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Coaching

I started coaching the 7th grade basketball team for my hometown 2 years ago. My one friend from high school texted me around August before that season started. He asked me if I wanted to help him out. Part of me wanted to impress my girlfriend at the time but I also wanted to do it because I love basketball. The kid who asked me to help out lived in the city at the time so he eventually bailed. The commute was too much. I reached out to the head coach of the high school team and he offered me the job.

Two seasons later and it’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I always knew basketball pretty well but it’s really helped me learn about people. Coaching is a mesh of tactical and leadership abilities. My first year I had a lot to learn in both of these departments. I remember showing up to my first practice and huddling the guys up for the first time. It was like giving a book report in front of class. I had no idea what to say. I remember looking up at the clock after running through all the drills I had in mind. All those drills took 20 minutes and we had around an hour left. Needless to say we did a lot of scrimmaging that season.

When you’re coaching kids you have to walk this fine line between them liking you but also being a disciplinarian. If you go out there and try to be Bobby Knight you’re going to turn a lot of kids off. They’re not going to want to play basketball anymore. If you joke around with them the whole time and let them do whatever they want, you’re going to go out there and get your ass kicked when the games come around. They’re not going to want to play basketball anymore.

I find that a lot of my job as a basketball coach for kids is to reinforce their love for the game. If they leave that season thinking how much they love basketball they are much more likely to pick up a ball and play in the offseason. They don’t want to get yelled at for an hour and fifteen minutes, three times a week. They also don’t want to go lose by 20 points a game. There is some nuance here.

Every once in a while you have to get after them. If they’re fooling around too much you have to set them straight. If it’s an 8 o’clock practice and they’ve had a very long day and other practices with other teams then just fuck around with them for a little while. Let them have a shooting contest. They’re still kids, man. They also play harder for you if they like you. Kids understand and appreciate good coaching. They’ll also run over you if you let them. Pick your spots but stand firm.

Part of the reason why I haven’t shared this blog is because some of the kids I coach found my Instagram last year. Can’t have those fuckers (great kids) reading this shit. There’s nothing of great magnitude I have to say about coaching just yet. I just love it and it’s been very rewarding for me. One of these days I’ll come up with something great to say about it but today is not that day.