Basketball and leadership: Why Lebron James deserves everyone’s respect

Stephen Varanko III puts a premium on leadership when it comes to team sports, being a basketball captain himself during his younger years. He believes that aspiring athletes have dozens of role models to look up to. One such role model is Lebron James.

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While James is incredibly polarizing, one thing is for sure – he is one of the greatest talents the basketball world will ever see. He has amassed and broken a number of records during his 15-plus years in the league and looks to set all-time numbers before he retires, which at the rate he’s going, won’t probably be in the next three years.

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James is a physical specimen. He’s strong, fast, and agile. James has often been described as a basketball genius in a footballer’s body. He can bang on the inside and handle the ball as impressively as the best point guards to ever play the game. James can do it all.

While the common criticism about James is his mental toughness (or lack of it), he has led his teams to the NBA Finals on way more occasions than most of his peers. That would not have been possible if he didn’t possess any semblance mental toughness.

James has often been compared to the likes of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, and will forever be mentioned in the NBA’s top five players of all time.

James has given his life to the sport and has dominated in for most of his tenure as a player, making champions out of players who would otherwise never win titles in their lifetime. To Stephen Varanko III, that’s worth respecting.

Stephen Varanko III has had a storied academic background. Having ranked 12th in his high school class standings, he had also been an active participant in many extracurricular activities, being both class president and president of the honor council. He had also been the captain of the varsity lacrosse, cross-country, and basketball. Click here for more on Mr. Varanko.

The greatest floor leaders in NBA history

Stephen Varanko III was the captain of his basketball team basketball team back in high school. He acknowledges the training he received and the values he inculcated as a student-leader and how these have helped shaped him to the person he is now.

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There are also outstanding stories of leadership in the NBA that young athletes can look up to. Here are some of the greatest NBA floor leaders who exemplify excellent leadership skills that children can take inspiration from.


Bill Russell

No other NBA team was as dominant in the ’60s as the Boston Celtics. And a big part of that is due to Bill Russell. Russell was a center who epitomized team leadership and one of the few players who led in both offense and defense. He showed players everywhere that every player on the floor was connected and it was this support that translated to victories.

Magic Johnson

A leader of the Showtime Lakers back in the ‘80s, Magic made all his teammates better. His energy lifted everyone on the team. Magic’s vision made sure that all his teammates had a chance to shine. And since he could play in various positions, he picked up the slack when his teammates could not.


Michael Jordan

Stephen Varanko III’s vote for the greatest player of all-time, Michael Jordan was a no non-sense leader who had tunnel vision for victory. He had no problem telling off teammates when they were slacking, and most importantly, he led by example. When the game was on the line, Jordan always took it upon himself to be the leader and carry his team on his shoulders.


Stephen Varanko III used to play basketball and was captain of his high school team. Read more about sports by visiting this website.

How to balance academics and extracurricular activities with ease

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Many students juggle more than their academics when they reach high school or college. Extracurricular activities become a common fixture in a student’s life. Many students become involved in extracurricular activities to improve their social skills or gain new expertise. However, some may find it difficult to balance their academics and extracurriculars, eventually leading to either a drop in a student’s -performance in class or stress brought about by just too many after-school activities. Below are some tips on how students can effectively balance their academics and extracurricular activities.

Create your own schedule and follow it

Creating your personal schedule for academics and extracurricular activities can give you foresight as to how much time you’ll need for both. For example, if you have exams coming up and you need the time to review, you can cancel or reduce some of your after-school engagements. At the same time, if you have a big club event coming up, you can free up some of your academic time to focus more on your activity.

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Choose your extracurricular activities wisely

A lot of students join extracurricular clubs just for the fun or the experience. However, they may be forced to do a lot of work they weren’t counting on when they signed up. This can pressure them into sacrificing their academics for the sake of the club. This should not be the case.

Always prioritize your academics

Even if you are gunning for a sports scholarship, you shouldn’t let your academic life crumble. Always have time to work on your academics and see to it that your marks get better even during busy days in the club.

Stephen Varanko III has had a storied academic background. Having ranked 12th in his high school class standings, he had also been an active participant in many extracurricular activities, being both class president and president of the honor council. He had also been the captain of the varsity lacrosse, cross-country, and basketball. For similar reads, visit this page.

Analyzing the Warriors’ so-called 'death lineup'

Now a by-word in the NBA, the “death lineup” refers to the generally smaller players utilized by the reigning champs Golden State Warriors. It is a concept developed by the team’s current head coach, Steve Kerr, during the team’s first championship run in 2015 leading to the Warriors getting its first ring after a 40-year drought.

What makes this playstyle unique from other small-ball iterations in the past is that the lineup is agile and versatile enough to defend bigger players while boasting of great offensive and passing skills to create mismatches and space the floor on the other end.

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It came almost as a coincidence when Kerr first employed in during the 2014-15 Finals. The new coach needed to better contend with LeBron James and his favored Cavaliers team. He experimented by injecting Andre Iguodala in the starting lineup, replacing the slower Andrew Bogut. In effect, the team was able to outpace the Cavs with Curry, Thompson, Green, Barnes, and Iguodala on the floor. It was a kind of position-less basketball that had the defense-focused Green playing mock center and Iguodala becoming a stretch 4. Iguodala ended up getting the Finals MVP award that year.

Now, with Kevin Durant in the team, the initial death lineup is completely realized, with Iguodala and Durant playing the wing position while the so-called splash brothers Curry and Thompson as guards. The agile Green maintains his role as pseudo center. This concept has largely led to the Warriors winning two more championships in the past three years. This death lineup just might get even deadlier, once new acquisition DeMarcus Cousins returns from injury.

Stephen Varanko III is a graduate of Randolph Macon Academy, where he was a student-athlete and served as the captain of the varsity lacrosse, cross-country, and basketball teams. He ranked 12th in his class and was the recipient of the All-American Scholar Award in chemistry. For more articles like this, click this link.

Gearing for a marathon: What shoe to wear for your first full marathon

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When it comes to marathons, the shoe you wear can mean the difference between finishing at a good time and getting injured. Except for barefoot runners, no marathon runner would disregard choosing the right pair of shoes for the run. If you want to train for and participate in a marathon, here is a quick shoe guide to help you make your choice.

What runners need to look for when buying marathon running shoes are weight, comfort, and protection. Weight has a lot to do with marathon shoes. Even a single ounce heavier can mean a lot if you’re dragging that additional weight for 26 miles.

As for comfort, staying as comfortable as long as possible helps keep the muscles from getting stressed. This is why some marathon shoes provide excellent insulation to keep the muscles from overheating and reduce the effects of sweat.`

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Protection is also needed as certain objects can end up on the road like rocks or gravel that the runner may not see. The areas that need protection the most include the heel, the toe, and midsole.

For beginners, most shoe companies come up with lightweight trainers that work well in marathons. These are incredibly light shoes compared to other more rugged marathon-built shoes but are still durable enough with ample heel and midsole protection. This is especially important as to avoid injuries later in the race when fatigue starts to set in.

Stephen Varanko III has had a storied academic background. Having ranked 12th in his high school class standings, he had also been an active participant in many extracurricular activities, being both class president and president of the honor council. He had also been the captain of the varsity lacrosse, cross-country, and basketball. For more articles like this, visit this blog.

Be a better ball handler with these basketball drills

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Dribbling is a fundamental skill in basketball.  Without it, players won’t know how to move with the ball.  Some of the greatest players in the NBA were insane ball-handlers.  Players like Pete Maravich, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson, Steph Curry, Chris Paul, and Kyrie Irving could mesmerize both the audience and their opponents with their ball-handling wizardry.

Let’s take a look at some dribbling drills to improve one’s ball-handling drills.

Two-balls

Dribbling two balls is great for facilitating ambidextrous skills.  Through this drill, a player can concentrate on developing dribbling with his weak hand.  This is a staple drill in training camps which can be modified just as easily.  Players can start by staying stationary, and moving forward slowly when they get the hang of it.

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Finger pads

The use of finger pads over the past few decades has improved the dribbling of so many young players.  Dribbling with the fingers (not with the palms) is the correct way of dribbling, since it gives the player more control over the direction of the ball.  Finger pads also discourages players from using their palms.

Low and hard

The principle here is that the shorter the time the ball spends out of one’s hand, the harder it is to steal.  Learning to dribble low and hard will pay dividends in the future.  Players should do this drill, especially with their weak hand. 

Stephen Varanko III used to play and coach basketball. Read more about sports by visiting this website.

Drills that can improve your lacrosse stick skills

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High-class stick skills help lacrosse teams win games.  The ability to catch and throw the ball accurately and even under defensive pressure can make or break victory.  The best way to develop stick skills is to undergo drills, examples of which are discussed below:

Wall Ball

This is probably the most accessible drill, as everything one would need to do this are the stick, a ball, and a wall.  This drill involves throwing the ball repeatedly on the wall and attempting to catch it as ricochets off the surface.  This can develop a player’s dexterity, especially his or her non-dominant hand skills.  Even the best players in the world still hit the wall on a regular basis.

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Lacrosse golf

A simple, yet enjoyable, way to improve throwing skills is to play lacrosse golf.  All a player would need is a lacrosse stick, ball, and a bucket.  The goal is to shoot the ball from various distances.  Players can do this on their own or make it a competition with teammates.

Waterfall Drill

The Waterfall Drill helps develop the players’ ability to make and catch short and long passes.  The drill starts with two players standing on the same end line, at least ten yards apart.  Both players would then run to the other end line while passing a ball back and forth.  Upon reaching the end line, the players would move further away from each other before running again to the first end line, and this time, making long cross-field passes.

Stephen Varanko III used to play lacrosse when he was in high school. He even served as captain of his school’s varsity team. Read more about the sports by visiting this website.