I coach soccer. My AD and principal put the emphasis on being a good role model and "life lessons" person over being a good coach of your sport, the importance of which shouldn't be lost in this discussion of "bad coaches". That being said I wouldn't respect myself if I didn't try to get better every year. What really gets me is trying to keep the score down against an opponent who could be so much better if their coach just taught them the fundamentals. There are really some who seem to know almost nothing about the sport
I couldn't agree more. The interesting thing is that those lessons can make them better people as well as better players. They aren't exclusive. I always go back to Aristotle's quote about excellence being a habit. On the court that looks like every cut being a hard cut and players practicing like they are playing in a championship game...things like that. One clip of a recent UConn practice showed Geno telling the players that, if they jog during practice, they will become the best jogging team in the country. In the Point Guard College clinics they teach something called precision which they define as doing things the right way, every time, even when it is uncomfortable or inconvenient. And then you have the concepts of holding yourself accountable and holding your teammates accountable and so on. It is about leadership, self-discipline and striving for excellence every moment of every day. I watch my son's varsity basketball team play and I think, WTF? And then I caught a few glimpses of their practices and I was horrified. I ran my CYO practices with more intensity and held my middle school aged kids to a higher standard regarding attitude and habits. The coach has been coaching for over 30 years and has had limited success. He does some things very well. He understands Xs and Os as well as some details on how to execute on both ends of the floor. But he is also obsessive in some areas and has gaping holes in other areas. He refuses to change what he does or how he does it and even jokes in the pre-season parent meeting about being a stubborn old man. That is the opposite of wisdom. I wonder how good he could have been had he been more open minded instead of being so arrogant. It is sad because it limits what the kids get out of it as well. There was a player on the team a few years ago that probably had D1 talent. He had great athleticism and solid basketball skills. But his attitude was horrific and his effort level varied based on the situation and task. The kid ended up at some mediocre D2 school instead of where I think he should have been which was at a lower level D1 program. I am certain his attitude and effort turned off D1 coaches. His high school coach never held him accountable. He never taught him self-discipline and leadership skills. In fact, he coddled him. Why? Because he was the best player on the team and, by far, the best scorer. But he could have been even better.
After three years of this, I have actually started boycotting the games. I was keeping the book for the first few games and I told him that I couldn't do it any more because I won't be at any more games. I knew I had reached a point where I was going to say something I would regret so now I don't even go to my own kid's games. If he were actually enjoying them I would feel bad, but he isn't. I secretly hope he quits the team and spends his winter working on his running but I don't let on as this is his decision and he needs to do what he wants to do. He is becoming an adult and needs to find his own path. I love his running coach. He is a rare bird around these parts. Most of the coaches in most of the sports are medicore and have one major issue or another. My son's basketball coach may actually be the best one in our area. Sad. It is a private catholic school and I sent him there instead of the public school, which his older brother attended, specifically so he could play for this guy. As fate would have it, while this did not work out how I envisioned it, the experience with the running coach and the friends he has made on that team have made it all worthwhile. And the basketball thing could still get better but it is up to my son. He knows what he should do instead of lowering his standards to what surrounds him. He has been to PGC and has seen enough of Geno and Calhoun to know how things should be. He needs to let go and become the leader that the team desperately needs. I just don't know if he will be ready to do that by the end of next year. If not, that's OK. He is doing stupid well academically and the leadership thing will come when it comes.
