Who can be a leader?

When we think of leaders in basketball, we often think of point guards or top-scorers. Leaders can actually come from any position.

Inspiration can come from a lot of places. When your team is tired, a fiery speech from a coach or a commanding shout from a teammate can ignite a flame that helps everyone push through. Leaders keep heads from hanging when you're down, and egos humble when you're up.

There are a lot of great examples of leaders in today's game, from coaches like Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra to players like Fred VanVleet and De’Aaron Fox.

The Basketball Movement was founded by legendary leader Rob Yanders, who taught us so much of what we know about leadership.

Leadership can be vocal or even just by example. Not every player has the personality to be a vocal leader for their team, even if they're the best players (for example, Kawhi Leonard).

Leadership does not always come from the top.

If the top player for a team is not up for being vocal, that role needs to fall to someone else. Communication is essential to basketball - on fastbreaks, offense, and especially defense.

The top vocal leader on your team may even come off the bench. Players who are engaged and helpful from the bench are much better for a team than players who quietly wait to enter the game.

The best way to be a leader - no matter your role on the team - is to lead by example. If you are a player who does not give up on plays, constantly pushes the pace, and defends tenaciously, you continually set an excellent example for your teammates. That is called leadership.

“Leadership is diving for a loose ball, getting the crowd involved, getting other players involved. It’s being able to take it as well as dish it out. That’s the only way you’re going to get respect from the players.”
— Larry Bird

You may be the last player to come off the bench at the end of the game. If you play hard and scrape your way back into the game, you can inspire others to follow.

Leadership is incredibly important in basketball as well as other aspects of life. Remember that you can be a leader by working as hard as possible and setting an example for others to follow, no matter your position or role.

Contact The Basketball Movement!

Everything you need to know about to get ahold of us here at The Basketball Movement:

The Basketball Movement provides most basketball-related services you can come up with, and we want you to take advantage of them! To do that, we must be in contact to set things up and get moving. Whether you have some kids needing individual skill development workouts or are a professional needing to work on film study, you can all link up with us the same way.

To learn more about our services or discuss pricing, availability, etc., the best way is to email basketballmovement@yahoo.com - A quick way to do that is by going to our contact page here.

One of The Basketball Movement’s trainers will use that email to answer any questions you may have or set up any workouts.

Another way to reach us is by sending us direct messages on social media. We cannot create appointments this way, but our social media manager should be able to answer basic questions or provide general information you may need. Visit our pages here: Instagram - Facebook - Twitter

We check the above as quickly as possible and will do our best to solve any problems or set up any services as best we can!

One of our favorite ways to interact, though, is in person! We do not necessarily have set hours as workouts start early and often end late, varying day-to-day. That said, feel free to come by at any reasonable hour, and there should be someone available to speak with you about any questions you may have or to figure out how to get you or your athlete involved.

Again, The Basketball Movement provides a wide array of services, from media exposure to strength and conditioning. If you want to know more about us or our affiliate, Yanders Law Basketball (AAU), drop us an email or come by. We are excited to hear from you!

SEMO Prep @ We Are United

Join us this Thursday as We Are United Prep takes on visiting SEMO Prep.

Tomorrow, Thursday, February 1st, We Are United Prep will host SEMO Prep at their home court - The Basketball Movement.

For those who do not know, The Basketball Movement is located at 2135 N Sports Complex Lane in Nixa, MO 65714. The game will take place on the East court.

Our We Are United Coaches and staff want to invite you to see what our athletes can do. The players have been working hard, and it may surprise you to witness the level of prep hoops that is going on right here in Southwest MO.

The game will tip off at 6:00 PM; entry is only $3 per person. We hope to fill the seats as we put on a show with one of our highest-flying squads to date. See you tomorrow!

Highlights from the last matchup:

Rob Yanders to be honored at Drury University

Drury University is planning to honor the late Rob Yanders on January 27th.

As many of you know, The Basketball Movement’s Founder, Rob Yanders, played high school ball in Milwaukee before coming to SMSU-West Plain and then SMSU for his college hoops. Following his pro career in Europe, Yanders returned to the Springfield area, profoundly impacting the community through the sport he loved.

He may not have been a Drury Panther, but his tutelage has produced several; the current men’s team is loaded with former Yanders Law AAU players and We Are United post-grad players.

The program, like so many others, has been touched by Rob Yanders’ legacy.

Drury plans to honor that legacy BEFORE their home game against the University of Illinois-Springfield on Saturday, January 27th. Tipoff is at 3:00 pm. Tickets are available at the Drury box office or online here.

The Yanders family would like to invite everyone to come early to the game and catch the special moment. Then, stick around to see a continuation of Yanders’ vision. Catch our guys, Colin Hardrick (WAU), Logan Applegate (YLB/WAU), Elijah Whitley (YLB), and Juok Riak (WAU)!

2024 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions

The bracket for the 39th Annual Bass Pro Tournament of Champions has been revealed.

Next weekend, Springfield will host the 39th Annual Bass Pro Tournament of Champions. The 2024 ToC will again be stacked with many of the nation’s top high school boys’ teams.

Touted as the country's most highly attended high school basketball tournament, Great Southern Bank Arena at Missouri State will be rocking again this year, especially when the local squads take the floor.

This year, Glendale High and Central High will represent Springfield's prep scene. Central is just coming off a championship win at the Blue and Gold Tournament, which took place on this same court.

The full tournament bracket is below:

Image Credit: Springfield Public Schools

Maxpreps.com currently lists Paul VI as the top high school team in the nation. Edmond North is listed as 6th, McEachern as 13th, and ST. John Bosco at 33. McEachern’s Ace Bailey is lauded as one of the top prospects in the nation.

As usual, The Basketball Movement will have some media coverage of the tournament. Look for that over on our Instagram and Twitter.

Stay tuned!

2024 Goals - The Basketball Movement

Setting goals is a big key to elevating all aspects of life. The start of a new year is always the perfect time to reflect on those goals.

January is always a time for reflection and goal-setting as one year ends and a new one begins. As most seasoned athletes do, the staff of The Basketball Movement knows the importance of setting goals. For our part, we are looking confidently to the future.

We expect our players to meet and conquer challenges, and we intend to do the same, no matter the gravity of those obstacles.

Despite the immeasurable loss faced in 2023, The Basketball Movement is still growing and getting better and better each day. There is plenty in the pipeline for 2024. The Basketball Movement will continue growing because Rob Yanders always dreamt bigger and never settled while honing his craft or basketball facility. We keep that energy.

Coming off the most challenging year we can imagine, The Basketball Movement is still poised to hit the ground running. Leading the pack, our trainers, coaches, media team, and family are ready to provide the top basketball experience in the Midwest for everything on the court and off. Stay tuned for our best year yet.

Staying sharp over the holidays

Poor weather? No problem. Indoor court, outdoor court, no court - there is always a way to keep working on your game.

Life will always be handing you great excuses for not honing your craft—bad weather, a full schedule, holidays, no gym, and so on. Of course, there is nothing wrong with taking breaks or needing time off - life happens. Just remember that the players you strive to be better than may not be doing the same.

Basketball is, of course, an indoor sport primarily. If the weather is good enough to get to a gym, you can practice to your heart's content. Not everyone has court access (young players can at least check out The Basketball Movement's Saturday Clinics), but there are always things you can do.

Are you locked in the house with bad weather? Grab a basketball (no, we're not going to tell you to play pickup games in the house). Do some around-the-world drills to keep your handles and the feel of the ball fresh. Lay flat on your back and get some shots up, not hitting the ceiling, just watching the ball's rotation to check your release and flick of the wrist.

Sharpen your mind

Whether you are a player or even a coach, there is always studying to be done on the game. Watch game footage. You do not have to have tapes of opponents or anything like that. Watch some NBA or college hoops. Get on YouTube and watch some of the greats to learn footwork and where to be on D.

Visualization can be a big part of the game. In the same way pros visualize the ball going in the hoop at the free throw line, you can put yourself in the shoes of the players you see on the screen. Keep your eye out for players you think you can model your game after.

Not everyone can be LeBron James, but there are things to be learned from any player that has made it to college or the NBA. Work on your weaknesses, but also focus on your strengths to become elite.

If the weather has you cooped up, keep these things in mind. Also, check out The Basketball Movement on YouTube for footage of players worth modeling your game after.

For more on everything hoops, keep in locked to The Basketball Movement.

ICYMI: College signings

The Basketball Movement recently hosted some college commitment signings for several of our guys!

In case you missed it, The Basketball Movement was fortunate to hold collegiate signings for a couple of our favorite gym rats. And just today, one more made his commitment known.

We Are United prep’s Javar Daniel and Yanders Law alumni Hogan Smith put pen to paper and fulfilled their dreams, committing to college hoop programs.

Javar Daniel is a 6’10 forward with plenty of athleticism. He is a clear D1 talent headed to Austin Peay to play for former Missouri State assistant and friend of The Basketball Movement, Coach Corey Gipson. Also committed to the Governers are former Yanders Law standouts Anton Brookshire, Jonathan Dunn, and Isaac Haney giving local fans plenty to cheer for in Tennessee.

Hogan Smith, a versatile 6’5 shooter out of Kickapoo High, is staying local, committing to the Drury Panthers. He will join several We Are United alumni: Logan Applegate, Colin Hardrick, and Juok Riak, as well as Yanders Law alum Elijah Whitley. Yanders Law alum, Brady Nicholson, has committed to DU as well. Another fun squad for local fans to keep track of!

Hogan dealt with injuries throughout his young career, making his perseverance to arrive at this point one of the top stories to come out of our programs in a minute.

Congratulations to both of these guys. Congrats also to these college programs that seem to understand precisely the kind of players we turn out here at The Basketball Movement. Dawgs. On-the-court killers. The fighters and leaders that every program needs.

In addition, Awit Mamer of We Are United prep just announced his commitment to DII Augustana University! A 6’3 guard, Awit’s ceiling is staggering. It will be exciting to see the heights his game can reach at this level.

Stay tuned as we keep an eye on our guys, transform more young men and women into pure ballers, and keep the Yanders dream alive.

Training at The Basketball Movement

Ebrace ferocious work ethic at The Basketball Movement

We are known for pushing athletes to become better: better competitors, better players, and hopefully better people. We get this work year-round, not just at events or for those involved with Yanders Law or We Are United.

High school boys and girls, professional hoopers, grade school kids, college players… it does not matter who you are - we want to help you reach your next goal as a player. Hopefully, we can teach you enough about putting in work that it also carries over off the court.

Though we accept willing players from all levels, we ask a lot from the athletes who step on our court. If you cannot work hard and give the necessary effort, we do not want your money. We hold ourselves to high standards and associate only with players that do the same.

If that sounds like you, come get this work.

The Basketball Movement’s bread and butter is skill development. Our trainers include former college players, pro players, and individuals who have been obsessed with the sport for as long as they can remember. You will be challenged, and if you are willing to accept that, you will improve.

We also offer film analysis for higher-level players - one of the most undervalued skills you can have at the college and pro levels. Learning it can be difficult, and we are one of the few teachers around.

One-on-one workouts, group work, strength and conditioning… we are equipped with everything necessary to elevate your game, all wrapped up in a facility modeled with professional setups in mind.

If you or your athlete are prepared to take their game to the next level, reach out to us at basketballmovement@yahoo.com or even drop by and see for yourself what we are all about at 2135 N Sports Complex Ln, Nixa MO 65714.

Serious improvement is not for the faint of heart. We look forward to hearing from the warriors who want to sharpen their iron with ours. We’ll see you on the court.

We Are United highlights

Check the individual and team highlights as We Are United goes undefeated at the Heartland Prep Invitational.

This past weekend, some of the nation’s best prep programs gathered at Evangel for the Heartland Prep Invitational. The results were as expected - fireworks galore. We Are United turned some heads, though that was expected, at least by those familiar with this year’s squad.

We Are United faced off against Kennedy Prep, Florida Coastal, and finally, Montverde CBD. Battling injuries in addition to elite programs, WAU went undefeated.

The legendary Rob Yanders was a big proponent of getting his players deserved media exposure. His guys are still in place, bringing game highlights and individual media to continue elevating the players beyond what you see with many other programs.

Please follow along on Twitter and especially Instagram and YouTube to continue supporting Rob’s vision for these athletes. We appreciate you!

WAU - Heartland Prep Invitational

We Are United Prep set to take on the nation’s best at Evangel’s Heartland Prep Invitational.

We Are United prep faces fierce competition year-round, but this weekend will be special. Some of the very best teams in the nation are coming together, presenting one of the toughest tests our young program has faced.

The best part? It is right in our own backyard.

The Heartland Prep Invitational is hosted by Evangel University and will run this Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 26-28th. Full schedule below:

The Heartland Prep Invitational will not only be an excellent chance for local hoop-heads to catch We Are United but also some nationally ranked D1 talent.

Come out and support We Are United as we continue to elevate the basketball scene in Springfield and the surrounding area, as well as the Midwest as a whole! We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you there.

Applying basketball lessons to life

Basketball can teach you so much. Carry the discipline and team mentality with you in all aspects of life.

The Basketball Movement and the sport itself can teach you many things. The Movement focuses on skill development, conditioning, and team training. It also focuses on "soft skills" such as leadership, speaking, film analysis, marketing, and exposure.

All of these things center around the incredible sport of basketball. However, the skills that you acquire can be applied off the court as well as on it.

Focus, discipline, and competitiveness can benefit you in practice or a game. What about after the buzzer sounds? The same skills are necessary for the most critical parts of your life, such as education, employment, and interpersonal relationships.

The discipline applied in practice needs to also apply to homework. Then, the locked-in focus of a game can be mirrored in test or quiz situations. At work, leadership and the ability to communicate effectively are paramount. Tough boss? No problem; you have probably already had a tough coach.

Follow your passion at The Basketball Movement

Hard work seems much easier when it focuses on something you are passionate about. Think of the challenging classes at school or projects at work as running lines/conditioning for basketball. Of course, there will always be parts you don't like, but they are necessary to get a well-rounded finished product.

None of this is to say that you must go through life with your nose to the grindstone 24/7. Never forget to have fun! Basketball is a blast to play, school is one of the most fun times of your life, and working means funding some of your favorite things.

One of the best places that you can go to establish great habits and a winning mentality is The Basketball Movement.

The Trainers and Coaches of The Basketball Movement have a passion not just for basketball but for developing excellent people with every opportunity to succeed.

If you are ready to contact us immediately, check here! It is always a good time to work on your game and a winning mentality for life. Let your friends at The Basketball Movement help propel you or your player to the top!

Rob's story

A reminder that we are asking for stories, testimonies, and photos from everyone’s experience with Rob.

As we had mentioned previously on social media, Rob’s wife, Jen, has a favor to ask!

To help Isaiah and Ella understand who their father truly was, has Jen asked that you email any personal stories, testimonies, kind words, and/or pictures to yanderslegacy@gmail.com. This will be made into a book for Jen and the kids.

We know so many of you had moving things to share about Rob already, but it was such an overflow of support that there simply was not enough time to fully appreciate it.

Thank you all for the overwhelming love. We each had an idea of what Rob was doing on-and-off the court, but to see the significance of that impact all at once has been staggering and beautiful. We would love for his children to see that as well.

Again, the email is yanderslegacy@gmail.com

Thank you again!

The Basketball Movement - Home of We Are United

For everything We Are United, follow along with us at The Basketball Movement.

Like The Basketball Movement, We Are United prep was started by former pro, Rob Yanders as yet another way to elevate the hoops scene in the Midwest. The prep school has quickly been established as a premier destination for hoopers looking to elevate their game post-grad.

Unfortunately, we have been unable to access We Are United prep’s website or Twitter since the tragic passing of Head Coach Rob Yanders. Fortunately, The Basketball Movement can serve as the home base for the program both digitally and physically.

As an elite training facility, The Basketball Movement is the perfect home base for the competitive basketball program and school. The same is true online, as everything you need to know about We Are United can be found through The Basketball Movement.

You can follow us on Twitter for news and other updates, but make sure to follow along with The Basketball Movement on Instagram as the most consistent source of highlights of WAU ballers in action. Those clips feed into our Facebook stories as well if that is more your scene!

The exposure gained through The Basketball Movement mediums has helped numerous athletes gain exposure and be noticed at the collegiate level.

Also, the highlight clips are just dope.

Our social media pages and thebasketballmovement.com are your home for We Are United prep. For any questions about the program or details on how to get involved, please email basketballmovement@yahoo.com and a coach will get back to you.

Thank you for your support. Go We Are United!

Legacy

What we can learn from the legacy of Rob Yanders.

Sometimes, when you are building something, you do not have time to step back and appreciate it. Robert Yanders knew what he was building and completed much more than he likely even knew.

What was he building? More than a professional basketball training facility, AAU program, or prep school. He was building a family and a brother and sisterhood of ambitious leaders, competitors, community members… He was building better people.

Since Rob’s tragic passing, the Springfield, Milwaukee, and basketball communities have paused to behold his works. In his time with us that was entirely too short, Rob managed to create a lasting impact on the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals.

“Legacy” is the long-lasting impact of a person’s life. If Rob had any desire to have a legacy, we can all certainly agree that he achieved his goal.

He was not done building, but he did leave behind his blueprints. If you want to leave a legacy, you have now seen what it takes.

You do not have to be an NBA star to use basketball (or any other sport) as a tool. If you have a passion, you can use it to grow others around you. It is not an easy path - nothing is given. Do right by others, work hard, take care of your own, work harder, and do not give up on your dream.

Rob would want each of us to leave a legacy when we are no longer here. Keep that in mind throughout this week as you go to school, work, or the gym. Then, keep it going for the next month, then a year. Keep Rob’s fire going.

The Rob Yanders legacy was making people better. If you are reading this, he likely did that for you. Return the favor and KEEP ROB’S FIRE GOING.

LEGACY

Where to put in WORK

The Basketball Movement is the home for any hooper with ferocious work ethic.

High school boys and girls, professional hoopers, grade school kids, college players… it does not matter who you are - we want to help you reach your next goal as a player. Hopefully, we can teach you enough about putting in work that it also carries over off the court.

Though we accept willing players from all levels, we ask a lot from the athletes who step on our court. If you cannot work hard and give the necessary effort, Rob Yanders does not want your money. We hold ourselves to high standards and associate only with players that do the same.

If that sounds like you, come get this work.

The Basketball Movement’s bread and butter is skill development. Our trainers include former college players, pro players, and individuals that have been obsessed with the sport for as long as they can remember. You will be challenged, and if you are willing to accept that, you will improve.

We also offer film analysis for higher-level players - one of the most undervalued skills you can have at the college and pro levels. Learning it can be difficult, and we are one of the few teachers around.

One-on-One workouts, group work, strength and conditioning… we are equipped with everything necessary to elevate your game, all wrapped up in a facility modeled with professional setups in mind.

If you or your athlete are prepared to take their game to the next level, reach out to us at basketballmovement@yahoo.com or even drop by and see for yourself what we are all about at 2135 N Sports Complex Ln, Nixa MO 65714.

Serious improvement is not for the faint of heart. We look forward to hearing from the warriors who want to sharpen their iron with ours. We’ll see you on the court.

Yanders Law on YouTube

One of the best places to catch Yanders Law Basketball action is on YouTube.

The Basketball Movement is affiliated with the Yanders Law AAU Basketball program. Both ourselves and Yanders Law were founded by Rob Yanders, who has maintained a vision that has resulted in the success of countless young men and women throughout this part of the country.

Being a part of Yanders’ basketball ecosystem, many Yanders Law athletes are privileged to be followed by a top-tier media team that allows them to gain additional exposure.

The team is small, so not all athletes can be covered. Yanders and his crew do the best they can, and those results shine through.

Individual highlights and game clips can be found on social sites like Instagram and Twitter. For a comprehensive collection of more complete footage, we recommend you check YouTube!

As we said, not all athletes may be featured, but there remains a trove of exciting Yanders Law action that shows some of the best in our program. The best way to be featured is by working your butts off year-round. We know who you are.

Check out the videos, drop likes and a subscription, and stay tuned for more Yanders Law and The Basketball Movement content!

Yanders Law alum goes pro

Former Yanders Law standout and AP ACC Player of the Year Tyree Appleby is bound for France.

Continuing his already stellar basketball career, Tyree Appleby is headed to Limoges, France, to play professionally for Limoges CSP.

The Arkansas native played AAU ball with the Yanders Law program in high school, displaying the ability to do it all on the court from the point guard position. App would go on to Cleveland State for his first collegiate seasons before transferring to Florida.

Appleby hit his stride in his final collegiate season, playing at Wake Forest in the ACC. He was named AP ACC Player of the Year, leading the storied ACC Conference in points per game (18.8) and assists per game (6.43). His assist average was 6th in the nation.

Tyree partnered with our friends at Edge Sports International to pursue his pro career. He played for the Chicago Bulls team in the NBA Summer League and had workouts with multiple teams around the Association.

Already a proven scorer and playmaker, Tyree Appleby is a high-ceiling player that will greatly benefit from this exciting new opportunity. He has Rob Yanders in his corner, who is a veteran of European hoops himself.

We will be following along closely as App continues his journey on the court. Follow along with us, as always, by checking back right here at The Basketball Movement!

Unseen hours in the trenches

A sports analogy refers to teams being “in the trenches.” What exactly does this mean?

First, perhaps we should start by saying that the origin of saying you are “in the trenches” comes from wartime. At war, soldiers would dig and then occupy trenches with their fellow soldiers, putting them in a frightening, front-line experience that only their fellow soldiers could understand. So, we want to quickly point out that nothing about basketball or any sport can compare to combat situations - in case that wasn’t obvious.

Despite the seriousness of its origins, the saying is still used because it is easy to apply to other situations in which you and your brothers or sisters on a team go through tough times together to achieve goals bigger than any one individual. Only athletes that have put blood, sweat, and tears into a sport can fully understand the thrill of winning championships or the lows of significant losses. That is why we often hear professionals mentioning that outsiders don’t fully understand the work behind the scenes.

There is an old clip of Isaiah Thomas (the original Bad Boy Pistons Isaiah Thomas) watching back for the first time the tape of himself battling through a sprained ankle in the Finals, doing everything he could to will his team to victory before falling short. They cut back to Thomas, who was crying. When the host asks him about his emotion, Thomas begins to answer but winds up telling him, “You wouldn’t understand.”

It’s true. Almost everyone has played sports, so there may be some understanding, but the specific circumstances you fight through as an individual or as a team are unique. Isaiah legitimately gave his all in that series but could not make magic happen. Putting it all on the court and leaving it there is a big undertaking, but one that actual competitors will take on every time.

What each team goes through is what brings them closer as individuals. The greatest teams drew close in practices, on the road, in the huddle, or off the court - A.K.A. the trenches.

To be in the trenches with teammates is a special thing that should not be taken lightly. We want to help athletes understand this and use their time to become better at basketball and stronger individuals and better teammates/friends.

When you are putting in work down in the trenches of the sport, don’t just do it for yourself. Do it for your team - your brothers and sisters that share your colors. The best players are almost always amazing teammates. When and where do you become a fantastic teammate? In the trenches.