Perseverance pays off for Jefferson’s Smith

By Jim Metcalfe, The Delphos Herald
Published:  Tuesday, July 22, 2008 (2 months, 3 weeks ago)
Print

DELPHOS — For more than 50 days, Jefferson boys varsity basketball coach Marc Smith logged on to his computer and made his way to noahbasketball.com. He wanted to win the Great Shot Give-A-Way in the worst of ways: for the school, his players and the community. This was a chance to have a NOAH Select Shooting System that he had heard and read so much about.
The contest was held March 15 through June 30.
“I started on March 30 and every day I was at a computer, I entered,” explained Smith. “I even had my assistants doing it.”
That persistence paid off when it was announced July 10 that he had won the grand prize.
“We got the system Monday,” Smith said. “One of our best players who works at the school during the summer told me when it arrived. He was so excited. It feels like Christmas around here.”
Unfortunately, Smith and his players had to wait an extra day before they could open up their new gift because the gym floor was being resurfaced. So they just looked at it with wide eyes.
“I’m so excited for the kids,” Smith said. “They deserve this.”
Smith, entering his fourth season at the helm, is trying to turn the hoops program into the consistent winner the football program is: 26 winning seasons in the past 27 years.
Smith has led his team to 4, 6 and 10 victories. This winter, he returns a team with loads of experience.
“We’ve always tried to control the controllable factors like defense, rebounding and taking care of the ball,” Smith said. “Shooting has been a weakness of our program.”
The Wildcats have shot 34 percent, 36 percent and 39 percent from the floor the past three seasons. They also managed just 60 percent from the foul line last year.
“You think shooting is not a controllable factor,” Smith said. “But from what I’ve read and seen with NOAH, it can be controlled. We talk to our kids all the time about keeping the shot on line, not missing left or right. We didn’t know how to show them distance control. But NOAH will teach them that and because they will get objective data, they will believe it.
“It gives you immediate feedback on each shot. Most shooting experts say a 43- to 50-degree arc — depending on your height and release point — is prime for giving you the best chance to shoot a high percentage. It’s pretty pricey — around $6,000 (list price, $5,599) — and I know NBA and around 60 Division I college teams use it. I’ve seen the testimonials and they all claim it works very well. It makes a lot of sense.”
Besides improving the shooting of the boys varsity team, Smith said the school has plans to use it for all levels in the community. That means youths starting in the third grade will have an opportunity to practice with the system. He also wants to incorporate NOAH in a more aggressive offseason program and perhaps conduct clinics to raise money for the school.
“I just want to give NOAH a huge thank-you for developing a great product,” Smith added. “In today’s economy, nobody has to give anything away. But for NOAH to do this and to give away prizes at the high school level, it’s really encouraging to see.”
Besides the grand prize, NOAH Basketball also gave away a Dell Notebook computer to Jeff Martin of Rider High School in Wichita Falls, Texas. There were 10 second-prize winners of a Better Basketball Resource Library. Also, 10 winners claimed the third prize of a “Better Basketball Better Shooting II DVD.”
The system does/has the following: verbal arc feedback (angle and distance); objectively ranks skill level; instant video review of shot mechanics; Coaching Reports track player workouts and shooting improvements; practice just as you do now; works indoors and outdoors; lines up simply on the sidelines; multiple teams in one system; printer-ready to provide Player Arc Plots; Dell laptop, NOAH software, pre-loaded; sturdy steel frame construction; handle and wheels for easy maneuvering and set-up; and state-of-the-art Machine Vision Camera Technology.

0 Reader Responses to “Perseverance pays off for Jefferson’s Smith”

Complete the form below to leave a response of your own.