The Webster Dictionary defines motivation ‘as the state or condition of being motivated.’ There are numerous external or internal reasons why people choose to set a personal goal. For example, it could be to pray more, get active, strengthen study habits, pursue a better job, or balance home life with their professional life. Sometimes, with the initial start to recondition the body and mind there are two key components that often get neglected. That is hard work and consistency. If anyone knows more about hard word and consistency it would be Alan Stein, Professional Basketball Strength and Conditioning Coach. He is the backbone for a lot of elite players. Along, with conditioning players he has directed his passion for strength and conditioning onto children giving them the fundamentals on and off the court.
Which leads E.M.B.A.R.K to ask?
(EM) What led to your pursuit of a career as a Professional Strength and Conditioning Trainer? Why the specific choice of Basketball?
(A.S) Basketball has been my #1 passion for as long as I can remember. As I got older, I started to develop an equal love for strength & conditioning and performance enhancement. So becoming a basketball specific strength & conditioning coach was a way for me to combine my two true loves! It is my calling!
(EM) For our readers who may not be aware of your organization and its purpose; would you give us a brief summary of Stronger Team?
(A.S) The primary goal of Stronger Team is to provide the latest basketball specific strength & conditioning information, concepts, and drills to help coaches and players maximize their basketball potential.
Note: Stronger Team is for players and coaches of all ages and levels. Our mission is to produce better basketball players, not better "weight lifters." Everything we do is geared toward the end result of improved performance on the court. In addition to making players and teams stronger, more agile, quicker, and in tremendous basketball shape, we also focus on making our players tougher, better communicators, and intense competitors.
A basketball player’s program is the foundation of their entire game. A solid strength & conditioning base gives them the ability to take their skills to a whole new level. Shooting, ball handling, passing, rebounding, and defending are all enhanced when they improve their strength, quickness, explosiveness, and conditioning. That is why THE BEST PLAYERS ARE IN THE BEST SHAPE!
Note: Stronger Team is for players and coaches of all ages and levels. Our mission is to produce better basketball players, not better "weight lifters." Everything we do is geared toward the end result of improved performance on the court. In addition to making players and teams stronger, more agile, quicker, and in tremendous basketball shape, we also focus on making our players tougher, better communicators, and intense competitors.
A basketball player’s program is the foundation of their entire game. A solid strength & conditioning base gives them the ability to take their skills to a whole new level. Shooting, ball handling, passing, rebounding, and defending are all enhanced when they improve their strength, quickness, explosiveness, and conditioning. That is why THE BEST PLAYERS ARE IN THE BEST SHAPE!
(EM) How does Strength and Conditioning play a part within your life personally as well as professionally?
(A.S) I am completely transparent and authentic – what you see is what you get. Outside of my wife and twin sons (22 month old boys, Luke & Jack, aka The Born Backcourt), my personal life and my professional life are one in the same. I am very thankful to do what I do for living… and I don’t take it for granted. I have a tremendous enthusiasm for the opportunity to help players and coaches achieve their goals. I live my life with those guidelines as well – humble, hungry and thankful for everything that I have. I am a big believer in ‘walking the walk’ – so I eat well and do the same type of workouts I put my players through!
(EM) One of the various hats you wear within your profession is that you participate with Nike Elite Dematha Catholic High School. How do you encourage your students to work past their weaknesses on and outside the court?
(A.S) I am so thankful to work with the players and coaches at DeMatha. DeMatha has been successful long before I was even born… so I just do my best to uphold the values that were in place when I arrived two years ago. I have always believed that failure, setbacks, and weaknesses are all necessary ingredients to success. I encourage our players to strengthen their strengths and work on improving their applicable weaknesses.
(EM) What keeps you faithful to maintaining integrity to your profession?
(A.S) I hold myself, personally and professionally, to the highest moral and ethical standards. I have tremendous respect for the game of basketball and the strength & conditioning industry.
(EM) As a strength and conditioning professional, what words of wisdom would you give to students or adults to discourage the taking of illegal substances, such as steroids, or pills to give them that competitive edge?
(A.S) “If you find a shortcut, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere worth going.”
(EM) Within your biography, it is stated: “you are a consultant for Nike Basketball, the head conditioning coach for the annual Jordan Brand All American Classic, the Nike Summer Skills Academics, the Camp Coach at the NBA Players Association’s Top 100 Camp, Chris Paul CP3 Elite Backcourt Camp, and conditioning coach for the McDonald’s All American game for 5 years.” What motivates your continuous dedication to all these endeavors? Has Alan Stein reached the pentacle of his success, or do you feel he is a beautiful work in progress? (Smile! With your credentials you can say you are beautiful and remain humble)
(A.S) I am very proud of what I have accomplished and the opportunities I’ve had, but I am far from content. I hunger to achieve so much more. While the accolades are nice, what drives me is the goal of impacting as many players and coaches as I can – worldwide! I am far from done :)
(EM) In this country, many neighborhoods claim to have numerous talented youths they feel would excel as professionals in the sports arena, yet a very small few actually enter and are successful. Do you feel this disparity is because individuals seeking careers in sports, only target careers that are in the lime light, and are unaware that there are lucrative careers to be sought after that play out in the background, less publicized?
(A.S) It’s very, very, very difficult to make it as a professional athlete… they are the upper 0.01%. But there are hundreds of jobs, like mine for example, that can reap the same satisfaction. While an NBA player certainly makes more money than I do, I doubt if he is any happier or any more content. Success if finding what it is you truly love to do and then putting all of your heart, soul, and focus into doing it to the best of your ability.
(EM) Do you have any words of encouragement to the people who have an idea, or who have begun to walk towards their passion?
(A.S) I am a quote nerd. Here are 5 quotes that come to mind (I am NOT the original author of these):
“If it’s important, do it every day.”
“Every morning imagine you are only one big break away from all of your dreams coming true. Approach everything as if it has the potential to be that big break.”
“Success comes from good decisions. Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from bad decisions.”
“Every night before you go to sleep, ask yourself this question: I just traded 24 hours of my life for what I got today; am I happy with the trade?”
Editor’s Note: E.M.B.A.R.K Magazine would like to thank Alan Stein for this opportunity. We hope to reconnect on future endeavors with Stronger Team.
Thank YOU! I appreciate your interest in what I do and for sharing my journey with your readers. For daily motivation, please follow www.Twitter.com/AlanStein, www.strongerteam.com
1 "Alan Stein Biography." Stronger Team: Basketball- Strength and Conditioning. Stronger Team:. Web. 01 Feb. 2012. http://www.strongerteam.com/.
No comments:
Post a Comment