Help-Seeking Behavior of Male College Basketball Players: Context, Process, Barriers, and Intervention (August 19, 2010)

Electronic Poster Presentation

Bullying as Perceived by Adolescent Students, School Counselors, and Teachers (August 19, 2010)

From 2013-2015, I have had the privilege to work with NBA.com/Philippines as one of their featured writers.  Below are some selected articles:

• Being the Story: An NBA 2k16 review (10/15/15)

• Book Review: Sacred Hoops by Phil Jackson (3/17/15)

• The influence of Dean Smith and Jerry Tarkanian (2/19/15)

• Book Review: Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty (2/5/15)

• Book Review: Hard Work by Roy Williams with Tim Crothers (1/19/15)

• Enter Noah's Ark (3/31/14)

• The pain of a Steve Nash Fan (3/4/14) [click here for the full article]

• Classic Battles: The Action gamer versus the Statistically oriented player (1/14/14)

• Can anyone pass Kareem? (12/9/13)

• Review: NBA 2k14's MyCAREER Mode (Part III) (11/21/13)

• Review: NBA 2k14's MyCAREER Mode (Part II) (11/11/13)

• Review: NBA 2k14's My CAREER Mode (Part I) (10/30/13)

• Togetherness: Learning more about Indiana Pacers Basketball from head coach Frank Vogel (Part II) (10/21/13) [Events Feature]

• Togetherness: Learning more about Indiana Pacers Basketball from head coach Frank Vogel (Part I) (10/21/13) [Events Feature]

• Firing away at the man known as Big Shot Rob (10/14/13) [click here for the full article]

• Standing in front of the Doberman (10/7/13)

• The Phenomenon known as Linsanity (10/5/13)

• The NBA 2k13 D Rose Experience (9/27/13)

• Getting to know a different side of D Rose (9/19/13)

• On why we have boyhood idols and a toast to Jason Kidd's career (9/13/13)

• An in-depth conversation with ex-Utah Jazz Luther Wright (9/4/13) [click here for the full article]

From 2005-2013, I have had the privilege to work with Baby Magazine as one of their featured columnists.  Below are some selected articles from my column, "Rules of Engagement" (Formerly known as 'Understanding Your Child.').

• Fundamentals: Parents Assisting their Children in the Game of Life

• The Positive Effects of Sports on your Child: (Is my child in the right sport?)

• Bullies? What about them? (Part 1)

• Bullies? What about them? (Part 2)

• Bullies? What about them? (Part 3)

• Bullies? What about them? (Part 4)

• Profile of a Spoiled Child

• Another Look at Quality Time

• The Rules of Engagement: Disciplining your child starts with you

• How can my room have molds?  Steps you need to take to protect your home, yourself, and your children

For questions of comments regarding “Rules of Engagement” you can email me here.

Thank you PAP!

In Season 1 | Episode 11 of The Tedi31 Podcast with Dr. Tedi Villasor, Tedi speaks with veteran sportscaster Noel Zarate.  Zarate, along with several other local sportscasters, established the Center for Sports Communication (CSC) [2001] and Newbies Broadcasting Academy [2018].  In 2020, he hosts “An Eternity of Basketball” podcast along with Atty. Charlie T. Cuna and Sid Ventura.

During our conversation, Noel shared how he got into the field of radio and television broadcasting, his experience calling the 2013 NBA Global Games at the Mall of Asia Arena, thoughts on the ESPN 10-part documentary: The Last Dance, the July 2020 NBA restart, and stories about NBA Greats like Dennis Rodman, Larry Joe Bird, Steve Nash, Luc Longley, and the late Kobe Bean Bryant.

You can follow Noel on Instagram.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

You can also check out our conversation on my YouTube Channel.

With the rescheduling of the Online Charity Auction benefiting Freelance Basketball Coaches, several of the participating coaches, Coach Ariel, and I spent the rest of the session touching on a myriad of topics:

20:12 mark – Thoughts on the restart of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

28:45 mark – Possible NBA return date.

32:30 mark – Which among the professional sports will start first?

33:10 mark – Will this be the last LeBron James championship run?

33:56 mark – GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) discussion.

34:53 mark – Who is the best all-around player of all-time? | Karl Malone.

38:09 mark – The 2004 NBA Champions – Detroit Pistons

39:08 mark – The drafting of Darko Milicic and what he is up to now.

41:15 mark – Who is the biggest NBA Lottery bust?

44:16 mark – Who is considered the PBA’s Lottery let-down?

45:47 mark – Kai Sotto’s NBA chances and player comparison.

Click here to watch the YouTube video.

Coach Bryant will talk about player development in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

For (Season 1 | Episode 10) of The Tedi31 Podcast with Dr. Tedi Villasor, I had the opportunity to talk with one of the most decorated players every to grace the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)–The Triggerman: Allan Caidic.

Coach Allan is a 5-time member of the Philippine National Team, a member of the PBA’s 25 and 40 greatest players of all-time, a PBA Hall of Famer (Class of 2009), and author (My Life: Allan Caidic The Triggerman [2006]).

During our conversation, Coach Allan touched on a number of topics: From his basketball influences, to his pre-game regiments, and even his motivational benchmarks during his playing career.

As he looks towards the future, Coach Allan lets us in on his next move.

You can follow Coach Allan on Instagram.

Click here to listen to listen to the podcast.

You can also check out our conversation on my YouTube Channel.

Over the last couple of months, I have embarked on my latest side project (Set for release by the end of August 2017) that involves a ton of research on a number of choice subjects.  One of those areas, is the phenomena of Ghosting.

What is Ghosting?

Ghosting is today's popular term for disregarding or completely ignoring a person.  It is commonly associated with (but not limited to) the dating scene wherein--for whatever reason--one party no longer keeps in contact with the other party.

Maybe you've gone on a few dates--with a potential Mr. or Mrs. Right--and things seem to be picking up...then all of the sudden: WHAM!  No contact.  No reply.  Or worst yet, you can clearly see that the messages you have sent were marked read on your smart phone or Facebook Messenger.

I know it's not cool but there really are a lot of people like that out there.

What are it's effects?

Depending on the amount of physical, emotional, and psychological investment that the ghosted party has for the person they are attempting to have a relationship with--the results could be devastating as it could affect the ghosted party's self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-worth.

What can the ghosted party do?

Although it is never easy detaching yourself from someone whom you have invested in, it is best to keep some of these pointers in mind:

1. You cannot have a relationship for two people.

2. Marshall your emotional resources elsewhere.  Make investments in people who are willing to make an equal commitment to you.

3. Make time for yourself.  If you can't have a relationship with yourself, how then can you have a relationship with other people?

To learn more about Ghosting, check out this in-depth article by Psychology Today's Dr. Jennice Vilhauer or you can send your questions over to my Facebook page.

Addendum:

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.  Keep her in your prayers today.

An emerging leader

With the seemingly innocuous play in late November that prematurely ended the season of former MVP Derrick Rose and the mid-season trade of Chicago Bulls co-captain Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers, I was curious to see where this would leave the 2013’-2014’ Bulls and their continuing quest to not only make the NBA playoffs but to also put together a deep run.

But with the loss of D Rose (15.9 points per game (ppg)/10 games) and the subsequent departure of Deng (19.0 ppg/23 games), how would these transitioning Bulls make up the void in their offense? Their leadership? Who among their remaining players would be the one to step up?

It was a train of thought that I am sure Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau has been inundated with throughout Chicago’s injury-plagued season. But to his credit, Thibodeau has not offered any excuses and has even been quoted saying, “We have enough to win.”

Enough seems to have come in the form of 7th year center Joakim Noah whom Thibodeau has decided to run his half-court offense through following the loss of Rose and Deng.

Since the Deng trade, the Chicago Bulls (14-18) have gone 26-14 (as of March 28, 2014) led by the 6’11’’ Noah who’s game has not only risen by several notches but has also garnered some MVP consideration in the process.

Unlike some of my past pieces here in NBA.com/Philippines, I have found this one on the Los Angeles Lakers’ Steve Nash one of the hardest to write. Difficult—because he has always been one of the players that I have looked up to and now, at the twilight of his career, a litany of past and present injuries have slowly robbed the former back-to-back MVP of his health and—indirectly—an opportunity for us all to continue on watching him play in basketball biggest stage.

Currently ranked fourth all-time in the NBA’s career assist ladder,1 he is in my opinion, my generation’s last true pass-first point guard. Like Earvin “Magic” Johnson, John Stockton, and Jason Kidd before him, Nash has that special ability to make his teammates better (and potentially wealthy come contract negotiations).

Today’s point guards—outside of Rajon Rondo, Ricky Rubio, and to a certain extent Kendall Marshall—are built a little more in the mold of a Russell Westbrook, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, and Derrick Rose: Scoring point guards who are relied upon to be their team’s primary or secondary scorer rather than their main facilitator.

To read the full article [click here]

Classic Battles

Roger and I have played every conceivable computer/console basketball game for as far back as I can remember. Name it, we probably played it: Konami’s Double Dribble (1986), Lakers vs. Celtics (1989), the NBA Live video game series (1995-2010), and most recently the NBA 2k series. Game play—I’m sure you will agree—has moved from the simplistic, comedic, and impossible to a more dynamic, serious, and realistic tone. Gone are the proficient half-court “I’m-facing-my-opponents-basket-and-my-shot-will-still-go-in,” heaves of Double Dribble and the peculiarly successful NBA Live Steve Nash 93-foot lobs to either a streaking Amar’e Stoudemire or Shawn Marion. Today’s game attempts to mirror their real life basketball counterparts, rewards team play, and take the entire gaming experience to a different level.

The Action gamer versus the Statistical oriented player

In sports games such as these, two gamer types emerge: the ‘action gamer’ (AG) and the ‘statistical oriented player’ (SOP). My definition of an action gamer is one who is in it purely for the entertainment value. More often than not, you will see them always go for a highlight play such as a fancy assist, killer crossover, or a rim-rattling dunk. They are unconventional and willing to risk everything at any given moment—especially for the buzz that comes with that winning last-second highlight play.1

With the recent 2-year $48.5 million dollar extension of Kobe Bryant and his anticipated return to the Los Angeles Lakers active roster by December 8,1 my thoughts began to shift to what it would take for him—for any player—to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 29-year-old all-time scoring record of 38,387 points.

Bryant’s name immediately comes into the discussion as he is the closest active player to Abdul-Jabbar’s record. At present, the man known as the “Black Mamba” is the 4th all-time leading scorer in NBA history (31,617 career points). When Kobe takes the court on December 8, he would have a possible 227 games over the next three seasons to amass the 6771 points needed to pass Abdul-Jabbar. This hypothesis also assumes that Bryant’s latest contract extension will be the last of his storied career.

With this in mind, Kobe Bryant would have to average 29.828 points over the next three seasons to eclipse the scoring record. He also wouldn’t have the luxury of missing any more games should he decide to indeed “go for it.”

Becoming “The Man”

With the role of go-to player firmly established, Doc’s point totals (a league leading 34 PPG) and defensive intensity (a league best 2.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game) increased, and with it the number of Celtics wins. By midseason, the Boston Celtics were challenging the Miami Heat for the best record in the league and for his efforts; Doc had been named as one of the Stars’ starting guards in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge. In that game, the Stars beat the Elites 90-82 and Doc was adjudged as the Jordan Player of the Game (46 points, 14 treys, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal). Doc’s fingerprints were also felt in the other 2014 All-Star Weekend events as he participated in the Foot Locker three-point shootout (Won by the Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson.) and was also tapped as an Eastern Conference reserve in the All-Star game. (Doc had 18 points, 6 treys, 2 rebounds, and 1 block in the 119-115 loss to the Western Conference All-Stars).

In less than 50 games into his rookie season, Doc had “come into his own” and reached a “superstar status” of sorts (It is also what I believe to be the ultimate objective of the MyCAREER mode). However, it was a success that also had its fair share of criticism. Coming into the league as a pass-first point guard, 2k14’s social media updates would relentlessly admonish my player on his insipid assist totals (I ended up with a season average of 2.3 APG).

The corresponding media backlash reminded me of an offseason interview that RacineSportsZone.com’s Gery Woelfel did with point guard Brandon Knight. Much like Doc, Knight was criticized for his low assist totals and reasoned out that his numbers actually had a lot to do with his shift from point to shooting guard while he was with the Detroit Pistons.1

Addendum:

Click here to read about my NBA 2k14 MyCAREER Review (Part I)
Click here to read about my NBA 2k14 MyCAREER Review (Part II)
Click here to read about the statistics of MyCAREER Player

Needs Assessment

Before doing anything, one needs to know what they have and the Boston Celtics had a lot—usually of the same thing: A regular rotation of undersized bigs (between 6’8’’ and 6’9’’) as well as swing guards with pretty much the same height (between 6’1’’ and 6’5’’) and skill set.1

Doc’s physical attributes (6’3’’ | 185 lbs.) only added to the redundancy in the Celtics backcourt. Fifteen games into the season, he was—in many ways—a slightly taller, poor man’s version of Avery Bradley with the untapped passing potential of a Rajon Rondo. Doc didn’t do anything exceptionally well (as is the case with all MyCAREER players in their rookie year) but possessed the potential to be so much more.

Redefining my role

Given this overlap in talent, I was reminded of what the Celtics head scout said during my pre-draft interview, “point guard is the one position that this team is solid long term” and that they would like to “convert (me) to a shooting guard in order to play alongside Rajon.” In theory, it sounded like a good plan as receiving a pass from a deft assist man like Rondo (Signature skill) can only increase the odds of my attempts. The thing was, MyCAREER generated pass-first point guards usually start out as non-shooters and the very idea of even attempting a medium range jumper or a three-pointer would result in a “bad shot attempt” teammate grade almost every time out.

Addendum:

Click here to read about my NBA 2k14 MyCAREER Review (Part I)
Click here to read about my NBA 2k14 MyCAREER Review (Part III)
Click here to read about the statistics of MyCAREER Player

Making a name in the NBA 2k14 landscape

One aspect of the NBA 2k franchise that has always caught my interest has been the MyCAREER mode as it works on a fantasy scenario wherein you—the controller—is at the center of the professional basketball world. Imagine being an up-and-coming college or international prospect trying to make the NBA and every move, every decision, that you make will not only factor into how much playing time you will be receiving—but also influence which NBA franchise would eventually consider you for their team.

Several days after the release of NBA 2k14, I decided to invest my time and commit to playing a season for this review. Among the game parameters that I set for myself were: Game difficulty [Pro Level]; Game/Simulation Length [8 minute quarters]; That I play every game [No game simulations]; and play with the lineup that I had at the start of the season [Provide zero influence to the general manager on possible trade situations].

As for my player (whom we will simply call “Doc”), I set him up to be a 29-year old, pass-first point guard hailing from the Philippines and 2k14 took care of the rest. Doc was given a decent height (6’3’’), weight (185 lbs), and skills (above average ratings in “passing” and “ball handling”) for a guard. Now it was all up to my gaming skill to see where he would eventually end up in the NBA.

NBA Draft

Prior to the 2k14 NBA Draft, collegiate and international prospects are required to showcase their talents in a single game known as the draft combine. As a starting guard for the Elites, I ended up helped my team (2 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals in 22 minutes) to a 93-86 victory over the Stars. Doc’s contributions generated three random team interviews with representatives from the Boston Celtics (16th pick), Dallas Mavericks (13th selection), and Atlanta Hawks (18th pick).

At this point, team representatives will interview you one-at-a-time and ask around two questions.1 In my first interview, I was quite ecstatic—being a Celtics fan—that Boston was one of the teams that was considering to draft my player.

Addendum:

Click here to read about my NBA 2k14 MyCAREER Review (Part II)
Click here to read about my NBA 2k14 MyCAREER Review (Part III)
Click here to read about the statistics of MyCAREER Player

Making the most of an incredible opportunity

Last October 8, 2013, I was counted among the many coaches who participated in the NBA coaches’ clinic held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The free clinic, sponsored by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), featured a number of the Houston Rockets coaches and the entire coaching staff of the Indiana Pacers taking time out of their busy Global Games schedule to share their basketball knowledge with those in attendance.

As a sport psychologist, I have always jumped at rare opportunities like this in order to learn from the game’s best and take a proverbial peek at their psychology of coaching (e.g., coaching philosophies, decision-making process, etc.). You see, once you look at the game of basketball from a scientific perspective, you will cease to see it as just a game or form of entertainment. In many respects, it becomes a chess match—a game within a game. What coaches have to do in order to put their players in a position to be successful.

I was especially delighted with coaching delegation of the Indiana Pacers that featured: Associate head coach Nate McMillan (former Seattle Supersonics and Portland Trailblazers head coach, USA Basketball assistant coach), assistant coach Ron “Popeye” Jones (former Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets assistant coach), defensive coach Dan Burke (who has been with the Pacers organization for the past 16-years), and head coach Frank Vogel.1

Learning from the Pacers head coach

Prior to the SBP NBA clinic, I had not known much about coach Vogel other than the fact that his start in professional basketball was very similar to Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. Both men started out as video coordinators with Vogel getting his shot as the head video coordinator of the Boston Celtics. But once coach Vogel took center court and addressed the audience, I could immediately tell that he had a lot of confidence and leadership behind his voice.

Taking advantage of a rare opportunity

Three weeks ago, I was among the many coaches who trooped to the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City to attend the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) sponsored NBA coaches’ clinic highlighted by several members of the Houston Rockets coaching staff and the entire brain trust of the Indiana Pacers. The free coaching clinic, a joint venture between the NBA and the SBP, was an NBA developmental program that was held in conjunction with the recently concluded NBA Global Games that was held in the country.

In my capacity as a sport psychologist, I have always made it a point to take advantage of these coaching clinics or workshops in order to better understand a coach’s philosophy or decision-making process (e.g., the psychology of coaching). You see, once you look at the game of basketball as more than just putting the ball though an 18-inch hoop,1 it grants you entry to a whole new world—a game within a game. In many respects, it is what coaches do behind the scenes in order to place their players in a position to succeed.

Here are the rest of the Indiana Pacers coaching clinic highlights: (As mentioned in my last piece, Coach Vogel2 used technical terms to explain these points.)

4) Situational preference for “one-on-one basketball” – “The one area of basketball that we do like to play one-on-one basketball is out of the low post. You (may) think one-on-one basketball is low percentage basketball but when you’ve got David West, you’ve got Roy Hibbert, Luis Scola, Paul George, and Danny Granger to take their man down here. If you can post up with (at lease one) foot in the paint. Boom!…