So I walked into the club last week and got into a conversation with a top local basketball coach. This man is the real deal and is always seeking information regarding building great young men and women, more than building basketball players. Our head tennis coach is the same kind of person so it is always great to work with both coaches.
So the topic of imitators came up. As all of us turn out great athletes, competitors steal or copy our information.The young basketball coach summed up what we all practice.
“I really don’t care too much about all of that because I am too busy coaching kids to be worried about my coaching competitors. I also have a system that nobody can copy because I adapt to each athlete’s needs and do not treat them all alike. When I start to coach an athlete I have no idea where it will go as each one is different.”
That hit home and pretty much summed up what we all try to do in our respective sports be it tennis, racquetball or basketball. That also explains why my coaching keeps evolving. We keep learning and for yours truly it is after 52 years and counting of experience. I strive to keep evolving to challenge the athletes.
Coaches, beware. If your athlete wins it might be due to the athlete. If your athlete loses, it might not be your fault. As the competition gets tighter, the laws of random shot-making or misses are not exact! What can be controlled is our influence on young people and the delayed gratification it takes to be good at anything; especially life!!
Go get’em tigers!!