NT Coaches Thread (Will Be Updated Regularly)

[ham city]

Hoops are cool but where are the other educators at?

Any football or soccer coaches on NT?

I always knew I wanted to coach at a young age but I always assumed it would be football, ended up being soccer.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

I always find it interesting when people shoot and never have their guide hand actually touching the ball. Weird to me.

 

[powerballin]

she had it on there at one point.  Its just not needed the whole follow thru.  Honestly most people use too much "guide" hand and it effects accuracy.

Great thread. Keep it alive.  Getting into coaching.

 

[calicoach28]

Used to post in here under my old name Godson127 before it got lost in the switch over. Still going strong though! In my 3rd year as Varsity coach at a high school in Central Cali, blessed with lots of success and am now getting to watch my guys at the next level. Getting to the point where i'm ready to make the jump myself but its super tough to make that jump once you have a family! Making arrangements to spend a week of practice with Butler in October to shadow Coach Stevens and his staff. For those of you looking to get some amazing insight into the minds of great collegiate coaches i'd defintely recommend reaching out to them and just asking to spend a day with them. This will be my 4th trip like this and the stuff you pick up is invaluable! Great to see this thread is still active...respect!

 

[gameover2]

Not sure if this counts as I'm not in the US but I'll share my story. I'm in the Philippines if it matters. Anyway...

I quit my day job a few months ago because I wasn't happy anymore. I spent the past 6+ years with corporate giants IBM and NGA as an HR consultant. Pay was great but the daily grind was too taxing and I wanted a break.

About a couple of weeks after being unemployed, my best friend (who's an assistant coach in our pro league, Philippine Basketball Association or PBA, and with our national hoops team) asks me if I wanted to help him out in a new team he and other pro coaches were putting up. We also have our version of the D-League and they were setting up a team.

With basically little to no pay guaranteed, I accepted a role as an assistant coach/assistant team manager. As I've never coached in any level but have corporate management experience, my duties were mostly in helping run basketball operations (logistics, supplies/equipment, etc) and keep game statistics. It may not be as financially rewarding as my former day jobs, but I'm very happy and fulfilled with what I'm doing. Hopefully, I build a good enough resume and maybe someday go up the ranks in pro hoops here.

A season here in the PBA and the D-League consists of three tournaments so a team can win up to 3 titles in one basketball year. Anyway, our team is currently 3-3 and sixth in the league out of 11 teams. We have 4 games left and the top 6 head to the playoffs.

In three weeks, I'm joining the Philippine National Team as they play in an international invitational tournament in Hong Kong. I do not have an official role there but I'm going to soak up the experience and learn from it.

Anyhow, my advice to those who want to get into coaching is to make the effort to volunteer in high schools or perhaps community colleges. It does not matter what you're role is. Start out at the bottom as a video guy, or statistician, whatever. But get a foot in the door and learn the ropes. Borrowing a line from the great Ray Lewis, "Make an effort and you will get noticed."

Most of our team's players are still playing college basketball (yes collegians here are allowed to play in our D-League) and I tell you, nothing beats the feeling when a player goes to you seeking advice on how to get better. Now I kinda know how teachers get their fulfilment.

 

[sho3tym]

Some good stuff in here.

Coaching can be a tough latter to climb.

In my 5th year, started with the Freshmen, now a Varsity Assistant.

A couple AAU Programs in the area are trying to get me to coach this summer. Still on the fence...

Solid post though.

 

[calicoach28]

Ya man the AAU stuff can be great exposure and gives you lots of game experience in a short amount of time. The downside is alot of older coaches have a major issue with AAU ball and ive seen it hurt some guys' reputations. I did it for 3 years when i was a young coach and had some amazing experiences though. Coached against Demar Derozan, Brandon Jennings, Jordan Hamilton, etc...Hard to replicate that type of environment anywhere else besides AAU! Highly recommend!

 

[DCAllAfrican]

One of my kids asked me if he could wear an Iverson sleeve in the game. I said no, we aren't good enough to wear accessories. #TrueStory

Stop raising these punk athletes.

Females, if you don't know a damn thing about sports and the child has a father, let him handle that. Don't call my damn phone asking me why are the kids practicing on New Years Eye.

Stop raising these BOYS that can handle someone tell them, "You are playing like a sucka."

Stop raising these BOYS that want to quit at the drop of a dime.

Make your boys do pushups every night. Don't give him dinner until he finishes them.

I am done.........

 

[DCAllAfrican]

In three weeks, I'm joining the Philippine National Team as they play in an international invitational tournament in Hong Kong. I do not have an official role there but I'm going to soak up the experience and learn from it.
.

Free travel?

 

[powerballin]

One of my kids asked me if he could wear an Iverson sleeve in the game. I said no, we aren't good enough to wear accessories. #TrueStory

Stop raising these punk athletes.

Females, if you don't know a damn thing about sports and the child has a father, let him handle that. Don't call my damn phone asking me why are the kids practicing on New Years Eye.

Stop raising these BOYS that can handle someone tell them, "You are playing like a sucka."

Stop raising these BOYS that want to quit at the drop of a dime.

Make your boys do pushups every night. Don't give him dinner until he finishes them.

I am done.........

Other than the no dinner without push-ups I agree man

 

[gameover2]

In three weeks, I'm joining the Philippine National Team as they play in an international invitational tournament in Hong Kong. I do not have an official role there but I'm going to soak up the experience and learn from it.
.

Free travel?

Unfortunately, no, I have to pay my own way. Hong Kong is very near from Manila so flights aren't that expensive and I'm sharing hotel expenses with a couple of other guys.

The Philippine team is currently in Dubai for another invitational tourney. I could've joined but the plane ticket and accomodations would kill my bank account.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

 

[goofy08]

i assisted on some teams before... but made the plunge this year and am coaching a bball varsity h.s girls team. i love it.

one of the girls (who might end up playing d1 hockey) told the head of p.e at the school that i 'didn't treat them like girls, but treated them like athletes'

 

[DCAllAfrican]

^ Biggest issues as a coach for you?

 

[goofy08]

1) parents complaining about their kids playing time
2) a couple of players too dumb to grasp offensive/defensive concepts
3) players missing practice/games because of: part time jobs, other sports commitments.
4) the drop off from players 1-7 to 8-13 is so big that scrimmaging during practice is virtually useless
5) dudes tryna come into the gym to watch the girls practice. this one is more of a nuisance than an issue though.

6) balancing coaching with my real life - (im in law school, work for provincial (canada) legal aid, social life etc etc.).

 

[DCAllAfrican]

1. Meet with the parents before the season and sa that playing time will not be discussed with parents. If a child wants more playing time it is up to him to come speak with you.

2.

3. Players come up with all types of excuses man. The other sports committment part is SO disrespectful. So you are going to play for another coach during MY time?

4. Mix them up? Put two starters on the B team so it can even out?

5. Have someone lock the doors while you are practicing.

 

[goofy08]

2.

3. Players come up with all types of excuses man. The other sports committment part is SO disrespectful. So you are going to play for another coach during MY time?

sadly one of the dumb players is probably one of the more fundamentally sound. after the first tryout i had her penciled in as a starter now shes my 4/5th person off the bench.

i had a no practice no play policy, but i was too competitive to bench any of my starters. i've given the waste of my time spiel and told them the only two acceptable things to prioritize above ball are academics and family.
the problem is my best players are literally all around superstars - 4 of the top 6 missed a game recently for some school band camp (it turned out to be a rare loss for us). my best player is also a star hockey player. i can bench my best players and lose. or play my bench - yell at them all game for effing up - and lose.

 

[illonaire2006]

I coached a small school JV team in Washington this year. Biggest complaint I have is the game has changed. Kids don't learn or care to learn like they used to. Im not sure if its reluctance to learn or just stubbornness that their way is the best. Example: players making the same mistake over and over regardless of punishment or coaching. We have 30 kids in our program and not one is a "student of the game."

Hope all your seasons are going well. Anyone going to the Nike coaches clinic in Vegas?

 

[ham city]

3. Players come up with all types of excuses man. The other sports committment part is SO disrespectful. So you are going to play for another coach during MY time?

How is being a multi sport athlete disrespectful? And let's clarify something, it's not YOUR time. The fact that you would even have that outlook as a coach is disturbing.

Dealing with a multi sport athlete can be challenging. There's nothing wrong with establishing your own requirements in regards to team commitment as you see fit as long as you communicate clearly. If a player can't commit as you see fit, that's fine and do what you feel is necessary but you can't take it personally as disrespect and hold a vendetta against the kid. Unless you're coaching at an elite level, you need to understand that your sport might come second, or third to a kid. If your pride gets in the way of that you probably shouldn't be coaching in the first place. 

Imo the only problem with athletes that chooses to juggle multiple sport commitments pertains to the elite athlete and the problem doesn't occur until you get to the early teen years. Generally speaking, in the modern sports landscape top young athletes are receiving better, more focused training and undergoing more repetitions at younger ages than ever before. If by age +12 you haven't specialized in one sport, you seriously risk being passed up by your top peers who are simply putting in more work. But that really only matters if the end goal is to be a pro or play at a similarly high level (D1 college).

I actually firmly believe that kids should play as many sports as possible at a young age, you'll develop into a more well rounded athlete for when you are ready to specialize later on in life. 

 

[DCAllAfrican]

How is being a multi sport athlete disrespectful? And let's clarify something, it's not YOUR time. The fact that you would even have that outlook as a coach is disturbing.

Clearly I am talking about being on multiple teams during the SAME season smart guy.

Someone can play sports that don't cross the same time period. Why would I be against that?

It is disrespectful to your TEAM and your COACH to not be there because of other "athletic" engagements.

A player telling his coach/team, "I can't come to the game/practice today because I have to play/practice with my other team" is disrespectful.

If you can't understand that, I don't know what to tell you.

Really isn't much to say about that

 

[ham city]

Look dude, I'm not trying to clown you or go at you, I'm trying to give you some advice as someone who makes a modest living doing this. 

You can't take it personally as disrespect when an athlete prioritizes other sporting commitments over his or her commitment to your team. That's letting your emotions get in the way which is something you can't do. I'm not saying it's unfair to judge an athletes commitment to your team and act accordingly, but you can't take it personally as disrespect. That's amateur and the outright trait of a bad coach who's in it for the wrong reasons. 

Very few competitive athletes play sport by season anymore. 90% of kids play their number one year round, weather permitting in certain parts of the country. They're not gonna drop their number one sport for yours just because yours is in-season and if you expect them to, that's poor on your part. The reality is your sport/team may or may not take precedence. You have to be able to cope with that in a healthy and responsible manner.

I really hope your not one of the millions of under qualified coaches in this country running around instructing our youngsters. 

 

[dland24]

If you set out guidelines for parents before your season starts, there should be zero problem with them inquiring about their kid's playing time. In my opinion, shutting them out completely and saying "I will not discuss playing time with you at all" is absolutely the wrong way to go about things. It sets a bad tone for the relationship between coach and parent right from the start. I have been coaching for 13 years and have never had a problem discussing playing time with a parent. You just need to set guidelines for doing so.

Have a preseason parents meeting. I always tell them that if they want to discuss a kid's playing time, you need to go through the following steps:

1) Have a discussion with your child first, to make sure you are both on the same page.
2) Have the kid talk to to me BEFORE you talk to me (after practice without others around), and report back to you to attempt to gain understanding.
3) If you still have an issue, talk to me about setting up a time to talk when no one else is around.
4) Be prepared for the answer.

Often times, if you get to #4, a parent will have mellowed out. I always tell them, if it ever gets to the point where you feel that you need to talk to me face to face about a kid's playing time, I will be brutally honest with you. Often times, parents cant handle this part, and thats where the conversation/issue ends.

I think to tell a parent "I will never discuss playing time with you" is wrong, and often leads to much larger issues than just handling the specific situation.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

I really hope your not one of the millions of under qualified coaches in this country running around instructing our youngsters. 

I am. Report me.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

I think to tell a parent "I will never discuss playing time with you" is wrong, and often leads to much larger issues than just handling the specific situation.

I didn't feel like typing a lot but what I suggested was what you said.

I have a meeting with parents and let them understand how MY team is ran. If a player is cocnerned with his playing time I suggest he asks me. I will only talk to players about playing time. Parents sign a sheet before the season starts so we don't have issues later.

Of course signing means nothing and it isn't full proof but that is how I handle things.

That is my unqualified way of doing it.

 

[ham city]

I am. Report me.

You're hella lame fool.

Probably one of them dudes who couldn't ball worth a lick and now wants to flex on some "respect my authori-tah" tip.

From your wording it sounds like you're in it for the wrong reasons doggie.