A Coaching Challenge

One of my twitter contacts, Coach John Harmatuk (@coachtuk) commented about the trials & tribulations he was facing in coaching his team during the 2009-10 basketball season. Dave Telep posted the following comments from a mother to a college coach: "If he commits, how do you plan on marketing him?" and then asked his legion of followers on twitter this question: "That's where our game is. How do we change this?"

I think Telep's post could be one of the underlying reasons why Coach Harmatuk had problems with his team. Too many parents and kids want to know what you can do for them, instead of asking what their kid can do for the team. It's a simple philosophy. By giving-up/sublimating your individual desires for the good of the team,you're going to get back more in return,

Mom would not like my response to her, and it's one reason I probably wouldn't be a good recruiter in college. I would diplomatically tell her that she had misplaced priorities, and if she and her kids brought that kind of attitude into my program, I wouldn't want them to be a part of it. Telep, that's how we change the problem. With people who know what time it is at all levels, leveling and educating parents and players on what it means to be part of a team. Not letting your best player, especially in junior high and high school, get a free pass because of their talent. Learn to discipline kids at an early age and they will be able to discipline themselves later. Coaches, use that bench to teach lessons: "The bench is the best teacher." Be more concerned with the process than the result. Guess what, if you adopt this philosophy, the results are usually very positive.