It's always a pleasure running into familiar faces when we are on the road for clinics around the country! We recently ventured down to Arizona, and spoke with a previous customer, Al Springfield, head coach at American Leadership Academy in Gilbert, Arizona. He shared his success story with us, on how his team finished the season 22-0 and won the state championship this past year!
Coach Springfield attributes their success to a variety of things, but notes that his ability to incorporate the Dr. Dish shooting machines into his training and practice schedule throughout the year was a key.
Check out our interview with Coach Springfield below:
1. How long have you been involved in coaching basketball?
I've been coaching for about 12 years and I've loved every minute of it. I've been fortunate to coach players at multiple levels and see players grow through the hard work they put in.
2. Who do you currently coach for and how long have you been there?
Right now I'm currently the Girl's Head Coach at American Leadership Academy in Gilbert but I'm also a Women's Assistant Coach at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. I've been coaching at ALA for two years now and we've has some good success.
3. What coaching philosophies are unique to you and how does this make your team different?
I have a few philosophies that I live by and also communicate to my players. The first one would be to never put limits on yourself and to never allow anyone else to put limits on you. If you allow your mind or others to hold you back, then you'll never truly give yourself a chance to be successful. The other two philosophies would be urging my players to pay attention to detail and to train like everyday is your last. In basketball, every play matters - every detail matters, and this can be the difference between wins and losses. I come from a military background so that fuels a lot of my thinking and coaching philosophies.
4. How long have you had your Dr. Dish shooting machine and how has it helped your program and players?
We've had our Dr. Dish shooting machine for 2 years now at the American Leadership Academy and it has been absolutely amazing. Our team went 22-0, winning a state championship and our Dr. Dish shooting machine played a huge part in our success. Obviously, you're going to get more reps with the machine but we can really focus on shooting within different drills and help our players train more game-like during practice. We literally use the machine as soon as the lights turn on in the gym. My players love getting real time stats and I know they are being held accountable even when I'm not around to watch.
5. Would you recommend Dr. Dish to other coaches?
Most definitely! Like I said before, accountability is huge and coaches aren't always able to rebound or be there for players. The Dish makes that possible. I have players that will use their free period to go into the gym everyday to get up 400-500 shots and I'm able to see their progress the whole way through. What coach wouldn't want something like this? If you want to help your players succeed, you have to provide them with the tools to do that!
6. What are your goals this upcoming season?
We switched divisions this year so we will see how things pan out. We return almost all of our players so we have an opportunity to be good again. The goal is to get better everyday and wins will come. I really believe we have a good chance of winning a bunch of games again this year!
We want to thank Coach Springfield for taking the time to chat with us and share his team's success last year. We wish them the best of luck this year as they continue to build out their legacy!
If you're interested in learning more about how Dr. Dish shooting machines can help take your team to the next level, fill out the form below for more information and check out our YouTube page for some amazing drills!
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These Stories on Team Success Stories
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