all of the camps and trainers right away; this can come a bit later in the summer quality is more important than quantity.
When you do decide to sign them up for basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball, swim, hockey or whatever camp make sure it’s not a sports camp disguised as a babysitting service unless that’s what you want; if so why not drop them off at grandmas or a friends house, it’ll be cheaper. Back to my point. Get your child or athlete involved in other activities outside of his or hers main sport. As for my wife and I, we decided to put our children in the Jr Lifeguard program. It’s a wonderful summer program that teaches water safety, physical fitness, discipline, and get this…they get to hang out with their friends at the beach four days a week for two months, that’s not bad!
My summers growing up in Arkansas where spent playing on the streets all day. There were no 24-hour cartoon channels. Which leads me to my next suggestion: get them outside and don’t let your child sit around all day and watch TV and play video games while texting on the cell phone in between computer breaks. There is a world outside waiting for them to come out and explore. Remember the time and place theory we talked about earlier? Use it wisely. Kids will be kids. They are born knowing only life and eternity in their hearts. Too much of anything is not good for you. Whatever you try and teach them now will set the tone for how they will be later in life. Become a pro-active parent instead of a reactive one. In other words guard their hearts and minds now and there will be less to deal with later.
Have a great summer!
5/17/09: Goodbye, Wayman
In June of 1983, 50 of the top College Basketball players were invited to try out for the Pan American basketball team, and during the tryouts, I met one of the most talented basketball players of the day, Wayman Tisdale. Wayman was the type of guy who always saw the positive side in life. I had never met anyone at the time who loved to smile, and boy could he make you laugh too, no matter what the situation was, all while kicking your butt in basketball with his power and grace.
Today I honor his passing. It’s no surprise to me how he faced cancer with that same smile even after losing a leg to it. I will never forget how happy you were for me when my name was called for the Pan Am team. Later that summer, we won the Gold medal in the games down in Carracas, Venezuela. You made me laugh all summer like College kids should do. I remember when I got my shot blocked by the foreign player during the summer games; you would raise one eyebrow in a peculiar fashion and I would immediately start biting my lip so that I wouldn’t get into trouble for laughing during the game.
That smooth left hand turn around jump shot was unstoppable, and me being a lefty too, I admired it and often tried to imitate it. We were roommates during the games along with another special guy, Michael Jordan. The both of you made me laugh until it hurt. Your faith in GOD and family during your sickness was an example to us all. When in doubt, you taught us to smile. Your music and basketball has touched so many people and we are thankful you crossed our paths.
Rest now, my friend, on a life well done. I know you’re in heaven right now, and all heaven is smiling. From my family to your wife Regina and four kids may GOD be with you and guide you through your loss and suffering.
5/15/09: The Cruise and Michael Cage Dream Camp
Imagine this...you're cruising the high seas on a luxury ship with more on board to do than in most small cities. A 4-year college and 15 year NBA player and his Friends are instructing a basketball camp for boys and girls ages 10-18 while underway, and all while you enjoy the hospitalities of one of Royal Caribbean’s top cruise ships, ”The Mariner of the Seas,” which rivals any major resort.
We have always tried to find ways to bring family and friends together; well, I may have outdone myself on this one. A 7 day 6 night cruise through the Mexican Riviera for everyone that will offer a health and fitness seminar to encourage good eating habits. The NBA strength and conditioning coach for the Sacramento Kings, Daniel Shapiro, will be on board to answer any questions about what the pros drink and eat before and after games. He will also participate in the Dream Camp along with selected high school, College, and NBA players and coaches that will expose your student athlete to the best training possible.
You can only participate in Dream Camp and health seminar, which is for everyone, by signing up through my upcoming events page. Each dream camper will receive a souvenir basketball and commemorative t-shirt and picture. Remember, space is limited for the cruise and Dream Camp; it is on a first come first serve basis. I would advise you to sign-up now and get ready for a pretty unique and special vacation. Keep checking my blog and we will continue to update and add more fun and exciting things to the cruise as we get closer to push off!
Bon Voyage!
4/30/09: Welcome to my new site: mcage44.com!!!
Welcome to my blog page, and thanks for stopping by.
This is where you will come to find out my personal opinion on topics and current events happening in and around our sports world. You will come here to get updates on sometimes weekly sports activities that I facilitate, such as Blacktop Basketball. I also will offer my opinion from experience to parents of up and coming young athletes on topics like education, training, and good eating habits. As a husband and Father of three, I will share my life's experiences with you from time to time.
I am excited about the webpage and blog, and hope you are too, and thanks for visiting.
Looking beyond boundaries opens up limitless possibilities.
