ALLEY-OOP! The Ultimate Assist for Parents of Athletes (2nd Edition)

By Dr. Zanthia "The Ball Mom Doc" Reddish

In "ALLEY-OOP! The Ultimate Assist for Parents of Athletes," NBA & D1 college basketball Mom Dr. Z(anthia) shares her expertise in nurturing champions both on and off the court. This guide, tailored for parents of athletes across all ages and sports, distills Dr. Z's decades of experience into 22 esse

• Language: English
• Publisher: Reddish Enterprises
• Release date: Mar 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9781737796145

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Copyright © 2024 by Reddish Enterprises

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. For more information, contact: [e-mail]

First Paperback Edition, August 2021

ISBN 978-1-7377-961-3-8 (Paperback)

ISBN: 978-1-7377961-4-5 (eBook)

www.theballmomdoc.net

Table Of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: Started From The Bottom

--The Baseline--

Chapter 2: Be A Fan, Not A Foe

--The Cheer Leaders--

Chapter 3: Choose The Right Program

--Home Base--

Chapter 4: You Are The Alley-Oop!

--The Spectators--

Chapter 5: Follow The Leader— It’s Not Just A Game

--The Head Coach--

Chapter 6: It Takes A Village

--The Locker Room--

Chapter 7: The Miss Is The Make

--The Referee--

Chapter 8: Instill A Growth Mindset

--The Backboard--

Chapter 9: Keep Your Eyes On The Prize

--The Ball Goal--

Chapter 10: Keep Your Circle Tight

--The Rim--

Chapter 11: Build A Strong Team

--Teammates--

Chapter 12: Trust The Process

--The Tunnel--

Chapter 13: Don’t Believe The Hype

--The Commentators--

Chapter 14: Sibling, Not Rivalry

--The Home Team--

Chapter 15: S Stands For Sacrifice

--Wins & Losses--

Chapter 16: It Costs To Be The Boss

--Ticket Sales--

Chapter 17: Muscle Memory Is The  Key To Longevity

--The Trainers--

Chapter 18: All For One; One For All Mentality

--The Team--

Chapter 19: The U In Recruitment

--The Scouts--

Chapter 20: The Fun In Fundamentals

--The Win--

Chapter 21: Basketball Is A Game Of Runs

--The Scoreboard--

Chapter 22: Time Waits For No One

--The Shot Clock--

Conclusion

--The Lob—

interviews

Pre-Order Supporters

Young Baller Recognition

DEDICATION

To God and His precious son, Jesus – Thank You for blessing me with the gift motherhood as well as the favor and blessings bestowed upon our family.

To my awesome sons, Cameron and Aaron—by whom I am blessed to be called the greatest title in the world, Mom!

To my loving husband, Bob, for his love, support and assistance in raising our young princes into mighty kings!

To everyone who has supported me along this journey, especially my sister, Dr. Orathia and my best friend Joy Pearson…THANK YOU!  LOVE YOU!

PREFACE

T

his book was birthed out of love.  My love for the game of basketball; my love for being a mom and my passion for helping others compelled me to write this book, especially for parents—like me.  As parents, our main goal is to set our children up for success.  And as the old saying goes, there is no manual on parenting. This is my first stab at creating one!  As a former school principal, AAU administrator, professional life coach, athlete manager and NBA Mom, I have a great deal of knowledge and experience on raising young people, especially athletes.  As the mother of two ballers, Cameron and Aaron Reddish, I know all of the time, money and sacrifice that we invest in supporting our children on and off the court/field.  Like you, I have shed many tears and continue to pray incessantly for my boys as they pursue their destiny and dreams as athletes.  I have learned many lessons and gained wisdom throughout this journey that continues to unfold. I have also included the insights of some players and coaches I have met along my journey.  My sincere hope is that this book will be a resource for you and your path of raising your athlete smoother and easier.

I have included 22 of the most valuable lessons that my husband Bob and I have learned while parenting our two sons, who are awesome young men that are also athletes.  Cameron is currently entering his third year in the NBA player, and Aaron is a freshman in college at University at Albany on a full Division I basketball scholarship.  I may at times refer to athletes using masculine pronouns, however, these lessons are definitely not gender-specific.  Feel free to substitute with the pronoun with which your athlete identifies.  In addition, I chose to use basketball references throughout the book because that is the sport in which I have spent most of my time as a sports parent.  However, this book pertains to more sports than basketball.  In fact, I have had experience with football, baseball, volleyball, and soccer as well, which has enabled me to glean experiences and knowledge in all sports and all age groups over the years. 

You may be wondering why I decided to title this book ALLEY-OOP: The Ultimate Assist for Parents of Athletes. Although the title as well as the subtitles throughout this book are basketball references, the advice and information are actually applicable to parents of athletes in all sports, not just basketball.  According to Webster’s Dictionary, an alley-oop is a play in which a leaping player catches a pass above the basket and immediately dunks the ball.  It is essentially a deliberate interception of a strategically thrown ball that leads to a slam dunk.  It differs from a traditional assist, which in basketball, is when a player passes the ball to another player and leads to a basket.  The fact that an alley-oop is thrown above the basket is what makes it the ultimate assist!  By sharing these tips and strategies, the author aims to help parents rise above any challenges they may face as they accompany their child(ren) on their athletic journey and ultimately lead to a slam dunk.  Let’s gooooo!

Chapter 1

Started From the Bottom

--The Baseline--

W

hen we see professional athletes, actors, and other successful people, we often wonder how they got there or achieved what they have! While their journeys may have been different, we can tell a lot by looking at where and how they began. For all intents and purposes, I am going to refer to the foundation as the baseline—which refers to the bottom or beginning of the court in basketball.  It’s an apropos reference because this is where drills often start for players. So, I will start there and share my journey with you. If you have ever stood at the baseline and looked across the court, you will notice it is quite a distance. Well, so too, is the journey of an athlete.  It will be quite a distance for your athlete to achieve their goals, but they can do it with your support and their hard work and perseverance.  They must start somewhere, and beginning with a solid foundation will give them a great advantage.  For our family, that foundation was, without question, our faith.   Little did we know how much our faith would be tested over the years, but it has stood the test of time, and we continue to grow because our foundation is strong.

Every time I enter a gym, my eyes span the floor starting at the baseline, and I think about how and when our foundation was built. Let’s take a trip down memory lane, but before we do, let me tell you a little about me to provide some context. Like many of you, I hold various titles—doctor, principal, believer, life coach, mentor, speaker, educator, consultant, CEO, The Ball Mom Doc, and wife amongst several others. However, the title I cherish the most is simply MOM. As Gordon Hinckley once said, You can’t build a great building on a weak foundation. God blessed me with the opportunity to parent two incredible sons alongside my awesome husband, Bob. Our sons are Cameron (Cam), an NBA player, and Aaron, a college junior playing Division I basketball. With over 20 years of experience as an educator, I was also a school principal for 18 years and became a certified life coach. Education and basketball have been at the epicenter of our lives, only second to our family and faith.  Here’s how our basketball journey began…

I think you will agree that there are certain pivotal moments in your life that you will never forget—you know, like when something really amazing or outlandish happens. It gets etched in your mind forever! Well, what I am about to share is one of those moments! I remember it like it was yesterday. I was at a church service, well—actually, it was more like a gospel concert/worship service at a theatre in Delaware. It was August of 2008, and I attended the event to sing with my choir from Zion Baptist Church in Ambler, PA. As we waited to minister in song, the pastor and several others including a prophet from Ohio spoke at the event.

It was the encounter with the prophet that left a lasting impression.  Having spent my whole life in church, I had met several prophets in the past, but there was something different about this gentleman. This prophet called several people from the audience and prophesied over them, but rather than speak in generalities; he said something specific about them. He spoke to one lady specifically identifying a problem with her nephew; for another, he was able to talk to a stomach ailment she was battling.  It was apparent from their reactions that the prophet’s declarations were accurate. 

Finally, the prophet shared a story about a prophecy he once delivered on Michael Redd. At the time, I did not know who Michael Redd was, and after telling us the story, the prophet announced that he was sure that we were all wondering why he told that story. And he was right!  We were! He paused and then said that he told the story because a woman in the audience had a child who was gifted with a ball and encouraged her to come forward. Like everyone else, I just sat