Scottie Pippen – Former Chicago Bulls Player

Known more for his on court defense than his off court business sense, former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen lost $120 million in career earnings due to poor financial planning and bad business ideas. Air Jordan’s sidekick blew $27 million on bad investments and spent $4.3 million on a Gulfstream II corporate jet.

Latrell Sprewell

Look up the word “shortsighted” in the dictionary and you will see a picture of Latrell Sprewell. He famously turned down a $21 million contract because he said it wasn’t enough money to feed his family. Sprewell, who made over $96 million during his career, lost his $1.5 million dollar Italian yacht, named “Milwaukee’s Best”, in 2007. According to MSNBC, a U.S. marshal seized the yacht after Sprewell defaulted on his mortgage. His $5.4 million house went into foreclosure in May 2008. Don’t blame Sprewell for turning down the three-year, $21 million contract though. I mean really, who could live off a measly $7 million a year?

Excerpts taken from full Yahoo! report..read more here

I do know that the NBA currently has a program for ex-NBA players and their transition after basketball. It is important to have path or at least a mentor to help you find your new career.

There are many steps that can be taken for a coach to start coaching basketball overseas.  The main requirement that is needed whether or not an individual is coaching in their home country or overseas, is the knowledge of the game.  The knowledge the game is critical in all coaching jobs.  This is what many basketball organizations look for when choosing an individual for a coaching position.  If an individual is looking to become a basketball coach overseas he/she is required to obtain a passport.   This allows a potential coach to go outside his/her country when traveling overseas.

Coaches from the U.S. must be eligible to become FIBA approved coaches.  Individuals must have either held head coach or assistant coaching positions or any combination for at least 5 years on a professional, collegiate or scholastic level that is a part of USA Basketball.  The prospective candidate must also provide legal documentation proving his/her career as a coach along with references and must be a legal citizen of the United States of America.  There is also a $30 administrative fee that is to be paid to USA Basketball.  Once the above criteria has been met the individual must wait for approval and then can start their career as an international basketball coach.

Of course, the easiest way to get a foot in the door is to make contacts by taking trips and participating in coaching camps and clinics. Also, if you’ve been a head coach for some time, you might have to have a little pride and become an assistant to prove your skills.

There are many steps that should be taken if a coach or organization is considering forming an international travel team.  The first step that is the most important is finding a travel company that is trustworthy and has experience in sponsoring sports travel teams and is familiar with your team’s destination.  Planning is also an important factor teams should plan at least a year in advance that will give not only the coach time to book flights, prepare itineraries, and to get the necessary information from travel agencies about accommodations.  Once the necessary arrangements on the team’s accommodations have been taken care of the next step is organizing documents that show the price per person and the expected budget for the trip.  This is where a committee of at least two reliable persons should be chosen to make important decisions regarding the international travel team and choosing members of the team also.

The team committee will hold a discussion with members of the travel team and their families on how much the trip may cost and giving them ideas on how to raise the necessary funds.  The initial deposit should also be discussed to give families and players enough time to reserve a spot on the travel team.  For international travel teams the committee should also discuss with players and coaches the importance on obtaining necessary documents such as, passports and ID’s.  Once the necessary steps have been taken care of its time to offer the world to your international travel team.
Get some advice from some of the best and top International Travel Basketball Teams

Athletes In Action – Christian Basketball International Touring Team

Basketball Travelers -  One of the most popular companies to organize your basketball tour trips (Calendars Available)

Sports Travel International – Organizes tours for college basketball teams

With a huge black-and-white painting of Bob Marley peering over one shoulder and a half-dozen framed NBA jerseys visible over the other, Brian Grant took a deep breath, ignored his left hand shaking as if it were trying to put out a match, and let go of the secret that had tormented him for the last four months.

“I have young onset Parkinson’s,” he said.

That’s Parkinson’s, as in the disease that disrupts the brain’s coordination and control of muscle movement and motor skills. A progressive disease for which the cause and the cure are unknown. A disease so rare for someone like Grant, 37, to contract that his case is identified as “young onset.

Read the entire article

Also, you have a chance to read the ESPN Magazine check out his article: Don’t Take The Field Without A Plan – And Don’t Leave Home Without One.

Here are some quotes:

You have to have something to keep busy. Otherwise, you have too much time to think about not being a professional athlete anymore – and never being one again. Thats depressing realization  sucks you down.

These days, I’m wishing I’d nurtured more relationships while I was playing ..I had a couple of friends in the leage , but I was closed off a bit…

When coaches decide that they want to become professional basketball coaches, their stats and ambition will show.  Coaches that have ambitions to reach the professional level have many tasks to prove to team owners that they are the right man to be named head coach of a professional team.  A coaches overall stats doesn’t always get him a job in the professional league.  Along with a coach’s stats his character and his ability to work under pressure plays a huge part.  Coaches in the professional leagues have to be able to perform as a professional on and off the court.

Many coaches that have climbed the ladder to the professional leagues have educated themselves every chance they can.  There are coaching clinics and conventions that held during the off season and not only educate coaches but gives them a chance to network with other coaches and scouts.  Believe it or not there are scouts that also attend coaching clinics and conventions to help scout for team owners in search of a new coaching staff.  There are many off season opportunities that can help a coach reach the professional level such as volunteering for summer league coaching where many scouts attend to watch up and coming players and participating in summer camps.

Exposure and statistics play a he role in a coach reaching the professional level.  Majority of team owners in the professional leagues solely look at a coach’s stats to see if he can take the team in a different direction and also boost ticket sales.  This is a business that team owners must run and they need a coach that has stats to back up his character.  Winning is the most important issue that all team owners care about aside boosting ticket sales.  Many coaches left the collegiate level and went to the professional level as an assistant coach and were promoted to team interim coach.  Some coaches that were interim coaches were able to turn the team in a different direction and were hired as the head coach.  After becoming head coach of one professional team and have the stats and reputation to back up your coaching skills, still faithfully attending professional coaching clinics and meeting more people in the business you will always have a job on the professional level.

There are many books that are on the market that are designed for coaches of different levels of basketball (community league to professional).  If you are learning to become a great coach for your community or you would like to coach on the collegiate level or professionally, learning the sport is the first step.  Even if you are a former player educating yourself with coaching is necessary.

The first book that I would suggest a person beginning his/her career as a basketball coach is “The Basketball Coaches Bible”, by Sidney Goldstein.  This book is the guide to becoming a good coach as well as how to teach players the fundamentals of dribbling, shooting and references to the game of basketball.  Many of the best coaches such as Phil Jackson, Jim Calhoun and others have used this book to gain the necessary knowledge in the game of basketball.  There are also other books that will be of some assistance in teaching the fundamentals of basketball to players.  A coach should also have knowledge of the proper training techniques and proper jumping and landing techniques to prevent injuries to players.  Players will need this knowledge down the road even if they are a community league to that wants play basketball in high school and so on.

There other books that can be helpful to those who have intentions of becoming a coach on any level.  Many of the game’s greatest coaches have written books either focusing on defense, offense, fundamentals and team organization.  Team organization is one of the most important factors when it comes to coaching a basketball team.  Every team should have organization and have intentions of being able to play with one another.  All coaches should at least read “Knight”, the legendary Bobby Knight book and “Practical Modern Basketball”, by John Wooden.  When it comes to becoming a basketball coach knowledge is what must be obtained to become a great coach.

There are many clinics that are sponsored by major corporations such as Nike, Reebok and Converse. Attending these coaching clinics are very important to advancement in coach, because these clinics are also a chance for coaches to network and meet coaches of different schools and of all levels of coaching.  Coaches also have the chance to meet with GMs and also learn new strategies in coaching.  Coaching clinics look good on coach’s resume’, that can be a great deal of help when advancing to different levels of coaching.  These coaching clinics are beneficial to coaches that are just starting off and would like to make coaching a career.

There are many coaching clinics and conferences that go on throughout the off season.  The best coaching clinics that can benefit your coaching experience and career are those that offer certification.  Some of the best coaching clinics are ones that are nationally well known and usually sponsored by Nike, Reebok and Converse.  These clinics usually have well known coaches with resumes as long as the basketball court.  For example the Nike Championship Basketball Clinics are among the top coaching clinics to attend.  Many camps do not require a coaching certification to attend these coaching clinics.  Although it is required that coaches of basketball teams must have coach’s certification.

Many of the best coaches in history have attended coaching clinics to gain more knowledge and strategies that can be helpful in becoming a successful coach.  At these clinics and conferences coaches are adding more training experience on his resume that impresses many GMs and team owners.  Team owners look at the training and the stats that a coach has under his belt before adding them to the club.  So if coaching is your career goal, you’re a coach looking to gain more knowledge of basketball or looking to network with coaches and team reps to gain exposure attending coaching clinics will be a good idea. There are so many types of coaching clinics:  mens basketball, women’s basketball coaching clinics, youth basketball coach clinics, invitational basketball clinic and even aau basketball clinics!

When you attend these coaches clinics be sure to follow these steps

1. Network with other coaches you admire or with the style that is similiar to yours
2. Take great basketball clinic notes
3. Keep your mind open to new strategies
4. Don’t miss a workshop
5. Participate and be active when you can

There are many products that are designed to reduce the risk of a knee or ACL injury.  None of these products guarantee protection from a knee or ACL injury.  One of the best ways to protect athletes from a knee or ACL injury is to strengthen the knees and muscles by using proper training techniques.  Training is an important factor in many things that an individual participates in, whether it is for a job or sport.  This is why athletes must participate in training simulations that teaches proper jumping techniques, proper stretching techniques, proper jump landing techniques, and other drills to help athletes to use their speed and agility properly.  Many players often suffer from these injuries due to the lack of training and knowledge of stress their knees or ligaments can withstand.

Females have a greater risk to these injuries due to the as they lack control of the neuromuscular knee.  This comes from not landing properly when jumping and not receiving or using the proper knowledge on the use of ligaments in the knee.  Many athletes are unaware of the proper techniques in protecting themselves from a knee or ACL injury.  There are also some trainers that do not teach the proper techniques to protect players from injuries.    ACL injury in girls is most common than the males but that does not exclude anyone and everyone.

Athletes need take the time to receive the necessary knowledge in protection from career ending injuries.  When an athlete takes the time to receive the proper training on proper jumping and landing techniques he/she is reducing the risk of a knee or ACL injury.  Many athletes also do not have proper training or decides not to use proper stretching techniques, which is another factor in risking a knee or ACL injury.  Many players believe that if they put on a knee brace or pad on their knees they are preventing a knee or ACL injury.  That’s not true, if a player is not using the correct techniques to reduce the risk of an injury the brace or pad is useless.  There are also tutorials and clinics that are available to athletes, trainers, coaches and even coaches to help protect players from a knee or ACL injury.  Remember proper knowledge and training will protect players from career ending injuries involving a player’s knee or ACL during their participation in different sports.

Here is a list of well known professional athletes that have had a major ACL injury

• brady’s acl injury
• michael owen acl injury
• weiss acl injury
• palmer acl injury
• tiger woods acl injury

Most high school and college scouts have knowledge of sports and have taken sports management courses.  There are many companies that offer franchises that will assist you in finding and recruiting high school or college prospects around the world.  This business requires frequent traveling and dedication to scouting the best players around the world.   There are many companies that offer licenses to become a sports scout to represent their company.  With many of these companies you can buy into their franchises or you can pay the necessary fees to become a representative of their company.  These fees can cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars and they will give you a certain region to cover in recruiting the top prospects in that area.

When scouting the top prospects you can either refer the players to college teams or professional teams.  Many people that have gotten in the scouting business have landed jobs for top college teams and only scout for that school or landed a scouting job for a professional team.  Although there are many freelance scouts they receive their pay either from the school directly or the agent they referred the prospect to.  So if you are considering becoming a scout for high school or college, remember there are many options to consider and many benefits to come.  Starting your career to become a college basketball scout or professional scouting job is easy it’s the dedication that you must consider and from there you are on the road to becoming a successful sports scout.

There are many advantages when it comes to starting your own AAU basketball team. Many AAU teams are coached by someone that has knowledge of the game such as a coach of local high school or former basketball player in your local area. Many AAU coaches got their teamed organized for a child and has continued to participate in AAU competition. There are many benefits that come with starting an AAU team if coaching is what you would like to do AAU is a good stepping stone to get exposure. There are many college scouts that attend AAU events scouting players for their program. In some instances many are there to observe the coach as well the players. By participating in AAU functions coaches and players have the chance to add new contacts to their basketball network. This is an experience for both the players and coaches that can take them to another level.

You must form a club name and apply for club membership with the AAU that ranges from $30 to $300. There is a maximum amount of 15 players and 4 non-athletes (coach, manage and personnel) that will represent your AAU team. Many coaches have multiple functions, for example the coach may also handle the administrative duties and also be a tournament director. There are fees that must be paid to obtain membership to the AAU. Membership prices range from $12 to $14 for athletes and $14 to $16 for non-athletes. There are also fees for participation in AAU Basketball tournaments (invitational, district, regional, national) that range from $150 to $600. When participating in the AAU you should consider searching for sponsors or holding fundraising events. Coaches also have to come up with funds that should cover uniforms, basketballs, travel expenses, a gymnasium for practice, and supplies. You can get supplies from your local sporting goods store that will possibly sponsor your team. So if considering starting an AAU team you are not only giving players an opportunity to play their favorite sport you will also be getting them the exposure they need.