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Bucket-Trip 2025 .. Part-6 .. 29.Jun 2025
Days 3-7 … Princeton/Coach Clinic Backstory
(a.k.a) “The Oliver Koch Story”
Some of my friends have asked how the trip was, and I have done my best to explain that to them.
I am not sure that I can find the right words, without sounding “corny”, to really express what transpired during those two weeks.
All of the things that are going on in my personal sphere, and the world in general have, at times, made me doubt whether my total of “almost” 75 years on this planet could be considered a successful venture.
Yes, I have told my doctors and other health care personnel that I was okay with my situation because I had “been there .. done that .. and gotten the T-Shirts”
But, at times I wondered if I believed that, or was I just saying that to make it easier for me to accept my fate.
Therein lies the true purpose of this so-called “Bucket Trip”. It was planned as a chance to go back to the places where I had spent almost half of my life and check in on some of those whose lives had crossed paths with mine.
Oliver Koch was one of those individuals. The pictures in the video tell the story of a boy who started playing basketball in the first camp that, more or less, had my name on it. I’m not sure, but I think it was 1983 in Fulda Germany. I had just left the military, and I have been told that “that was obvious from my coaching style”. 🫣
They show his development on the court. I’d like to believe that all of my players learned the fundamentals of the game, and maybe a little about life, while playing for me.
That’s not the end of the story. The continuation is how the “Bucket Trip” came to be.
Six months ago, I had no goals. There was literally nothing that I felt that I needed (wanted) to do. Add to that my “absolute” frustration with the state of the game of basketball, and the social-political environment, and you have a “let’s just get this over with” attitude.🤷🏽♂️
Enter … Oliver Koch!
We had never really lost contact. I returned to coach in Fulda in 2010, I think it was 2013 when Oliver brought his daughter and son to my camp. Oliver also helped as a coach. It was one of a number of what I have labeled “Full Circle” Coaching Experiences. That’s when a player that I coached at the beginning of playing days, comes back and trusts me to coach his children.
Oliver stayed involved with basketball. A few years later, he asked for a little advice regarding the Under-18 Girls Team that he was coaching. His connection to the game continued and like it said in an old NCAA Commercial “most of them will turn pro .. in something other than sports”!
He is one of them and he became a Doctor, Now he is one of the Team Doctors for the Bundesliga Team “Telekom Baskets Bonn”.
A part of my trip was to touch base with as many of my former players as possible and see how they were doing and what had become of them. Anyway, in February of 2025 we were discussing the offensive trends 🤯 that had invaded the game. The conversation came around to my “prehistoric” beliefs in stuff like “passing”, “moving without the ball” and “playing as a team”.
That, in turn, became a dissertation on the “The Princeton Offense”, favorite amongst “Dinosaurs” and other “Over-the-Hill” Coaches.
That conversation became a project. With some financial assistance, I could go to Germany as the “Apostle of Old-School Basketball”. I could sing the praise of “fundamental” Team-Play to a generation of young players one more time. I could make a contribution to the efforts of those trying to hold back the flood of “Me” Oriented dribble artists and “Logo-3” shooting, chest-pounding, triple step-back, “where’s the camera” ego-maniacs who have taken over the game. … and I could tack on a few days to see how some of my former players were doing.
Thanks to Oliver, I now had something to look forward to, something to plan and and say… “I really want to be able to do this!” The project “Bucket-Trip 2025” was born.
Beginning with the Princeton (Pritzton) Clinic for players and coaches, all the way through the time with Oliver and his family, it was OUTSTANDING.
Coaching a group of young men who “allowed themselves to be coached”, two of whom I would love to see playing college basketball, was really fun. Seeing that group defeat a team of “bigger, faster, stronger” players (which, by the way, is what the offense is designed for) was just icing on the cake.
It wasn’t all work .. I really can’t even call the coaching portion “work”. Hanging out with the family of “kid” that I had coached in 1985, talking about every imaginable topic until after midnight every evening, eating spaghetti-eis (and I wasn’t the only one who likes it)... all of that was rewarding.
There were a number of more elements that made it even more meaningful.
In the video, you will see Oliver and his daughter wearing shirts that he has held onto from his time as a player in Fulda. To me that, in itself, is amazing!
Then, one night at dinner, he left the table and came back with a picture that he had kept. It was hanging on his wall. There are two players in that photo … please, no snide remarks about the length of the shorts, besides, the other guys shorts are shorter than mine🤦🏽♂️.
Anyway, the fact is that he still has that picture, the shirts, his pictures and the stories. All of that began to sink in while I was in Bonn. It went a step further. He told me that there was someone else in Bonn who wanted to see me. In the video, there is a picture of the three of us. Oliver, myself and Heike Frohnapfel. Heike had been in that same camp in 1983 and developed into a player on a very good women’s team in Fulda (also pictured).
So, now you know the backstory to “the Bucket-Trip”.
Now, maybe you know why my players usually made themselves comfortable whenever I started talking during practice…🤷🏽♂️
To finally answer the question "How was your trip?”
It was great! It was more than I could have hoped for. It was a sort of “Validation”. It answered my questions about whether the decisions I made, at the various Crossroads in my life, were the right ones.
The updates from the rest of the trip will only add to that.
I’m back in Houston now and there’s still quite a bit going on, but I am now mentally in a place that I haven’t been in a long time. That’s good for me, and bad for anything that thinks it can be a problem for me.
Lots more to come, so stick around. I’ll also be posting videos and photos in the gallery.
In closing… Thank you to Oliver and his family for being great hosts, the young players in Bonn who participated in the Clinic, and Franceso Tubiana and the Telekom Baskets Bonn.
The FT Fulda Roadrunners Camp ... That's where Oliver started.
The players probably got nauseous after a while when they heard this tune. It was the background music at practice, games and especially the RIBA Camps in the late 80’s.
Not so for me. It’s included in almost every playlist that I have. For me, it brings back “only” pleasant memories of players, families and events from a time when everything seemed right with the world.. at least when we were within “our four walls”.
Oliver remembered it. In 2013, he gave me a copy of the remix!🤣
https://youtu.be/lFmcdf77wzU?si=E4aakDBsJf2BPhnO
If you see yourself or someone you know, feel free to comment, and by all means, pass it on.
#cancer #hofstra #usarmy #booktok #lifetimefitness #cancerjourney #radiationtherapy #basketball
If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to add them on the website.
https://youtube.com/shorts/rufgOLjKVl4?si=A0Owglc9juNq2I8w
Bucket-Trip 2025
07.Jun 2025
Days 3-7 … Princeton and the Coach Clinic in Bonn
The plan was to first take care of “the business part” of the trip, and then tack on a few days of fun.
Truth is, the four days in Bonn were the most fun I’ve had on the court with a group of young players, in a very long time.
I’ll give you the full backstory to this in a couple of days, because it actually belongs to the “Fulda Roadrunners” Section of the Website, which I will be adding shortly.
The short version …
The purpose of this trip was to conduct a basketball clinic for youth players, followed by a clinic for coaches. The central theme of both was to be the “Princeton Offense”.
I was excited and honored about the opportunity.
I am one of those “stuck in the past”, “what’s wrong with the game today”, “it was better back then” coaches, that you guys call a “dinosaur” …
I was excited to get an opportunity to try and make a stand, and attempt to prevent the current trends from wiping out the existence of “the game I used to enjoy.”
“What are those trends?” you ask…
“dribble until you beat your man ..or..
dribble until you get your shot ..or..
penetrate “ to within 2-Feet of the basket - then pass it out to someone standing 30-Feet from the basket ..or..
get a ”3-on-1” Transition Opportunity and have the two lead players spreading out to spot-up for 3’s ..or..
watching “No-Pass” / “1-Pass” 3’s being jacked-up!
Sorry.. I’m just not a fan.🤷🏽♂️
So, you can imagine my excitement about being offered a chance to “preach the Old Testament Version” of basketball and possibly help it stay alive a little while longer.
I felt honored that the whole project was set in motion by a player who attended the first basketball camp that eventually led to the concept that I call “RitzBBall”… the full backstory is coming!
The clinic turned out to be more (fun) than I had expected.
I arrived in Bonn earlier than planned and some of the young players were in the training facility. We weren’t supposed to start until the next day, but…
The coaches said, “The kids are here, you’re here … so, why not?”
I explained, to the boys, what we were going to be doing for the next couple of days.
As I was speaking, I saw many things in their eyes … excitement, enthusiasm and, an expression like ”that sounds like fun”… were not among the things I saw.
Man, was I wrong! They really got after it! They were ”all in” from the first bounce of the ball. We spent about an hour going through some of the basic drills.
I found myself completely caught up in their engagement. They were attentive and energetic. The next two days were even better.
It was literally “just like it used to be” .. right down to “the push-ups”.
They worked really hard and we still had fun…!
Fun Moment -
During a warm-up drill, one of the players drives to the basket and misses a “1-on-0 Dunk”😣
As he jogs back to his line, I raise my hand with an open palm ✋🏾 towards him and point to the floor.. He raises his hand 🤚 as if to give a high-five 🖐️..
I raise ✋🏾and point👇🏾to the floor.
His teammates start laughing and someone yells out …”he means push-ups.” He drops and does them.
A few minutes later, he misses another dunk … I raise - He drops!🤷🏽♂️
Later in the practice, another player misses a dunk.. I looked in his direction and … before I had a chance to do anything, he was running off to the sideline and doing push ups!😲 Needless to say .. everybody lost it! 🤣🤣
Bottom Line - All of the practice sessions reminded me of how it used to be.
Then came a surprise and ”the icing on the cake.”
Someone thought it might be a good idea to “try this Princeton Thing out!”
So, there was a scrimmage against Bonn’s NBBL Team.
The offense is designed for exactly these circumstances… In fact at the Coach Clinic, I called it “Basketball Jiu-Jitsu”.
Facing Opponents who are “bigger-faster-stronger” and more aggressive, you use their actions against them.
In summary, it was one of the most rewarding basketball experiences of my career. That goes as well for the Coach Clinic, although I feel that I fell short of my goals. There was so much more that I wanted to say to the coaches, but there simply wasn’t enough time.😔
If the players and coaches feel that they benefited from the clinics, then I’m happy. One coach did contact me afterwards and asked for more information, which I was happy to send him.
As far as the players are concerned, the entire group was outstanding and I was impressed enough, by two of them, that I will try to help them play in College, if that is something that interests them.
Hey 👋 Marvin .. Leonard … what do you think? 🤔
I enjoyed the sessions because “the players allowed themselves to be coached” and the coaches were willing to listen.
I saw that there’s still room for “back in the day” basketball and the next time someone looks at the way I coach and calls me a dinosaur … I‘ll just smile and say “Thank You!”
There’s much more to come and, maybe some of you will begin to agree that…. “ back in the day “ maybe things were better than they are today!😈
Footnote: This trip has convinced me that there are some time periods, cities, teams, events and people that deserve their own sections. Those will be added soon.
If you see yourself or someone you know, feel free to comment, and by all means, pass it on.
#cancer #hofstra #usarmy #booktok #lifetimefitness #cancerjourney #radiationtherapy #basketball
If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to add them on the website.
Bucket-Trip 2025
Bucket-Trip 2025 .. Part-4
02.Jun 2025
Day-8 … Way, Way Behind!🫣
I am still „way behind“ with my updates!😔
Nevertheless, I thought it would be good to at least give you the timeline.
There will be separate posts with lots of „almost“ unbelievable stories.
For me, perhaps the most unbelievable is the fact that so many of these players have held on pictures T-shirts, and stories from their basketball beginnings.
It’s an undescribable feeling and it makes me really happy that I made this trip.
As soon as things slow down, I’ll start making some serious post and maybe you’ll agree that…. “ back in the day “ maybe things were better than they are today!😈
There‘s much more to come!
#cancer #hofstra #usarmy #booktok #lifetimefitness #cancerjourney #radiationtherapy #basketball
If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to add them on the website.
Bucket-Trip 2025
Bucket-Trip 2025 .. Part-3
28.May 2025
The Clinic Day-1 … Short Preview
The guys are working hard and „absorbing“🫣
I‘d almost forgotten what it’s like to work with a group that „allows themselves to be coached!“
I am „way behind“ with my updates!😔
It’s been great so far… and.. I slept 12-Hrs last night.😲
There‘s much more to come!
#cancer #hofstra #usarmy #booktok #lifetimefitness #cancerjourney #radiationtherapy #basketball
If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to add them on the website.
Bucket-Trip 2025
Bucket-Trip 2025 .. Part-2
25.May 2025
Still fascinated by the activity in the “Berlin Hauptbahnhof” .. Main Train Station.
Grand Central in New York “might be” a rough comparison.
Anyway, I decided to get some exercise and do a little sight-seeing on foot.
There is so much to see, but my stamina was being challenged. (Saved by the 💊)
I walked along the Spree River and to the Brandenburg Gate.
The architecture in Berlin is definitely worth a visit.
Later, I will drop a “memorable” history lesson.
Back to the hotel and “Italian” for dinner… and for the UNCA players who made the preseason Tour with me “way back when”, I had a Magnum for dessert.
For the rest of you… “No” they are “not the same” as the Magnum you can buy in the States!😔
If you have questions or comments, feel free to put them in the comments sections.
Pass the link on to your friends .. especially those who may once have been involved in the the program, once upon a time.
The Bucket Trip
Bucket-Trip 2025 .. Part-1 .... 23.May 2025
Well, here I am starting a trip at 10 months ago, was not even on my radar.
I had allowed my passport to expire, because I didn’t think I would be using it anymore.
Then, through some strange quirk of fate, I receive recognition on the list of “Who’s Who in America”.
As a result, I decided to re-publish my book (“It’s the Coach’s Fault “) and see if that would help sales. … It didn’t!🤣
What it did do however, was lead to my reconnecting with a player that I had coached in the first basketball camp in Germany that actually had my name on it. That was around 1982.
This is the story of the Trip...
Feel free to comment .. especially if you see yourself, or someone you know. ... and .. pass the link on to your friends
Bucket-Trip 2025 .. Part-1 .... 23.May 2025
Well, here I am starting a trip at 10 months ago, was not even on my radar.
I had allowed my passport to expire, because I didn’t think I would be using it anymore.
Then, through some strange quirk of fate, I receive recognition on the list of “Who’s Who in America”.
As a result, I decided to re-publish my book (“It’s the Coach’s Fault “) and see if that would help sales. … It didn’t!🤣
What it did do however, was lead to my reconnecting with a player that I had coached in the first basketball camp in Germany that actually had my name on it. That was around 1982.
That young man has since become a doctor, and he also coaches basketball. That, in turn, led to some discussions, which ended with an invitation for me to do a basketball clinic in Bonn.
All of a sudden, the guy who thought he had nothing left on his ”To-Do List” suddenly had something to do.
It presented a chance to provide a little resistance to the trends that have swept across the game of basketball.
We won’t go into a philosophical discussion of that at the moment. We’ll just enjoy the trip and report on the process. So, here we go!
I made sure I didn’t forget my medications, like I did the last time I took a trip.
The trip to Bush International Airport in Houston and the flight to Germany went fairly smoothly.
The first activity was a very pleasant one.
One of the men that I served with when I was stationed in Germany, happen to be traveling to Austria to do some preparation for his trip to Africa.
He contacted me and said that he would come to the airport in Frankfurt and then we could catch up a little bit.
Since my first contact with Germany started with the 11th Armored Calvary Regiment, somehow it seemed only fitting that this last contact with Germany started with the 11th Armored Calvary Regiment. We met at the airport, had breakfast and talked a lot.
Here are some pictures, I’ll try to post regularly, but I can’t promise that it will be daily. You probably wouldn’t want that anyway!
If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to add them on the website.
