March Madness; My passion for Basketball

 

 

With March Madness in Full Swing and the Final Four Basketball Championship soon approaching, I wanted to put out a post that speaks to my passion for basketball.  My love for the game started over 17 years ago and one skill that always stuck with me is Rebounding.  I was taught by my first coach, that no matter how tall or small you might be, ANYBODY can rebound.  So I set my mind to rebound as a player.

A rebound is what we call a missed shot.  So after every missed shot, there is a rebound that players battle to get to.  I learned quickly, that by keeping my eyes on the ball, I was able to see the rebound quickly and get to it before anyone else.  I was taught by my coach in high school to assume every shot is a miss – so pursue the basketball expecting to get the rebound.  This strategy stuck with me even into coaching.  As a coach, I studied some of the best teams in the country – Tennessee’s dynasty with Pat Summit was a great rebounding team.  UConn’s dynasty under Geno Auriemma is still a great rebounding team.  These are just two of my favorite programs to study and watch play because they rebound so well.  I began to develop my rebounding philosophy and teach the craft in much greater detail.  These are the steps and techniques that can help any team improve by Rebounding to Win:

  1. See the man and the ball at the same time!
  2. Say “SHOT” on every shot to remind your body and your teammates.
  3. Box out by putting your body on your opponent’s body with two hands high in the air.
  4. Pursue the ball with two hands and two feet (Explode up and Land on Balance).
  5. Finish it by chinning it strong with elbows out.
These five basic steps will lead to better rebounding.  We would practice rebounding everyday, during every drill.  As sure as shots are going up, rebounds are coming down.  We need to train our body to get to every rebound first.  Our goal was – no rebounds hit the ground!  If it does, we are not working!
To wrap up, I want to incorporate these same techniques into every day life because I believe that sports are a great way to teach life skills.  Lets say you take a “shot” which will simulate going to work, or maybe start a new job, take a test at school, or practice learning a new instrument.  In every thing we do, we may or may not succeed in it.  Let’s say you go to work and get hit with a new project that seems overwhelming and you are off to a rocky start.  So in this situation, you can’t just give up, walk away and give it to someone else to do.  You have to “Rebound” the missed assignment.  Let’s break it down:
  1. See your daily routine and your new project at the same time.
  2. Say “I can do this” to remind yourself that you were given the task, because you can do it!
  3. Box out any doubt in your mind that could prevent you from getting it right this time.
  4. Pursue the project with confidence and commitment that you will succeed.
  5. Finish it by reviewing and asking for help if you need it.
We all “MISS” sometimes in life, but don’t give up and just walk away from what was meant for you!  Reevaluate your positioning, stance and timing then go back after it with these simple steps.  I hope you all continue to persevere on in life and remember to Rebound to Win!

Bio: Brenita Jackson has coached women’s college basketball for 8 years improving the culture at each school she worked for.  She started playing basketball at Cedar Hill High School in Texas,USA and went on to play professionally in Aarhus, Denmark.  She beganher coaching career while in Denmark leading the junior team to an undefeated season.  She currently holds a Master’s Degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University in Irvine, CA.

Brenita returned to her home Dallas, Texas to continue her passion for coaching young girls and inspiring others to develop and use their gifts.  She was recognized as 2011 Sportswoman of the Year by the Jacksonville Progress after winning the Region XIV Championship Runner Up Title along with developing the program’s first All American who’s jersey hung in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, TN.  In 2015 Brenita was voted the Region XIV Coach of the Year for a turnaround performance going from 3 to 23 wins in just her second season as head coach.

During her 8 years of coaching college basketball, 6 of them were with her husband Kevin Jackson who was a huge key to her success as a head coach.  The two were recognized by the Houston Chronicle as “Couple a winning team on and off San Jac court.”  The Jackson’s are known in the basketball community as coaches who care about their players, set high standards and teach life skills through the game of basketball.  They founded a company called KBJ Academy where they travel to schools, churches and businesses to host team bonding retreats or leadership workshops. They also consult with coaches on changing the culture at a new school they just joined or consult with players on how to pursue playing college sports. They have experiences that they love to share with all transparency so others can learn, grow and succeed.

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