The Past With a Present Lesson

[RockyMTblue2]

Remember the great wars we had over this one? What we didn't know then was how empathetic Geno was with EDD and, for example, he held her scholarship open and available through the summer. We saw the shocked and upset Geno, nothing more.

Yet, behind closed doors and in his interaction with EDD and her family that summer he acted more like a parent than a jilted coach. This is something worth remembering as some ascribe less than charitable instincts to Geno.

The photo tells a story. But the story is pretty good too.

“Even right when it all happened,” Delle Donne said of her UConn departure, “the fact that he let me out of my scholarship to go play volleyball at Delaware spoke volumes about the man. He just wanted me to be happy and enjoy my college experience. We always had a great understanding of each other and I respected him so much because of the way he handled the situation.’’

On Wednesday, Delle Donne was named to the U.S. Olympic team for August’s Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her coach there, as he’s been throughout her U.S. team association the past several years, will be Auriemma.

That, Delle Donne said, has been a wonderful occurrence."

https://www.delawareonline.com/stor...ni-elena-geno-perfect-match-rebound/83500908/

“When a coach uses a scholarship on you and then you leave that quickly, it’s usually not going to go over well,” Delle Donne said. “I expected [Auriemma] to be really rude and upset about it, but he always had great conversations with me. I think he saw, more than anything, a confused teenager and wanted to help me.”

How Elena Delle Donne spurned Geno Auriemma only to reunite with him in the Olympics

“There are so many great coaches out there but there aren’t always great teachers,” she said, “and that’s something that’s always struck me about him -- how great he is at getting his point across, and just continuing to teach. We’re all pros and we’ve heard so many different things. But he kind of explains things in a different way. And it’s been great. I feel like he’s the sun and I’m just trying to soak in all that knowledge. It’s been fun."

Delle Donne Fits In With the Best

Remember, we see through a glass darkly.

 

[augustaTC]

Everyone who seems to revel in questioning (or trashing) how Geno handles his players ought to read this, and listen to his latest show with Justine. 'Nuff said.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Everyone who seems to revel in questioning (or trashing) how Geno handles his players ought to read this, and listen to his latest show with Justine. 'Nuff said.

It's because the sound bites that everyone remembers are the brash sarcastic wise-cracking ones, and that doesn't play well in places where there's an expected politeness and think "bless his heart but Geno is a jerk," when nothing could be further from the truth when you hear the stories behind the stories.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

That picture also begs for a Caption This: "Huh, it's that simple?!" OR "Not on your head, like this."

 

[Twolf]

It's because the sound bites that everyone remembers are the brash sarcastic wise-cracking ones, and that doesn't play well in places where there's an expected politeness and think "bless his heart but Geno is a jerk," when nothing could be further from the truth when you hear the stories behind the stories.

Most players and coaches have a separate personality when they are in “competition” mode, compared to their everyday off court or off field personality. Most players or coaches who are typically laid back or easy going soon find that if they bring that personality to the court or field other competitors are going to take advantage of them. It’s not really that much different in the business world, or in the workplace.

If all the negative connotations about Geno that you read in this forum about interactions with players, other coaches, parents, etc. were accurate I would just ask a simple question- how has he not only kept his job at the same school for decades, but also thrived, along with building the model program in women’s D-1 basketball? The best sounding board to determine how to judge these questions is to ask former players, who owe Geno nothing, & he has no influence on their daily lives. You get an objective answer instead of the opinions of people who have never interacted with the man, or have some predetermined agenda.. I’m sure he would admit many mistakes, but his heart must be in the right place or he wouldn’t have survived and been highly successful in the ultra competitive world of D-1 sports.

JMO

 

[wallman]

What pops out to me from EDD not going to Uconn, which was what she wanted and worked out for her, is that she would have benefitted greatly from learning how to play defense from Geno and always going hard.

 

[BroadwayVa]

That picture also begs for a Caption This: "Huh, it's that simple?!"

Geno, as are most humans, is many men with many faces to the public. One face of Geno and this entire team--is the compassionate side, giving side. All too often all we read is the sarcastic Geno, the Geno speaking of the warts of one his team--that does not sit well with me--but the Geno/Uconn that is missed is the Compassionate Geno. There are many untold stories of Geno and or the team giving back to his town, state, country--the visits to the wounded in the DC military hospitals--cooking meals and feeding local citizens after a damaging storm.
Then at times he can be an ass. Note: The untold stories are because Geno/Christine would not allow them to be media blasts.