So in between thoughts of impending martial law, the racial and political mess our country is in, and what I was going to have for dinner last night, I was thinking about quicksand. Not the brown, sloppy, gooey, wet, human-engulfing, death-bringing kind, but close. Nope, this is a different kind of quicksand. Shane Falco talked about it in The Replacements. "You're playing a game. And one thing goes wrong, then another, and another and before you know it you can't do anything right. And the more you fight it and struggle, the more you sink. Quicksand." Maybe not the exact quote, but it's close. Shane was talking so eloquently about football. Me? I'm talking about basketball and coaching. I've really only experienced it once as a player. I was a freshman in college playing JV basketball at then Anderson College. We were playing our arch rivals, the evil Taylor Trojans, which is a strange thing to say about a Christian liberal arts college...they would probably say the same thing about Anderson, another Christian liberal arts college. We hated them, and they hated us. We were playing at Taylor that night. I think we may have already beaten them at our place previously, but this one went bad. Really bad. We were awful. I was awful. I made a mistake on defense. Then another, and another. Then one on offense. Turned it over. Missed lay ups. Then a foul, and another and another. I got mad. I was running my mouth. They were in my head. I lost my cool. Before I knew it I was on the bench with 3 fouls in the first half, no points and maybe one rebound. No matter what I did or how hard I fought and struggled, I just kept sinking. I don't even think I played much in the second half. We lost, bad. Quicksand. What's worse is we all had to dress varsity that night, and the JV squad for the Trojans sat in the stands across from our bench taunting us and tormenting us the rest of the night. I think our varsity won, but we had been humiliated. Defeated. We had sunk.
Flash forward. Way forward, and I experienced quicksand again with my 7th graders in our last tournament this past weekend. We had gotten off to a great start. Missing three regulars, we won our first game by 25. We did everything right. The next game we played a very good, very long team from Evansville. We made mistakes but the game was tight most of the way. We lost by double figures. That team made the semifinals in the top bracket. The next day we played one of the best 7th grade teams in the state of Indiana. We led the whole first half. Gave up a big run in the second half, but we competed. We lost by 21. We were outsized and outmanned. They eventually won the top bracket. We had lost our tallest player the game before to an ankle injury. We were still competitive. If we played this team ten times they would probably beat us ten times. This team had beaten one of our rivals, a team we had not been able to beat all summer, by 48 the day before. We felt good. We ended up in the second tier bracket of the tournament. I felt good. I liked our chances. We had to win two games to get to the championship and the second round game looked to be against the team we had beaten by 25.
Then we played our first round game. We played a team that hadn't won a game all weekend. No disrespect to them, but if we played them ten times we would probably beat them ten times. However, we began sinking right from the start. We turned the ball over. A missed layup. A foul. Another turnover. Another foul. Two more missed layups. Five turnovers and six or so missed layups in the first three minutes. Missed shots. More turnovers. One after another after another. More fouls. I think they were in the bonus six minutes into the first half. By halftime we were only down a bucket or two. I tried to motivate. Encourage. Point out mistakes. Who am I kidding? I lit into them. After all, getting into my guys at halftime had worked the weekend before. Not this time. As the second half started we were already up to our wastes in quicksand and continued sinking. More of the same. Missed shot after missed shot. Missed layup after missed layup. Turnover after turnover. Defensive mistake after defensive mistake. Before we knew it we were down by 10. We managed to fight back and cut it to only a bucket late, but by then we had fought and struggled so hard we had continued sinking, and our heads were barely still above the surface and we were taking our last collective breathes. Quicksand. We were deep in it. Stuck and couldn't get out. Time ran out. And it was over. We lost. None of us expected it. We fully expected to be playing on Sunday, likely for the championship. It was disappointing. Heartbreaking in fact. Totally unexpected. Quicksand. It got us. I was speechless for a bit, and so were the boys. The leader of our program spoke softly to the group. We were shocked.
As for the tournament, the team we had beaten big earlier that weekend ended up in the championship game against our nemesis, our rival, the team we hadn't beaten all summer. And they won, again. Our nemesis. But this time it was our turn. We were better. We had improved. We were finally gonna win. We were gonna get em. Then the quicksand got us. And we struggled and we fought and we sunk. Our summer of basketball as a group, as a team was over. In the end, it had gotten all of us. That quicksand. A hard lesson to learn. We had gone into the game too confident, perhaps. Not focused. Not ready to play. Looking ahead maybe. We lost our cool. We struggled. We sunk. We departed the gym by imparting words of wisdom and encouragement on our charges. "You have to be ready every time you step on the floor. You have to be focused. We missed shots. They made shots. They outplayed us. It happens. Learn from it. Keep working." Finally, after everything had been said and although none of us were ready, we said our goodbyes and well wishes, and we all left the gym, with gooey, sloppy, wet, brown sand on our shoes.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Yep, I'm a Hypocrite
I like one, but not the other. Both family men. Both married with kids. Both without scandal, controversy or off the court problems. Both at the top of their games. Love one, can't stand the other. Yep, I'm a hypocrite. I like Steph Curry. I love Steph Curry. I can't stand LeBron James. I really don't like LeBron James. I was trying to figure out why. They both work hard. They both make their respective teams better. They both have been league MVP. Both have won championships. By all accounts they both seem to be good people.
Here's why, I think. LeBron was "the chosen one." He was hyped when he was in high school. A man among boys if you will. The fanfare, the admiration, the constant buzz...everyone knew he would go straight to the League, which he did. He basically made an impact immediately. Rookie of the Year. NBA All Star team permanent resident. Endorsement deals from the start. So much hype. Too much hype. Too much love and admiration. Too much LeBron. You know how you hear so much about someone that you don't like them before you even meet them, or know much about them? That's LeBron. LeBron has been in the League thirteen seasons, from 2003-2016. The first seven in Cleveland. He led Cleveland to the Finals in 2007, his fourth year in the league. Won some games. Did his thing. Then there was "The Decision" in 2010. The interview where LeBron told the world that he was "taking his talents to South Beach," to Miami. Puke. So much hype. Too much hype. Too much love and admiration. Too much ego. Too much, too much. Then there was the show. The stage. LeBron, Wade and Bosh. All on that stage. Talking about all the championships they were gonna win. Not one. Not two. Not three. Not four. Not...who cares. They won two. But LeBron learned something new in Miami. He learned to flop. He learned acting. He learned to whine. He learned to complain. About everything! If someone breathed on him wrong he wanted a foul. If he was called for a foul, he didn't do it. He learned that scowl he would have on his face, you the one that looks as if he is crying all the time. Yes, you know the one. He became arrogant. The ego. Don't disrespect LeBron. First it was the Pacers and Paul George. Then Lance Stephenson. Don't show "The King" any disrespect. LeBron won two championships with Wade, Bosh and the rest of his cast in Miami. All the while he was touted as the greatest player to ever play the game. Above Bird. Above Magic. Above Jordan. Above Kobe, Shaq, Wilt, Oscar. Too much hype. I couldn't stand it. My dislike for LeBron grew almost to a hatred level. My own son loved him. The arguments we had. My argument was always he may be the greatest athlete to play, but he's not the greatest player. I also argued that he hadn't won enough championships. Mike won six. Kobe won six. Magic won five. Larry three. That's not even taking into account the players that won with Red Auerbach and the old Celtics. His argument was, no matter how much I hate to admit that he had a point, Robert Horry has seven rings, so does that make him the greatest player in NBA history? Is he better than LeBron? Touche' young buck. He had a point. Moving on...LeBron has won four NBA Most Valuable Player awards. Kobe has one. Magic and Bird with three each. Jordan has five. But still LeBron is touted as the greatest ever. I just don't buy it and never have. Greatest athlete and physical specimen, sure. Maybe the most dominant player ever. Capable of dominating any game at any time, as long as he chooses. But the whining. The complaining. He whines and complains during the game, after the game, in the off-season. Always whining and complaining, incessantly, non-stop. I can't stand it. I think if he would just shut his mouth and play, like he did in game 5 of this year's Finals, stop complaining, stop whining, just worry about basketball, dominate, I might like him much more. Maybe love him. But that remains to be seen.
What about Steph Curry? He is the son of a great shooter. I watched Dell Curry when he played. He was smooth. He was true. His shot was pure. He could shoot. That's about all he could do. But man could he shoot. I always wanted to shoot like that but was never willing to put in the time to get there. Steph was a nobody in high school. Under the radar. No one wanted him coming out of high school. But still he worked. He shot. He believed. He was an underdog. My pops, rest his soul, loved the underdog. Always rooted for the underdog. Maybe I'm that way a little. When Steph received all of one, that's 1, scholarship offer out of high school from Davidson, he accepted. He went to Davidson. He worked. He made an impact right away. But no one knew about tiny Davidson and Steph Curry. Then he led his team to back to back runs in the NCAA tournament. The most beloved of all tournaments, arguably, for basketball fans. He led the nation in scoring. Dazzled with his shooting ability and his ball handling. Still no one believed. They said he couldn't play. Said he'd never make it in the League. Couldn't handle the ball well enough. He was too small. Too slow. Not athletic enough. Not strong enough. Still he believed. He worked. He put in the time. Didn't complain. I'm not sure I've ever seen him complain, save for a look of disgust on his face occasionally and the occasional questioning of a call here or there (nothing like LeBron). He was drafted in 2009. But success didn't come right away. He had to work, had to do his time, put in the work, pay his dues so to speak. It didn't happen right away. He seems humble. Always gives credit to his teammates. He's not full of himself. He invites college kids to work his camps in the off-season. And man can he shoot. He can fill it up. His range begins when he steps off the bus as they say. He can handle the rock. He won a championship in 2015, his fourth year in the league. He may win two and go back to back this year, and equal Lebron's total, but get there quicker. He has two, back to back, NBA Most Valuable Player Awards. But he has made himself one of the best in the NBA, and according to the voters, the best in the NBA for two straight years. Still people doubt him. He is still questioned. He's not a leader. He's weak. He disappears when he struggles or when things aren't going well. I have seen Steph have some bad games in the playoffs. He has struggled. I haven't seen him disappear. Haven't seen him quit. He has kept playing. Kept plugging. Kept shooting as all good shooters do when the shots aren't falling. The only time he hasn't played is when he was injured or when his coach took him out. I haven't seen him ask to come out. His own coach has questioned him. Still he plays. Even when no one believes. Gives credit to others and doesn't complain...too much.
So yes, maybe I'm a hypocrite. And I'm ok with that. I like what I like. And I like Steph. It's really a personal preference after all. I loved Dennis Rodman. Magic is my all-time favorite player. But I like Curry. For all the reasons I mentioned. He works hard. He believes in himself. He gives hope to the little guy. The average guy. He's not big or chiseled with muscles. He gives kids hope. So does LeBron, but with a caveat. You have to be born with good genes, unbridled athleticism, speed, strength and muscles to be like LeBron. Not Steph, although I suppose he has good genes too. You just have to believe. You just have to work and put the time in, and maybe have a dad that played in the NBA, or not. You can make it, even when no one thinks you can or will. So keep working, keep plugging, keep shooting. Yep, that's the difference I think. Not that LeBron doesn't work at it or believe in himself. Yep, maybe that makes me a hypocrite. And I'm ok with that.
Here's why, I think. LeBron was "the chosen one." He was hyped when he was in high school. A man among boys if you will. The fanfare, the admiration, the constant buzz...everyone knew he would go straight to the League, which he did. He basically made an impact immediately. Rookie of the Year. NBA All Star team permanent resident. Endorsement deals from the start. So much hype. Too much hype. Too much love and admiration. Too much LeBron. You know how you hear so much about someone that you don't like them before you even meet them, or know much about them? That's LeBron. LeBron has been in the League thirteen seasons, from 2003-2016. The first seven in Cleveland. He led Cleveland to the Finals in 2007, his fourth year in the league. Won some games. Did his thing. Then there was "The Decision" in 2010. The interview where LeBron told the world that he was "taking his talents to South Beach," to Miami. Puke. So much hype. Too much hype. Too much love and admiration. Too much ego. Too much, too much. Then there was the show. The stage. LeBron, Wade and Bosh. All on that stage. Talking about all the championships they were gonna win. Not one. Not two. Not three. Not four. Not...who cares. They won two. But LeBron learned something new in Miami. He learned to flop. He learned acting. He learned to whine. He learned to complain. About everything! If someone breathed on him wrong he wanted a foul. If he was called for a foul, he didn't do it. He learned that scowl he would have on his face, you the one that looks as if he is crying all the time. Yes, you know the one. He became arrogant. The ego. Don't disrespect LeBron. First it was the Pacers and Paul George. Then Lance Stephenson. Don't show "The King" any disrespect. LeBron won two championships with Wade, Bosh and the rest of his cast in Miami. All the while he was touted as the greatest player to ever play the game. Above Bird. Above Magic. Above Jordan. Above Kobe, Shaq, Wilt, Oscar. Too much hype. I couldn't stand it. My dislike for LeBron grew almost to a hatred level. My own son loved him. The arguments we had. My argument was always he may be the greatest athlete to play, but he's not the greatest player. I also argued that he hadn't won enough championships. Mike won six. Kobe won six. Magic won five. Larry three. That's not even taking into account the players that won with Red Auerbach and the old Celtics. His argument was, no matter how much I hate to admit that he had a point, Robert Horry has seven rings, so does that make him the greatest player in NBA history? Is he better than LeBron? Touche' young buck. He had a point. Moving on...LeBron has won four NBA Most Valuable Player awards. Kobe has one. Magic and Bird with three each. Jordan has five. But still LeBron is touted as the greatest ever. I just don't buy it and never have. Greatest athlete and physical specimen, sure. Maybe the most dominant player ever. Capable of dominating any game at any time, as long as he chooses. But the whining. The complaining. He whines and complains during the game, after the game, in the off-season. Always whining and complaining, incessantly, non-stop. I can't stand it. I think if he would just shut his mouth and play, like he did in game 5 of this year's Finals, stop complaining, stop whining, just worry about basketball, dominate, I might like him much more. Maybe love him. But that remains to be seen.
What about Steph Curry? He is the son of a great shooter. I watched Dell Curry when he played. He was smooth. He was true. His shot was pure. He could shoot. That's about all he could do. But man could he shoot. I always wanted to shoot like that but was never willing to put in the time to get there. Steph was a nobody in high school. Under the radar. No one wanted him coming out of high school. But still he worked. He shot. He believed. He was an underdog. My pops, rest his soul, loved the underdog. Always rooted for the underdog. Maybe I'm that way a little. When Steph received all of one, that's 1, scholarship offer out of high school from Davidson, he accepted. He went to Davidson. He worked. He made an impact right away. But no one knew about tiny Davidson and Steph Curry. Then he led his team to back to back runs in the NCAA tournament. The most beloved of all tournaments, arguably, for basketball fans. He led the nation in scoring. Dazzled with his shooting ability and his ball handling. Still no one believed. They said he couldn't play. Said he'd never make it in the League. Couldn't handle the ball well enough. He was too small. Too slow. Not athletic enough. Not strong enough. Still he believed. He worked. He put in the time. Didn't complain. I'm not sure I've ever seen him complain, save for a look of disgust on his face occasionally and the occasional questioning of a call here or there (nothing like LeBron). He was drafted in 2009. But success didn't come right away. He had to work, had to do his time, put in the work, pay his dues so to speak. It didn't happen right away. He seems humble. Always gives credit to his teammates. He's not full of himself. He invites college kids to work his camps in the off-season. And man can he shoot. He can fill it up. His range begins when he steps off the bus as they say. He can handle the rock. He won a championship in 2015, his fourth year in the league. He may win two and go back to back this year, and equal Lebron's total, but get there quicker. He has two, back to back, NBA Most Valuable Player Awards. But he has made himself one of the best in the NBA, and according to the voters, the best in the NBA for two straight years. Still people doubt him. He is still questioned. He's not a leader. He's weak. He disappears when he struggles or when things aren't going well. I have seen Steph have some bad games in the playoffs. He has struggled. I haven't seen him disappear. Haven't seen him quit. He has kept playing. Kept plugging. Kept shooting as all good shooters do when the shots aren't falling. The only time he hasn't played is when he was injured or when his coach took him out. I haven't seen him ask to come out. His own coach has questioned him. Still he plays. Even when no one believes. Gives credit to others and doesn't complain...too much.
So yes, maybe I'm a hypocrite. And I'm ok with that. I like what I like. And I like Steph. It's really a personal preference after all. I loved Dennis Rodman. Magic is my all-time favorite player. But I like Curry. For all the reasons I mentioned. He works hard. He believes in himself. He gives hope to the little guy. The average guy. He's not big or chiseled with muscles. He gives kids hope. So does LeBron, but with a caveat. You have to be born with good genes, unbridled athleticism, speed, strength and muscles to be like LeBron. Not Steph, although I suppose he has good genes too. You just have to believe. You just have to work and put the time in, and maybe have a dad that played in the NBA, or not. You can make it, even when no one thinks you can or will. So keep working, keep plugging, keep shooting. Yep, that's the difference I think. Not that LeBron doesn't work at it or believe in himself. Yep, maybe that makes me a hypocrite. And I'm ok with that.
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Still About Winning...and So Much More
Five years ago I wrote an article about winning. It was about the winning mindset and how the group of kids I had at the time, and for the previous few years, sometimes had it and sometimes didn't. I also wrote that that particular group was a bunch of nice kids, too nice at times on the basketball court. Those kids were 7th graders at the time. I remember having one or two hyper-competitive players on my summer team who would do anything and everything to win. They were all nice kids. The rest of them, well, sometimes they got after it and sometimes they didn't. I also stated that sometimes they cared about winning and losing, and sometimes they didn't. Someone pointed out at the time that I was blaming my win/loss record, or lack of success on the kids or the parents, who had raised their kids right and taught them to be nice off the court. That couldn't have been further from the truth. I have never cared about my record, success, or lack thereof.
Flash forward to 2016. I am now coaching another son and a crop of 7th graders who have just finished or will be finishing their 7th grade school years very soon. Some of them have played with each other on school teams. But they have never all played together as a team. What is interesting is that things really haven't changed much. I will say that this group cares a little more about winning, and they take losing a little harder. This group is a little more scrappy, a little more aggressive, a little dirtier. They want to win. I believe it's because most of them have older brothers, sisters or both. They have brothers who play sports in high school, or brothers that played in high school and have gone on to play in college. Sisters who similarly play in high school or did, and have gone on to play in college. Some of the siblings were multi-sport athletes. Some specialized. But this group seemingly has been through those knock-down, drag-out fights in the driveway, or the back yard or the living room or the neighborhood with those siblings. It shows. Don't get me wrong. They are great kids. They are well-behaved, even nice. But these kids have a bit of an edge to them. Some of them are a little hard, "dirty" even. But off the court, they're nice. Polite. Some of the best kids you'll ever meet. And good basketball players, some from small schools, some from bigger ones.
Back to my record and success or lack thereof. I have never cared about my record. I love to win and I hate to lose. I try to instill that in the kids that play for me. When I was young, I wanted to win at all costs. Everyone I knew wanted to win at all costs. If all I cared about now was winning, I would go out and recruit, no I would battle, and get the best player from every team in the area. But I don't. I have always preferred local kids, kids from small schools, farm schools, kids that by the time they get to high school have developed, with my help I like to think, the will to go out and compete with the kids from the big schools and the kids with the most talent. Kids with integrity and character. Not that the kids from big schools, or the ultra talented don't have those things. I like kids I can develop. I try to teach my kids that while winning isn't everything, it sure is fun. I also don't shy away from teaching them that they have to learn how to take losing their own way. I hated losing. Took it pretty hard. Until I got older and wiser. What I learned is losing should bother you a little bit. Whether it was a game you should have won, or a game you had little chance of winning. You shouldn't dwell on it and let it consume you, but it should eat at you a little. Drive you to do more work, to improve your skill set, your mindset and to get a little better. But what I really care about is teaching kids the game. I care about teaching basketball skills and situations. I care about developing skills and mindsets. I care about teaching kids life skills that will benefit them later when they are in high school or have graduated and moved on to college or the workforce. I care about teaching them to pay attention to detail, to do things correctly and to do things the way they've been taught. After all, I have played the game since I was a kid, in high school and in college. I have been studying the game and coaching it for a long time. I know a little. I care that each and every one of the kids that plays for me improves his game, his knowledge of the game or his intensity or competitive nature while playing for me. To me that is success. And, based on that, I have been very successful. I have compiled a long list of kids that have played for me over the years who have gone on to play basketball or other sports in college, perhaps the subject of a separate blog. But I like to think I have had a little bit to do with that. I also care about developing relationships. Relationships with the kids, with the parents, with other coaches. Relationships developed by the kids, who may be rivals or enemies during the school year, but get to know each other and become friends while playing together in the summer, spending time together at practice and in hotels and swimming pools and breaking bread together or taking trips to Smoothie King between games at tournaments. I treasure the relationships I have developed with kids who have graduated from high school, gone on to college and still call me "coach." Some of them may have only played for me for one summer or in a Fall league before their season started. Some for several years. But they still call me "coach." That is what is important to me. It is still about winning. We all want to win. Especially these young kids who have battled those older brothers and sisters, who may have learned how important winning is when they got to high school and passed it on to these young kids in the driveway. Those older kids also learned how important their teammates were, how important those relationships were. They learned that while they may compete and be rivals or enemies on the court, and although they definitely wanted to win when they all played against each other, they learned that it is more important to maintain those relationships and that they can be friends, in some cases for life, off the court. I remember when the class of 2015 graduated. So many of the kids that played with and against each other attended each other's open houses, hung out together, and maintained those relationships. They still talk and exchange stories. I see these young kids now, including my own son, doing the exact same thing, with maybe a few more trips to Smoothie King. They are developing relationships, friendships that will last in some cases for a lifetime. They are swimming in pools, running the halls of the hotels, hanging out in the workout rooms or eating dinner together. They're nice kids. They're good basketball players. They're competitive. They want to win. It is still about winning, but it is about oh so much more.
Flash forward to 2016. I am now coaching another son and a crop of 7th graders who have just finished or will be finishing their 7th grade school years very soon. Some of them have played with each other on school teams. But they have never all played together as a team. What is interesting is that things really haven't changed much. I will say that this group cares a little more about winning, and they take losing a little harder. This group is a little more scrappy, a little more aggressive, a little dirtier. They want to win. I believe it's because most of them have older brothers, sisters or both. They have brothers who play sports in high school, or brothers that played in high school and have gone on to play in college. Sisters who similarly play in high school or did, and have gone on to play in college. Some of the siblings were multi-sport athletes. Some specialized. But this group seemingly has been through those knock-down, drag-out fights in the driveway, or the back yard or the living room or the neighborhood with those siblings. It shows. Don't get me wrong. They are great kids. They are well-behaved, even nice. But these kids have a bit of an edge to them. Some of them are a little hard, "dirty" even. But off the court, they're nice. Polite. Some of the best kids you'll ever meet. And good basketball players, some from small schools, some from bigger ones.
Back to my record and success or lack thereof. I have never cared about my record. I love to win and I hate to lose. I try to instill that in the kids that play for me. When I was young, I wanted to win at all costs. Everyone I knew wanted to win at all costs. If all I cared about now was winning, I would go out and recruit, no I would battle, and get the best player from every team in the area. But I don't. I have always preferred local kids, kids from small schools, farm schools, kids that by the time they get to high school have developed, with my help I like to think, the will to go out and compete with the kids from the big schools and the kids with the most talent. Kids with integrity and character. Not that the kids from big schools, or the ultra talented don't have those things. I like kids I can develop. I try to teach my kids that while winning isn't everything, it sure is fun. I also don't shy away from teaching them that they have to learn how to take losing their own way. I hated losing. Took it pretty hard. Until I got older and wiser. What I learned is losing should bother you a little bit. Whether it was a game you should have won, or a game you had little chance of winning. You shouldn't dwell on it and let it consume you, but it should eat at you a little. Drive you to do more work, to improve your skill set, your mindset and to get a little better. But what I really care about is teaching kids the game. I care about teaching basketball skills and situations. I care about developing skills and mindsets. I care about teaching kids life skills that will benefit them later when they are in high school or have graduated and moved on to college or the workforce. I care about teaching them to pay attention to detail, to do things correctly and to do things the way they've been taught. After all, I have played the game since I was a kid, in high school and in college. I have been studying the game and coaching it for a long time. I know a little. I care that each and every one of the kids that plays for me improves his game, his knowledge of the game or his intensity or competitive nature while playing for me. To me that is success. And, based on that, I have been very successful. I have compiled a long list of kids that have played for me over the years who have gone on to play basketball or other sports in college, perhaps the subject of a separate blog. But I like to think I have had a little bit to do with that. I also care about developing relationships. Relationships with the kids, with the parents, with other coaches. Relationships developed by the kids, who may be rivals or enemies during the school year, but get to know each other and become friends while playing together in the summer, spending time together at practice and in hotels and swimming pools and breaking bread together or taking trips to Smoothie King between games at tournaments. I treasure the relationships I have developed with kids who have graduated from high school, gone on to college and still call me "coach." Some of them may have only played for me for one summer or in a Fall league before their season started. Some for several years. But they still call me "coach." That is what is important to me. It is still about winning. We all want to win. Especially these young kids who have battled those older brothers and sisters, who may have learned how important winning is when they got to high school and passed it on to these young kids in the driveway. Those older kids also learned how important their teammates were, how important those relationships were. They learned that while they may compete and be rivals or enemies on the court, and although they definitely wanted to win when they all played against each other, they learned that it is more important to maintain those relationships and that they can be friends, in some cases for life, off the court. I remember when the class of 2015 graduated. So many of the kids that played with and against each other attended each other's open houses, hung out together, and maintained those relationships. They still talk and exchange stories. I see these young kids now, including my own son, doing the exact same thing, with maybe a few more trips to Smoothie King. They are developing relationships, friendships that will last in some cases for a lifetime. They are swimming in pools, running the halls of the hotels, hanging out in the workout rooms or eating dinner together. They're nice kids. They're good basketball players. They're competitive. They want to win. It is still about winning, but it is about oh so much more.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Basketball or psychology?
When I started coaching competitive basketball my oldest son was a 5th grader. The kids in his class were good athletes and good basketball players. As 4th graders they had made it to the USSFA State Finals. I was an assistant for them as 5th graders. I thought it would be all about x's and o's. I was wrong. They had an all new coaching staff. Myself and the head coach both had a son on the team. It was difficult. These were good kids, but we had a difficult time getting them to listen and do what we wanted them to do in practice and in games. They had a difficult time getting along with each other. They were 5th graders, the class of 2013. They were good. There were some new players. It was a tough season. We spent more time trying to motivate them and keep the peace, than we did on x's and o's. Basketball or Psychology?
The following year I had a son that was a 4th grader. This was the class of 2015. I was the head coach that year. It was the class's first season of competitive basketball. The kids were a little timid. They were'nt very tough. They were nice. They were all friends. They were not very competitive, in practice or in games. They didn't care if they won or lost, which probably wasn't all that bad at the time, but they were in a competitive league where other teams wanted to beat them and beat them badly. They didn't have alot of confidence. Some games they played as if they knew they could win. Other games they didn't. If they started a game and went down early, they were pretty much done. If they thought the team we were facing was better than they were, they didn't play as hard. When they made mistakes they got down on themselves and they let it affect their play. They also just didn't play smart. I remember that my assistants and I would talk often about the fact that the kids just didn't know how to play basketball. I remember begging them to watch college games on television that season hoping that this would somehow help them make a connection with what we were trying to teach them. We also had some parent issues. I found myself playing counselor to a recently divorced parent before and after practices. It was exhausting. As usual, I had some parents who weren't happy about playing time. Now, I must add here that before the season ever started, I made it clear (or thought I had) that this was competitive basketball and we were going to play the kids that gave us the best chance to win games, while trying our best to get everyone playing time. We had ten kids on the team. Their talents were not all equal. I mentioned that this was not recreational basketball and if the parents were interested in equal playing time, they should play rec. Maybe a little harsh, but true. We tried our best to get everyone playing time, but it was a difficult task to do and still try to win games. Consequently, there were games where some kids didn't play much. I had to decide between trying to win and equal playing time. I chose to try to win. I was honest about this. Some parents weren't happy. They didn't like the playing time their kids got, and didn't like the honesty. Some parents jumped me at courtside following one tournament game, in front of the kids, the other parents and everyone in the gym. Some parents just didn't bring their kids back. One parent waited until the next day and called to discuss his kid's playing time. The conversation was tense, but civil, and eventually the parent and I remained friends. We still did pretty well that season. We went 6-3 and lost in the first round of the league tournament. Basketball or Psychology? You decide.
I sat out the year the 2015 kids were 5th graders. I was an assistant when they were 6th graders. The head coach was a local doctor. The doctor, also a woman, spent the majority of her time either coaching or watching basketball. She went to all the games she could. High school games, middle school games, grade school games, Butler games, Pacers games, Fever games. She was basketball smart and knew a great deal about the game. And man could she teach it. The team was pretty good that year. We went 7-2, won a couple games in the league tournament and miraculously qualified for the USSFA State Tournament on the final weekend and made it to the final four. Still we struggled with motivation and confidence. We struggled with toughness. The kids continued to get down on themselves when they made mistakes. Once this happened, the player would be done for the game, no good to us due to self-defeating thoughts and attitudes. Luckily, other players stepped up when this happened and we had a great season. Basketball or Psychology?
When I started coaching AAU, or summer, basketball I thought it would be all about the x's and o's. Man was I wrong again. Well, I wasn't so wrong the first year. My second son was a 5th grader, going into 6th grade. We had very few kids show up to tryout. My wife and I put together a rag-tag bunch of kids at the last minute. They turned out to be great basketball players. We won four tournaments and finished runner-up twice, including a runner-up finish at AYBT Nationals. Good players, good coaching. The following year when the kids were 6th graders, we had alot of the same kids and mixed in some new ones. We tried to work on team chemistry right away. It is difficult to develop team chemistry when you are losing players and adding new players every summer. This was also the first year we had two teams, essentially an A and a B team. We tried to dispell the A and B stigma immediately, telling the parents and the kids that we were treating them all the same. We wanted to be one big team. This was a difficult task. The better team was going to be playing a more competitive schedule and the parents and players were notified of this fact right from the start. We tried mixing the kids up early in practice so they all got a chance to play together. However, as the season began, we began playing the teams against one another in practice. They needed to work together as teams since they were going to be playing that way in tournaments. The outcomes were usually lopsided as one team was more talented than the other. The "B" team began calling themselves the "A team practice dummies." Morale was low. We attempted to address this issue as the season went on, but with little success. The "B" team didn't win alot of games. The "A" team had issues with selfishness and team chemistry. As always, there were some issues with parents who were unhappy with the coaching. We lost some kids. As 7th graders, we had some very good players. We again had two teams with a similar result. One team often beat up on the other team in practice. The "B" team again had issues with unhappy parents due to coaching, coach and player interactions and playing time. The "A" team had some good players and two very good players. We won a couple of tournaments, but against tougher competition, our very good players would step up and play hard. The other players would kind of watch and play hard only some of the time. They often deferred to the better players. We still had confidence issues. We would play hard if we thought we could win, but back down against better teams. We had players who would get down on themselves. Mistakes killed us. We tried to teach the kids to forget about the mistakes and continue playing through them. A couple of kids did, but again, we had little success with this. Unhappy parents. Team chemistry issues. We lost some players. Basketball or Psychology?
Fast forward to this year. Again we lost some players. We took what we thought were the best players available. From the beginning we had team chemistry issues. We've had selfish play. We've had players who dominated the ball or took shots every time they touched it. We've had players who didn't want to share the ball with everyone. We have had problems with effort and intensity. We have had some players who work hard in practice and others who don't. We've had confidence issues. Players who have played scared. Givin up. Quit on us. Especially if we were playing a team that had already beaten us. In that particular case, we quit before the game started. We've played soft. We've played hard. We've actually won one tournament early in the season. We haven't won a game sense. We've had infighting. We've had good competition, but it may have hurt the team chemistry. We have tried to promote competition in practice to bring out the competitive nature of the players. This prepares them to play in tournaments at high levels. At times it has worked. It hasn't worked at others. Some players have had to miss practice for various reasons. Some haven't missed. Some who have missed have played more than some who haven't, depending on the game situation and level of competition. We have had hurt feellings. We have done the best we can. Everyone has played alot. Still we have had problems. We have had players that think no one likes them. This has never been the case. I should state here that we have been a very successful program. We have teams in grades three through eleven for several years. We have been very good at retaining players. I have had the same core group of players for four years. Most teams lose and add players every year. More people have been happy with our club than not. Still we've had team chemistry issues and problems with motivation. When my assistant coach and I began the season, we thought it would be more about x's and o's. After all the kids are older. They are going into high school. The competition starts to even out at most tournaments. Players start to gain confiedence. They start to play through the mistakes. They start to play every play and compete. Man were we wrong! Same issues from the same players, and some of the new ones. It is still a work in progress. We haven't won alot of games. The players are, however, getting better. Our players took the month of June off to play and pactice with their high school teams. Most of our kids did very well with their teams at practice and in games this month. This gives us hope. Hope that we are getting through to them, helping them improve. Still, we have been very frustrated at times. But we will stick it out, and do our best. We will try to bring the team and it's players together. We will continue to try to motivate them, praise them, correct them when necessary. And we may even continue to be frustrated. Who knows? Perhaps we need counseling! Basketball or psychology? You decide.
The following year I had a son that was a 4th grader. This was the class of 2015. I was the head coach that year. It was the class's first season of competitive basketball. The kids were a little timid. They were'nt very tough. They were nice. They were all friends. They were not very competitive, in practice or in games. They didn't care if they won or lost, which probably wasn't all that bad at the time, but they were in a competitive league where other teams wanted to beat them and beat them badly. They didn't have alot of confidence. Some games they played as if they knew they could win. Other games they didn't. If they started a game and went down early, they were pretty much done. If they thought the team we were facing was better than they were, they didn't play as hard. When they made mistakes they got down on themselves and they let it affect their play. They also just didn't play smart. I remember that my assistants and I would talk often about the fact that the kids just didn't know how to play basketball. I remember begging them to watch college games on television that season hoping that this would somehow help them make a connection with what we were trying to teach them. We also had some parent issues. I found myself playing counselor to a recently divorced parent before and after practices. It was exhausting. As usual, I had some parents who weren't happy about playing time. Now, I must add here that before the season ever started, I made it clear (or thought I had) that this was competitive basketball and we were going to play the kids that gave us the best chance to win games, while trying our best to get everyone playing time. We had ten kids on the team. Their talents were not all equal. I mentioned that this was not recreational basketball and if the parents were interested in equal playing time, they should play rec. Maybe a little harsh, but true. We tried our best to get everyone playing time, but it was a difficult task to do and still try to win games. Consequently, there were games where some kids didn't play much. I had to decide between trying to win and equal playing time. I chose to try to win. I was honest about this. Some parents weren't happy. They didn't like the playing time their kids got, and didn't like the honesty. Some parents jumped me at courtside following one tournament game, in front of the kids, the other parents and everyone in the gym. Some parents just didn't bring their kids back. One parent waited until the next day and called to discuss his kid's playing time. The conversation was tense, but civil, and eventually the parent and I remained friends. We still did pretty well that season. We went 6-3 and lost in the first round of the league tournament. Basketball or Psychology? You decide.
I sat out the year the 2015 kids were 5th graders. I was an assistant when they were 6th graders. The head coach was a local doctor. The doctor, also a woman, spent the majority of her time either coaching or watching basketball. She went to all the games she could. High school games, middle school games, grade school games, Butler games, Pacers games, Fever games. She was basketball smart and knew a great deal about the game. And man could she teach it. The team was pretty good that year. We went 7-2, won a couple games in the league tournament and miraculously qualified for the USSFA State Tournament on the final weekend and made it to the final four. Still we struggled with motivation and confidence. We struggled with toughness. The kids continued to get down on themselves when they made mistakes. Once this happened, the player would be done for the game, no good to us due to self-defeating thoughts and attitudes. Luckily, other players stepped up when this happened and we had a great season. Basketball or Psychology?
When I started coaching AAU, or summer, basketball I thought it would be all about the x's and o's. Man was I wrong again. Well, I wasn't so wrong the first year. My second son was a 5th grader, going into 6th grade. We had very few kids show up to tryout. My wife and I put together a rag-tag bunch of kids at the last minute. They turned out to be great basketball players. We won four tournaments and finished runner-up twice, including a runner-up finish at AYBT Nationals. Good players, good coaching. The following year when the kids were 6th graders, we had alot of the same kids and mixed in some new ones. We tried to work on team chemistry right away. It is difficult to develop team chemistry when you are losing players and adding new players every summer. This was also the first year we had two teams, essentially an A and a B team. We tried to dispell the A and B stigma immediately, telling the parents and the kids that we were treating them all the same. We wanted to be one big team. This was a difficult task. The better team was going to be playing a more competitive schedule and the parents and players were notified of this fact right from the start. We tried mixing the kids up early in practice so they all got a chance to play together. However, as the season began, we began playing the teams against one another in practice. They needed to work together as teams since they were going to be playing that way in tournaments. The outcomes were usually lopsided as one team was more talented than the other. The "B" team began calling themselves the "A team practice dummies." Morale was low. We attempted to address this issue as the season went on, but with little success. The "B" team didn't win alot of games. The "A" team had issues with selfishness and team chemistry. As always, there were some issues with parents who were unhappy with the coaching. We lost some kids. As 7th graders, we had some very good players. We again had two teams with a similar result. One team often beat up on the other team in practice. The "B" team again had issues with unhappy parents due to coaching, coach and player interactions and playing time. The "A" team had some good players and two very good players. We won a couple of tournaments, but against tougher competition, our very good players would step up and play hard. The other players would kind of watch and play hard only some of the time. They often deferred to the better players. We still had confidence issues. We would play hard if we thought we could win, but back down against better teams. We had players who would get down on themselves. Mistakes killed us. We tried to teach the kids to forget about the mistakes and continue playing through them. A couple of kids did, but again, we had little success with this. Unhappy parents. Team chemistry issues. We lost some players. Basketball or Psychology?
Fast forward to this year. Again we lost some players. We took what we thought were the best players available. From the beginning we had team chemistry issues. We've had selfish play. We've had players who dominated the ball or took shots every time they touched it. We've had players who didn't want to share the ball with everyone. We have had problems with effort and intensity. We have had some players who work hard in practice and others who don't. We've had confidence issues. Players who have played scared. Givin up. Quit on us. Especially if we were playing a team that had already beaten us. In that particular case, we quit before the game started. We've played soft. We've played hard. We've actually won one tournament early in the season. We haven't won a game sense. We've had infighting. We've had good competition, but it may have hurt the team chemistry. We have tried to promote competition in practice to bring out the competitive nature of the players. This prepares them to play in tournaments at high levels. At times it has worked. It hasn't worked at others. Some players have had to miss practice for various reasons. Some haven't missed. Some who have missed have played more than some who haven't, depending on the game situation and level of competition. We have had hurt feellings. We have done the best we can. Everyone has played alot. Still we have had problems. We have had players that think no one likes them. This has never been the case. I should state here that we have been a very successful program. We have teams in grades three through eleven for several years. We have been very good at retaining players. I have had the same core group of players for four years. Most teams lose and add players every year. More people have been happy with our club than not. Still we've had team chemistry issues and problems with motivation. When my assistant coach and I began the season, we thought it would be more about x's and o's. After all the kids are older. They are going into high school. The competition starts to even out at most tournaments. Players start to gain confiedence. They start to play through the mistakes. They start to play every play and compete. Man were we wrong! Same issues from the same players, and some of the new ones. It is still a work in progress. We haven't won alot of games. The players are, however, getting better. Our players took the month of June off to play and pactice with their high school teams. Most of our kids did very well with their teams at practice and in games this month. This gives us hope. Hope that we are getting through to them, helping them improve. Still, we have been very frustrated at times. But we will stick it out, and do our best. We will try to bring the team and it's players together. We will continue to try to motivate them, praise them, correct them when necessary. And we may even continue to be frustrated. Who knows? Perhaps we need counseling! Basketball or psychology? You decide.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Players that never were
I love to reminisce. To think about the old days, when I was a kid growing up in New Castle. Things were so different back then. I grew up in the 70's and 80's, when it was ok to let your kids play outside until after dark, or run around the neighborhood, around town, or leave them at the park all day. Things were much simpler. There were no video games unless you were fortunate enough to have an Atari. No cable, just four channels, and sometimes five. There was nothing to do except to go outside and play. That's what we did. We had the NBA, Neighborhood Basketball Association. We had the NFL, Neighborhood Football League. We had the NWBL, Neighborhood Wiffle Ball League. It was the good life. We were The Sandlot, before it was a movie. We used front yards, back yards, school yards, yards that belonged to people we didn't know and vacant lots. Wonderful memories.
This brings to mind some of the guys I grew up with and went to school with. I grew up with some incredible athletes. Everyone knows some. The kids that are well developed, muscular, faster and stronger than everyone else. They don't have to work at anything. They are good at everything, every sport. They just have it. Even when we were young, we just knew that these kids were going to be superstars. Some of them grew up to fullfill those lofty expectations we all had for them. Others didn't. Those that didn't are the focus of this blog.
In every high school in America there are better players, better athletes, walking the hallways of those schools than there are on the sports teams. Better basketball, football, baseball players. Better wrestlers, track athletes, and more. We had them at my school. They were some of the best athletes I had ever seen. Yet for various reasons, they never played for our school. They never wore a uniform, the green and white of New Castle Chrysler High School. The Trojans. Never ran out of the tunnel in the Fieldhouse. Never ran onto the football field or stepped over the lines of our baseball diamond. They were good. They were freakishly athletic.
There were several guys that could have played high school sports and done very well. I will not use their real names, primarily because I had no contact information and could not get there permission. So none of the names are real. But trust me, they were very real.
Let's begin with Zeke. Zeke was one of the most athletic kids I knew. He was probably 5'10" in high school. Man could he jump. He could dunk a basketball any way he wanted to. He could go two hands, two hands behind his head, 360, one handed tomahawk, reverse, off one foot, two feet, it didn't matter. He was a quick jumper too. Quick on his feet, fast, and could get off the floor before you ever knew it. He was explosive. He could shoot it too. He could drain it from mid range, outside, 20 feet, 30 feet. His range began as soon as he stepped onto a court. He played all the time. Yet he never played for the school. To this day, I still don't know why. Perhaps he was uncoachable. Maybe he was one of those kids that for whatever reason just never could play organized basketball. Couldn't take the coaching, the criticism. Maybe he didn't like the rules, or the structure. Or maybe he just wasn't interested. Whatever the reason, he was an incredible athlete and very good basketball player. He graduated with us, but after graduation, I never saw him again.
There was Pete and Ben. These two guys were probably the best athletes in our entire class, maybe even in our town. They could do it all. They were fast and strong. They were good at everything. They played in youth leagues as kids, but once they hit junior high, that was it. Pete was muscular and strong. Smooth and relaxed. He never got rattled. He was good at everything; football, basketball, track, kickball, dodgeball, baseball, tag, hopscotch. It didn't matter. I don't know for sure, but I believe he was of native american heritage. He was an incredible athlete, but he never played for our school. He moved in when we were kids. Moved away a little later, and moved back. I honestly do not recall if he graduated with us or if he moved away before then. I have no idea what ever happened to him. But he had more talent and athletic ability than anyone I had ever seen. He never played for the Trojans. He would have been a great assett to any of our high school teams.
Ben was skinny, but strong and wiry. He was fast and could jump. He was a freakish athlete. He too was good at everything. He could have been particularly good as a track athlete, running sprints, high jump, long jump, pole vault, perhaps the Decathlon. He could have played football and basketball. He never did. He didn't care much for school. Didn't care much about homework or grades. He wasn't dumb. He was a smart guy. He just didn't care. Didn't care about coaches or teams, tournaments or trophies. His goal in life was to have a good time. I don't fault him for that. We all want that. However, with a little dedication and self-discipline, he could have been one of the best athletes to come out of our town. Ben got involved in using drugs and alcohol by the time we were in junior high. He definately had some good times, I guess. I think he was in trouble here and there, but nothing major. He never played a down, an inning or a quarter in high school. The shame of it is he could have been the best athlete in our class. He had so much God-given talent and ability. He was a natural athlete. It all went to waste. He graduated, but I haven't seen him since.
The other guy that came to mind was not really an athlete. He was, however, a basketball player. He was an incredible basketball player. So much so that I'll call him Larry, since that is who he reminded me of. Larry Bird. Larry could play basketball. And play he did, all the time. He played all day in the summer from sunup to sundown and beyond. We had lighted courts at Baker Park. Larry was out there sometimes until midnight. I don't know, but I would imagine he probably skipped school to go play. He knew the game, knew the court, every inch of it. He could shoot, he could drive, he could pass. He played like Larry, and Magic. Unfortunately, he wasn't a great athlete. He didn't have speed, but he was pretty quick. He could jump a little, but not great. He was a solid player. An incredible player. He never played for our high school. Never wore the green and white. Never ran out of the tunnel. He was at every game, but never as a player. I really don't know why. I never remember him trying out for a team. Not in junior high. Not in high school. Not ever. He was a great player. He graduated with us. He is around. He has kids in school now. I bet he still plays. I bet he will still be playing years from now. He loved basketball. I'm sure he still does.
Players that never were. They are everywhere. We had them. You had them. Every school has them. They have talent, athletic ability and skills. They could have played on your high school football or basketball team. They would have made our team better, your team better. They would have helped us win games, maybe even state titles. They didn't. I don't know why. Not coachable. Not interested. Into drugs and alcohol. Too much moving. Who knows? They could have been great. They were not. At least not in the sense of high school athletics. Talent, athletic ability, skills. All wasted. They were players. Too bad they never played for us.
This brings to mind some of the guys I grew up with and went to school with. I grew up with some incredible athletes. Everyone knows some. The kids that are well developed, muscular, faster and stronger than everyone else. They don't have to work at anything. They are good at everything, every sport. They just have it. Even when we were young, we just knew that these kids were going to be superstars. Some of them grew up to fullfill those lofty expectations we all had for them. Others didn't. Those that didn't are the focus of this blog.
In every high school in America there are better players, better athletes, walking the hallways of those schools than there are on the sports teams. Better basketball, football, baseball players. Better wrestlers, track athletes, and more. We had them at my school. They were some of the best athletes I had ever seen. Yet for various reasons, they never played for our school. They never wore a uniform, the green and white of New Castle Chrysler High School. The Trojans. Never ran out of the tunnel in the Fieldhouse. Never ran onto the football field or stepped over the lines of our baseball diamond. They were good. They were freakishly athletic.
There were several guys that could have played high school sports and done very well. I will not use their real names, primarily because I had no contact information and could not get there permission. So none of the names are real. But trust me, they were very real.
Let's begin with Zeke. Zeke was one of the most athletic kids I knew. He was probably 5'10" in high school. Man could he jump. He could dunk a basketball any way he wanted to. He could go two hands, two hands behind his head, 360, one handed tomahawk, reverse, off one foot, two feet, it didn't matter. He was a quick jumper too. Quick on his feet, fast, and could get off the floor before you ever knew it. He was explosive. He could shoot it too. He could drain it from mid range, outside, 20 feet, 30 feet. His range began as soon as he stepped onto a court. He played all the time. Yet he never played for the school. To this day, I still don't know why. Perhaps he was uncoachable. Maybe he was one of those kids that for whatever reason just never could play organized basketball. Couldn't take the coaching, the criticism. Maybe he didn't like the rules, or the structure. Or maybe he just wasn't interested. Whatever the reason, he was an incredible athlete and very good basketball player. He graduated with us, but after graduation, I never saw him again.
There was Pete and Ben. These two guys were probably the best athletes in our entire class, maybe even in our town. They could do it all. They were fast and strong. They were good at everything. They played in youth leagues as kids, but once they hit junior high, that was it. Pete was muscular and strong. Smooth and relaxed. He never got rattled. He was good at everything; football, basketball, track, kickball, dodgeball, baseball, tag, hopscotch. It didn't matter. I don't know for sure, but I believe he was of native american heritage. He was an incredible athlete, but he never played for our school. He moved in when we were kids. Moved away a little later, and moved back. I honestly do not recall if he graduated with us or if he moved away before then. I have no idea what ever happened to him. But he had more talent and athletic ability than anyone I had ever seen. He never played for the Trojans. He would have been a great assett to any of our high school teams.
Ben was skinny, but strong and wiry. He was fast and could jump. He was a freakish athlete. He too was good at everything. He could have been particularly good as a track athlete, running sprints, high jump, long jump, pole vault, perhaps the Decathlon. He could have played football and basketball. He never did. He didn't care much for school. Didn't care much about homework or grades. He wasn't dumb. He was a smart guy. He just didn't care. Didn't care about coaches or teams, tournaments or trophies. His goal in life was to have a good time. I don't fault him for that. We all want that. However, with a little dedication and self-discipline, he could have been one of the best athletes to come out of our town. Ben got involved in using drugs and alcohol by the time we were in junior high. He definately had some good times, I guess. I think he was in trouble here and there, but nothing major. He never played a down, an inning or a quarter in high school. The shame of it is he could have been the best athlete in our class. He had so much God-given talent and ability. He was a natural athlete. It all went to waste. He graduated, but I haven't seen him since.
The other guy that came to mind was not really an athlete. He was, however, a basketball player. He was an incredible basketball player. So much so that I'll call him Larry, since that is who he reminded me of. Larry Bird. Larry could play basketball. And play he did, all the time. He played all day in the summer from sunup to sundown and beyond. We had lighted courts at Baker Park. Larry was out there sometimes until midnight. I don't know, but I would imagine he probably skipped school to go play. He knew the game, knew the court, every inch of it. He could shoot, he could drive, he could pass. He played like Larry, and Magic. Unfortunately, he wasn't a great athlete. He didn't have speed, but he was pretty quick. He could jump a little, but not great. He was a solid player. An incredible player. He never played for our high school. Never wore the green and white. Never ran out of the tunnel. He was at every game, but never as a player. I really don't know why. I never remember him trying out for a team. Not in junior high. Not in high school. Not ever. He was a great player. He graduated with us. He is around. He has kids in school now. I bet he still plays. I bet he will still be playing years from now. He loved basketball. I'm sure he still does.
Players that never were. They are everywhere. We had them. You had them. Every school has them. They have talent, athletic ability and skills. They could have played on your high school football or basketball team. They would have made our team better, your team better. They would have helped us win games, maybe even state titles. They didn't. I don't know why. Not coachable. Not interested. Into drugs and alcohol. Too much moving. Who knows? They could have been great. They were not. At least not in the sense of high school athletics. Talent, athletic ability, skills. All wasted. They were players. Too bad they never played for us.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
The best player you've never heard of
There is a basketball player from Danville, Indiana, a small town about 15 minutes from the west side of Indianapolis, who may just be the best player you've never heard of. This player has skills, attitude and the will to win. She is the best incoming freshman in her conference and in Hendricks County. Her name is Mackenzie Taylor. And she's a baller.
Mackenzie has grown up playing basketball. She played on her first AAU team in Richmond, Indiana at the age of 4. She's been playing ever since. Mackenzie is the best player on the best team in the Sagamore Conference and currently the best team in Hendricks County. This past season she led the 8th grade Danville Lady Warriors to conference and county titles. Danville's incoming freshman girls basketball team went undefeated two years in a row in middle school. An undefeated 7th grade season ended in disappointing fashion when the Lady Warriors lost in the county championship game to Avon South, a team they had beaten by 20 points just a week earlier. Mackenzie said that she and her team picked a bad night to have a bad game. She blamed the loss on overconfidence. "We had just beaten Avon South by 20 points a week earlier. We were overconfident. We thought we had the game won. It was my worst game."
Mackenzie and her team followed their 7th grade season with another undefeated season as 8th graders. They also won the Sagamore Conference Tournament and the Hendricks County Tournament. They dispatched Avon South on their way to the county championship game. It was sweet revenge. Mackenzie is no doubt the best player on her team, but if you ask her, she is very modest about it. "I don't know. I guess," she replies. She does, however, accept the role of leader for her team. She likes to lead by example, through her effort and her play. She is a vocal leader as well, encouraging her teammates, getting on them when necessary and pumping them up on the floor and from the bench. When asked about her teammates Mackenzie said, "I love my teammates." She said they sometimes look to her to do it all when she is in the game, which she doesn't mind and even enjoys. She says, however, that she can't do it all all the time and she has told the rest of the team that they need to step up and play with the same intensity when she is in the game as they do when she is on the bench. "They are good players and very capable," she said. Taylor also attributes their success to the fact that they are all friends on and off the court. This has led to a remarkable team chemistry.
Mackenzie is an accomplished offensive player. She is a combo guard, comfortable at the point or at shooting guard. She scores alot on run outs off of turnovers, but is quick to add, "that's not the only way I score." She is a shooter and a slasher. She can score from the outside, or put the ball on the floor and take it to the basket. She plays strong and her game is stronger. When asked about her scoring average over the past two seasons, she didn't even know what it was. "I don't think anyone ever shared that with me." She did say that she had a high game of 29 points. She has a high of 6 assists. She also has a high of 10 steals. but modestly added, "that probably doesn't count because it was against a really bad team." Taylor is a good defender. She has quick feet and quick hands, and according to her, "aggressive hands." She is a relentless defender, and is usually charged with guarding the other teams best player unless that player is a big. Her job is to create havoc and take the opponent out of their offense and out of what they want to do. She comes up with alot of steals and creates alot of turnovers, which leads to fast break baskets. She enjoys this role, and actually likes playing defense, unlike alot of young players.
When asked what her number one priority is when she steps onto a basketball court, her response is mature, as she is, beyond her years. "I just want to make my teammates better, and I want to improve every time out." Oh, and for the record she also wants to win. She hates to lose. Losing eats at her, sometimes for days. She is very competitive, and the only thing better than winning, is not losing. The only thing she hates more than losing is when her team, or their fans, blames losing on officials or on anything other than themselves. She believes they should take responsibility for themselves and their play. Fortunatley, with one loss in two seasons, she hasn't had to worry too much about that. She loves practice and loves getting better. She likes an organized practice that focuses on drills and skill building, perfecting offense and defense. She loves to work hard. She says, "I don't like practice when all we do is scrimmage." She spends between an hour and two hours a day outside of practice, working on her game.
Mackenzie will be a freshman this coming year at Danville High School. She hopes to play varsity and wants to start. She is off to a good start, playing this summer with the varsity. When I asked her about her goals, the first thing she says is, "I wanna win state." She says their best chance to win it might be her junior season because there are some really good players in the class ahead of her. She said, "Who knows. We might have just as good a chance when we are seniors." She also wants to play in college. She wants to go to Tennessee and play for the best women's coach of all time, Pat Summit, but not necessarily in that order. "I love Pat Summit. Love the way she coaches and relates to her players. She makes every player that plays for her better." She would love to play in the WNBA some day, but said she isn't counting on it. "I want to go to school and get an education so I will have something to fall back on, not just basketball." Mature beyond her years.
I asked her about playing against better players and better teams. Mackenzie says she never thinks that another team can beat them. She never worries about playing against better players or better teams. She says, "I think I'm gonna win and you are not going to beat me." She thinks her team can win against anyone if they play like they are capable of playing. I asked her how she handles pressure and big games. "I handle pressure well. I play my best under pressure and in big games." She loves that stage when all eyes are on her. Mature beyond her years.
When I ask her if she has experienced haters or jealousy, she responds, "Oh sure, but I don't worry too much about it. It makes me mad and then makes we want to work that much harder." Mature beyond her years. Mackenzie Taylor is the perfect combination of old school and new school. She believes the team is more important than the individual. She wants nothing more than to make her teammates better. She wants to improve every day. She likes to lead by example. She hates to lose. She hates blaming losses on anything other than herself or her team's play. She loves practice. She's quick, aggressive and physical. She has an all around game. She's the best player you've never heard of. Mackenzie has a picture of herself in a mirror on her Facebook page. Written across the mirror are the words "Miss Basketball 2015." She says, "I would love to be Miss Basketball, but I just want to make the Indiana All Stars." Mature beyond her years. It may be a little early, but my money is on Taylor. To win state, to make the Indiana All Stars, to be Miss Basketball, to play for Pat Summit at Tennessee. The sky is the limit for Taylor. She can accomplish anything she sets her mind to. And she will do it all while being mature beyond her years. She is the best player you've never heard of. And now you know.
Mackenzie has grown up playing basketball. She played on her first AAU team in Richmond, Indiana at the age of 4. She's been playing ever since. Mackenzie is the best player on the best team in the Sagamore Conference and currently the best team in Hendricks County. This past season she led the 8th grade Danville Lady Warriors to conference and county titles. Danville's incoming freshman girls basketball team went undefeated two years in a row in middle school. An undefeated 7th grade season ended in disappointing fashion when the Lady Warriors lost in the county championship game to Avon South, a team they had beaten by 20 points just a week earlier. Mackenzie said that she and her team picked a bad night to have a bad game. She blamed the loss on overconfidence. "We had just beaten Avon South by 20 points a week earlier. We were overconfident. We thought we had the game won. It was my worst game."
Mackenzie and her team followed their 7th grade season with another undefeated season as 8th graders. They also won the Sagamore Conference Tournament and the Hendricks County Tournament. They dispatched Avon South on their way to the county championship game. It was sweet revenge. Mackenzie is no doubt the best player on her team, but if you ask her, she is very modest about it. "I don't know. I guess," she replies. She does, however, accept the role of leader for her team. She likes to lead by example, through her effort and her play. She is a vocal leader as well, encouraging her teammates, getting on them when necessary and pumping them up on the floor and from the bench. When asked about her teammates Mackenzie said, "I love my teammates." She said they sometimes look to her to do it all when she is in the game, which she doesn't mind and even enjoys. She says, however, that she can't do it all all the time and she has told the rest of the team that they need to step up and play with the same intensity when she is in the game as they do when she is on the bench. "They are good players and very capable," she said. Taylor also attributes their success to the fact that they are all friends on and off the court. This has led to a remarkable team chemistry.
Mackenzie is an accomplished offensive player. She is a combo guard, comfortable at the point or at shooting guard. She scores alot on run outs off of turnovers, but is quick to add, "that's not the only way I score." She is a shooter and a slasher. She can score from the outside, or put the ball on the floor and take it to the basket. She plays strong and her game is stronger. When asked about her scoring average over the past two seasons, she didn't even know what it was. "I don't think anyone ever shared that with me." She did say that she had a high game of 29 points. She has a high of 6 assists. She also has a high of 10 steals. but modestly added, "that probably doesn't count because it was against a really bad team." Taylor is a good defender. She has quick feet and quick hands, and according to her, "aggressive hands." She is a relentless defender, and is usually charged with guarding the other teams best player unless that player is a big. Her job is to create havoc and take the opponent out of their offense and out of what they want to do. She comes up with alot of steals and creates alot of turnovers, which leads to fast break baskets. She enjoys this role, and actually likes playing defense, unlike alot of young players.
When asked what her number one priority is when she steps onto a basketball court, her response is mature, as she is, beyond her years. "I just want to make my teammates better, and I want to improve every time out." Oh, and for the record she also wants to win. She hates to lose. Losing eats at her, sometimes for days. She is very competitive, and the only thing better than winning, is not losing. The only thing she hates more than losing is when her team, or their fans, blames losing on officials or on anything other than themselves. She believes they should take responsibility for themselves and their play. Fortunatley, with one loss in two seasons, she hasn't had to worry too much about that. She loves practice and loves getting better. She likes an organized practice that focuses on drills and skill building, perfecting offense and defense. She loves to work hard. She says, "I don't like practice when all we do is scrimmage." She spends between an hour and two hours a day outside of practice, working on her game.
Mackenzie will be a freshman this coming year at Danville High School. She hopes to play varsity and wants to start. She is off to a good start, playing this summer with the varsity. When I asked her about her goals, the first thing she says is, "I wanna win state." She says their best chance to win it might be her junior season because there are some really good players in the class ahead of her. She said, "Who knows. We might have just as good a chance when we are seniors." She also wants to play in college. She wants to go to Tennessee and play for the best women's coach of all time, Pat Summit, but not necessarily in that order. "I love Pat Summit. Love the way she coaches and relates to her players. She makes every player that plays for her better." She would love to play in the WNBA some day, but said she isn't counting on it. "I want to go to school and get an education so I will have something to fall back on, not just basketball." Mature beyond her years.
When I ask her if she has experienced haters or jealousy, she responds, "Oh sure, but I don't worry too much about it. It makes me mad and then makes we want to work that much harder." Mature beyond her years. Mackenzie Taylor is the perfect combination of old school and new school. She believes the team is more important than the individual. She wants nothing more than to make her teammates better. She wants to improve every day. She likes to lead by example. She hates to lose. She hates blaming losses on anything other than herself or her team's play. She loves practice. She's quick, aggressive and physical. She has an all around game. She's the best player you've never heard of. Mackenzie has a picture of herself in a mirror on her Facebook page. Written across the mirror are the words "Miss Basketball 2015." She says, "I would love to be Miss Basketball, but I just want to make the Indiana All Stars." Mature beyond her years. It may be a little early, but my money is on Taylor. To win state, to make the Indiana All Stars, to be Miss Basketball, to play for Pat Summit at Tennessee. The sky is the limit for Taylor. She can accomplish anything she sets her mind to. And she will do it all while being mature beyond her years. She is the best player you've never heard of. And now you know.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Officials: Can't live with 'em, can't complain about 'em
An official is defined as a person elected or appointed to a position and is charged with certain duties. Officials are a necessary part of the game. I’ve had good ones. I’ve had bad ones. I’ve had some that didn’t deserve to put on the striped shirt and carry a whistle. Some officials call everything. Others only run up and down the floor. Many enjoy the job and take it seriously. Others are just there for the paycheck. And the paycheck isn’t bad. Most officials get $25-$30 a game. Do 12 games in a weekend and you pocket $300-$360. That is a nice little supplement to a normal income.
Officiating has changed, and thus the game has changed. The game has become much more physical due to the way games are called and all that is allowed to go on in games. I've seen players get hurt due to officiating. I've seen players get knocked to the floor, no call, seen players get undressed, literally, with their jerseys being pulled out of their shorts, their shorts being pulled down. I've seen players get absolutely mugged or knocked off balance going to the basket. Officials will tell you that if a player is under control going to the basket and gets hit, they will call the foul. But a player that is out of control and falling down, flailing or just throwing the ball at the basket, they will never get the call. This is true in high school and middle school basketball, grade school basketball, and spring/summer or AAU basketball as well.
I personally believe that tournament basketball, i.e., summer basketball, where multiple games are played on multiple courts throughout the day, is responsible for the change in the way games are officiated. Officials are told to keep the games moving along. There is a schedule to keep. Nothing upsets tournament organizers, fans, and parents more than when games are not kept “on time”. Most games are scheduled every hour on the hour, which gives officials a short window in which to get through each game. This results in games that are played with very few fouls or other violations being called. In addition, most officials like to keep the fouls that are called even between the teams. If team A gets 3 or 4 fouls called on them at the start of a game, they will stop calling fouls on team A and call them on team B until they are even. Another issue is that a foul that is a foul at the beginning of the game is not always a foul at the end of the game. Officials do not like to make a call that influences the outcome of a game. Therefore, officials will often swallow their whistles at the ends of games and no calls are made. They don’t want coaches blaming them for the outcome of the game. This, to me, is ridiculous. A foul is a foul, a travel is a travel, a carry is a carry and any other violation is a violation regardless if it happens at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of a game, and regardless of the outcome.
Play under the basket is even worse nowadays with players pushing, shoving, grabbing and pulling to get into rebounding position. Players are constantly going “over the back” of other players to get rebounds. There is no official “over the back” call in basketball. What is called is just a “push”. Payers are told that if they actually block out, they will get that call when an opposing player goes “over their back” to get a rebound. But stand under the basket with your hands in the air like a baby bird, and you will never get that call. Players have to be taught to be physical because the good teams will do whatever they get away with. If the game is being called loosely, teams will play more aggressive and more physical because they know they will get away with play that normally would result in fouls being called. If the game is being called tight, teams will back off and play more cautious. This is called adjusting to the officials and is absolutely necessary at every level of basketball.
There are all kinds of officials. As I said, some call everything and like to go by the book. Others like to let the kids play and never call anything. The best official is the one who finds a balance between the two. Some officials know the rules. The truth is that others don’t. Several years ago we played a team with a kid that carried the ball every time he dribbled it up the floor. I mean it was obvious. This kid took 3 or 4 steps in between dribbles and almost carried the ball like a football at times. My wife and I were coaching together at the time and we both complained about the continuous carries. One of the officials came over during a timeout and actually told me that “everyone carries the ball legally,” and that “there is no official ‘carry’ rule.” I was totally dumbfounded. This is funny because I see officials call it all the time. During this same game, I received my first technical foul ever. My wife, er, assistant coach, had been riding the officials the whole game. At one point, he came over to me and told me that she needed to sit down, shut up and coach her team. When I told him she was right, that the kid did in fact carry the ball every time and that he needed to call it, he told me that I needed to sit down and coach my team. I told him he needed to “call the game” and apparently this was the wrong thing to say. I got my first technical foul. I blamed it on my assistant.
That story brings me to another issue. Officials are very sensitive these days. They take things personally. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that if I were officiating and a coach or a fan told me I was terrible, or blind, or worse, I don’t know if I could go on about my business without taking those comments personally. That is why I don’t officiate. Officials are told not to take a lot from coaches and fans. Coaches are told that appropriate behavior during games should consist of asking questions regarding specific rules. Loud and obnoxious behavior, constant complaining and derogatory comments toward officials are absolute no no’s. Coaches are also told that they are responsible for their team’s, fan’s and parent’s behavior.
The way I see it, officials have to know that if they are going to be out there making calls that at least one team is never going to like, they have to understand that not everyone is going to be happy with those calls. Coaches are going to complain. Fans are going to complain. Even players are going to complain. If it crosses the line, the officials have the authority to act accordingly. They should never reply, comment or speak to fans directly. I had an official recently come to the bench and tell me that I needed to get control of one of our parents. I have no problem with that, even though I didn’t do anything at the time as I was in the middle of coaching a game. The time to address this type of behavior is between games. On the other hand, some officials take things personally and they will make it personal toward the coach or the fans.
This issue brings me to another story. My team was playing in a tournament in April of this year. We won a game and lost one on Saturday. We won the first tournament game on Sunday. The next game we had to play a team that had already beaten us. We played very poorly from the start and dug a huge hole that we could not get out of. We were down by a large margin before the first half was over. I always tell my players to continue to play no matter what the score is. I expect the same from the officials, to continue to call the game. Unfortunately, due to the lopsided score, the officials put the whistles away and stopped calling fouls. Now this is a highly combustible situation. My team is down big. I am telling them to play physical and scrap and claw and continue to play hard. The opponent is having fun winning big and they continue to score, which they should. (ide note: I believe that if a team isn’t willing to stop you from scoring, you should continue to score. The only time this shouldn’t happen is if a team is absolutely outmanned and doesn’t have the talent or ability to stop you from scoring. That is when a little mercy can be shown.) Back to my story. Things got as chippy as this years NHL Finals. Before the first half was over, one of my guys was playing good, hard defense on the baseline. His man was trying to force his way to the basket by lowering his shoulder and slamming into my guy. I should state here that what the offensive player was doing was illegal and should have been called a foul. My guy stood his ground and played excellent defense. The official told my guy to take it easy and eventually called a foul on him. One of my parents says, “it goes both ways ref.” The official looks at the parent and says, “That’s cute.” He then looks at me. I told him I didn’t say it. In the meantime, my guys were getting hammered on offense every time we tried to take the ball to the basket. No fouls were called. At halftime I went to the officials and I asked them about the rules. My question was, “Look, I know we are down big, but that doesn’t mean you guys are going to stop calling fouls does it? A foul is still a foul isn’t it?” He says, “I’m not getting into that, do you have a question about the rules?” I said, “that is about the rules.” There was no reply. As he was walking away from me he turned and said, “Well, you aren’t going to quit coaching are you?” Of course I wasn’t, and I didn’t. The second half was no better. Fouls were still not called. At one point my son was bringing the ball across half court. His defender was all over him, grabbing his shirt and pulling it out of his shorts. This happened on two consecutive possessions. On the very next trip down the floor, he got up in his mans face and played some pressure defense. He was called for a foul. Inside I was boiling. But all I said was, “ah, that’s good.” The official immediately hit me with a technical foul and told me I had to sit down. I couldn’t believe it. My assistants couldn’t believe. Our parents couldn't believe it. I obviously felt like he was looking for something, anything just to call a technical foul. Perhaps I shouldn’t have told my son to take his jersey off and give it to the kid guarding him on the previous play.
After the game, I continued to express my displeasure with the officiating to the tournament site director. I didn’t understand how the official could speak to one of the fan’s in a sarcastic manner. There were no consequences. Yet I received a technical foul for saying “that’s good”. At this point the other official, whom had rarely blown his whistle during the game, joined the conversation in an attempt to defend his and his partner’s performance. He made some derogatory comments about my team. When I pushed the foul issue, he resorted to taunting us. His comment was, “Well you got beat by 50,” like a little kid in a school yard. I thought I was back on the playground in elementary school in New Castle. For the record, we lost by 41. He continued to taunt us as he and his partner, who happened to take great pleasure in the taunts, left the gym. This took place in front of players, parents, tournament officials and anyone who was within earshot. Quite a display of maturity and self control from an official. This is a person who is supposed to maintain control in an often out of control game. A person of authority, who is out there to keep the peace, call the game and make sure everyone follows the rules. It was an unbelievable experience, something I had never experienced before and haven't since. Of course I complained, but to no avail. There was nothing to be done. I attempted to obtain the names of these officials. I would have included their names, and made every attempt to expose their unprofessionalism. However, I was unsuccessful. I still don’t know who they are. I can only hope we never have them again.
Officials are necessary. We have to have them. Some are good, some are bad. Some care, others don’t. Some make it personal, but the good ones just continue to call the game. People will always complain about officiating, about calls, no calls and many fans like to tell the official what they think of them or their eyesight. I, however, have found that the less you say as a coach, the better. The more you complain the worse the officiating gets. You have no control over the officials assigned to do your games. You just have to sit down and coach your team, and yes, shut up sometimes. You have to let the players play and let the officials officiate. Officials don’t usually cost teams games anyway. Sometimes it just seems that way.
Officiating has changed, and thus the game has changed. The game has become much more physical due to the way games are called and all that is allowed to go on in games. I've seen players get hurt due to officiating. I've seen players get knocked to the floor, no call, seen players get undressed, literally, with their jerseys being pulled out of their shorts, their shorts being pulled down. I've seen players get absolutely mugged or knocked off balance going to the basket. Officials will tell you that if a player is under control going to the basket and gets hit, they will call the foul. But a player that is out of control and falling down, flailing or just throwing the ball at the basket, they will never get the call. This is true in high school and middle school basketball, grade school basketball, and spring/summer or AAU basketball as well.
I personally believe that tournament basketball, i.e., summer basketball, where multiple games are played on multiple courts throughout the day, is responsible for the change in the way games are officiated. Officials are told to keep the games moving along. There is a schedule to keep. Nothing upsets tournament organizers, fans, and parents more than when games are not kept “on time”. Most games are scheduled every hour on the hour, which gives officials a short window in which to get through each game. This results in games that are played with very few fouls or other violations being called. In addition, most officials like to keep the fouls that are called even between the teams. If team A gets 3 or 4 fouls called on them at the start of a game, they will stop calling fouls on team A and call them on team B until they are even. Another issue is that a foul that is a foul at the beginning of the game is not always a foul at the end of the game. Officials do not like to make a call that influences the outcome of a game. Therefore, officials will often swallow their whistles at the ends of games and no calls are made. They don’t want coaches blaming them for the outcome of the game. This, to me, is ridiculous. A foul is a foul, a travel is a travel, a carry is a carry and any other violation is a violation regardless if it happens at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of a game, and regardless of the outcome.
Play under the basket is even worse nowadays with players pushing, shoving, grabbing and pulling to get into rebounding position. Players are constantly going “over the back” of other players to get rebounds. There is no official “over the back” call in basketball. What is called is just a “push”. Payers are told that if they actually block out, they will get that call when an opposing player goes “over their back” to get a rebound. But stand under the basket with your hands in the air like a baby bird, and you will never get that call. Players have to be taught to be physical because the good teams will do whatever they get away with. If the game is being called loosely, teams will play more aggressive and more physical because they know they will get away with play that normally would result in fouls being called. If the game is being called tight, teams will back off and play more cautious. This is called adjusting to the officials and is absolutely necessary at every level of basketball.
There are all kinds of officials. As I said, some call everything and like to go by the book. Others like to let the kids play and never call anything. The best official is the one who finds a balance between the two. Some officials know the rules. The truth is that others don’t. Several years ago we played a team with a kid that carried the ball every time he dribbled it up the floor. I mean it was obvious. This kid took 3 or 4 steps in between dribbles and almost carried the ball like a football at times. My wife and I were coaching together at the time and we both complained about the continuous carries. One of the officials came over during a timeout and actually told me that “everyone carries the ball legally,” and that “there is no official ‘carry’ rule.” I was totally dumbfounded. This is funny because I see officials call it all the time. During this same game, I received my first technical foul ever. My wife, er, assistant coach, had been riding the officials the whole game. At one point, he came over to me and told me that she needed to sit down, shut up and coach her team. When I told him she was right, that the kid did in fact carry the ball every time and that he needed to call it, he told me that I needed to sit down and coach my team. I told him he needed to “call the game” and apparently this was the wrong thing to say. I got my first technical foul. I blamed it on my assistant.
That story brings me to another issue. Officials are very sensitive these days. They take things personally. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that if I were officiating and a coach or a fan told me I was terrible, or blind, or worse, I don’t know if I could go on about my business without taking those comments personally. That is why I don’t officiate. Officials are told not to take a lot from coaches and fans. Coaches are told that appropriate behavior during games should consist of asking questions regarding specific rules. Loud and obnoxious behavior, constant complaining and derogatory comments toward officials are absolute no no’s. Coaches are also told that they are responsible for their team’s, fan’s and parent’s behavior.
The way I see it, officials have to know that if they are going to be out there making calls that at least one team is never going to like, they have to understand that not everyone is going to be happy with those calls. Coaches are going to complain. Fans are going to complain. Even players are going to complain. If it crosses the line, the officials have the authority to act accordingly. They should never reply, comment or speak to fans directly. I had an official recently come to the bench and tell me that I needed to get control of one of our parents. I have no problem with that, even though I didn’t do anything at the time as I was in the middle of coaching a game. The time to address this type of behavior is between games. On the other hand, some officials take things personally and they will make it personal toward the coach or the fans.
This issue brings me to another story. My team was playing in a tournament in April of this year. We won a game and lost one on Saturday. We won the first tournament game on Sunday. The next game we had to play a team that had already beaten us. We played very poorly from the start and dug a huge hole that we could not get out of. We were down by a large margin before the first half was over. I always tell my players to continue to play no matter what the score is. I expect the same from the officials, to continue to call the game. Unfortunately, due to the lopsided score, the officials put the whistles away and stopped calling fouls. Now this is a highly combustible situation. My team is down big. I am telling them to play physical and scrap and claw and continue to play hard. The opponent is having fun winning big and they continue to score, which they should. (ide note: I believe that if a team isn’t willing to stop you from scoring, you should continue to score. The only time this shouldn’t happen is if a team is absolutely outmanned and doesn’t have the talent or ability to stop you from scoring. That is when a little mercy can be shown.) Back to my story. Things got as chippy as this years NHL Finals. Before the first half was over, one of my guys was playing good, hard defense on the baseline. His man was trying to force his way to the basket by lowering his shoulder and slamming into my guy. I should state here that what the offensive player was doing was illegal and should have been called a foul. My guy stood his ground and played excellent defense. The official told my guy to take it easy and eventually called a foul on him. One of my parents says, “it goes both ways ref.” The official looks at the parent and says, “That’s cute.” He then looks at me. I told him I didn’t say it. In the meantime, my guys were getting hammered on offense every time we tried to take the ball to the basket. No fouls were called. At halftime I went to the officials and I asked them about the rules. My question was, “Look, I know we are down big, but that doesn’t mean you guys are going to stop calling fouls does it? A foul is still a foul isn’t it?” He says, “I’m not getting into that, do you have a question about the rules?” I said, “that is about the rules.” There was no reply. As he was walking away from me he turned and said, “Well, you aren’t going to quit coaching are you?” Of course I wasn’t, and I didn’t. The second half was no better. Fouls were still not called. At one point my son was bringing the ball across half court. His defender was all over him, grabbing his shirt and pulling it out of his shorts. This happened on two consecutive possessions. On the very next trip down the floor, he got up in his mans face and played some pressure defense. He was called for a foul. Inside I was boiling. But all I said was, “ah, that’s good.” The official immediately hit me with a technical foul and told me I had to sit down. I couldn’t believe it. My assistants couldn’t believe. Our parents couldn't believe it. I obviously felt like he was looking for something, anything just to call a technical foul. Perhaps I shouldn’t have told my son to take his jersey off and give it to the kid guarding him on the previous play.
After the game, I continued to express my displeasure with the officiating to the tournament site director. I didn’t understand how the official could speak to one of the fan’s in a sarcastic manner. There were no consequences. Yet I received a technical foul for saying “that’s good”. At this point the other official, whom had rarely blown his whistle during the game, joined the conversation in an attempt to defend his and his partner’s performance. He made some derogatory comments about my team. When I pushed the foul issue, he resorted to taunting us. His comment was, “Well you got beat by 50,” like a little kid in a school yard. I thought I was back on the playground in elementary school in New Castle. For the record, we lost by 41. He continued to taunt us as he and his partner, who happened to take great pleasure in the taunts, left the gym. This took place in front of players, parents, tournament officials and anyone who was within earshot. Quite a display of maturity and self control from an official. This is a person who is supposed to maintain control in an often out of control game. A person of authority, who is out there to keep the peace, call the game and make sure everyone follows the rules. It was an unbelievable experience, something I had never experienced before and haven't since. Of course I complained, but to no avail. There was nothing to be done. I attempted to obtain the names of these officials. I would have included their names, and made every attempt to expose their unprofessionalism. However, I was unsuccessful. I still don’t know who they are. I can only hope we never have them again.
Officials are necessary. We have to have them. Some are good, some are bad. Some care, others don’t. Some make it personal, but the good ones just continue to call the game. People will always complain about officiating, about calls, no calls and many fans like to tell the official what they think of them or their eyesight. I, however, have found that the less you say as a coach, the better. The more you complain the worse the officiating gets. You have no control over the officials assigned to do your games. You just have to sit down and coach your team, and yes, shut up sometimes. You have to let the players play and let the officials officiate. Officials don’t usually cost teams games anyway. Sometimes it just seems that way.
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