PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: Coaches Don’t Know Everything
After nearly 30 years of coaching, and many more playing basketball, I have learned a lot. But the most important thing that I learned, is that I don’t know everything.
I always loved attending coaches clinics because it gave me the opportunity to grow my knowledge. Even with volunteering again as a coach since Covid, I’ve had new surprises and insights. I hope that bits and pieces of my most recent coaching articles, How To Motivate Your Team, How To Teach Leadership and The Best Team Building Activities, will augment your knowledge of the game. Enjoy! (NEW LINKS COMING SOON)
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: Inspiring Basketball Coaching Memoirs
There’s nothing better than a good book to bring you closer to the game and learn about life. As a writer and coach I appreciate what it takes to weave a person’s history into an inspiring story. So I’ve put together a list of must-read memoirs by basketball coaches. The memoirs are filled with heartwarming and thought provoking stories that will also help you be a better coach.
If you don’t have time to sit down and read, then give an audiobook a try. Most of these are available through your library and online book sources. Download them and listen while you walk your dog, clean out your garage or sweep the basketball court before practice and learn a few more things about life and the game.
Written by: Coach Pat Summit with Sally Jenkins
Until recently, Pat Summit was the all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division 1 basketball history (women or men). She became head coach of the Tennesee Vols when she was just 22 years old, and then over a 38 year period went on to win 1098 games and eight National Championships. She played on and coached Olympic Women’s BAsketball teams, was Sports Illustrated “Sportswoman of the Year” and is in the basketball Hall of Fame. She graduated 100 percent of her players and because of her influence, 74 of her players have gone on to become coaches. The memoir Sum It Up shares how coach Summit faced her greatest challenge, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The book details her journey starting with her “tough love” upbringing through her diagnosis and gives insight into how she became such an influential coach. Other powerful books by Pat Summit are Reach The Summit and Raise […]
PEN TO PAPER: Just Imagination
We carved pumpkin’s last week and my son and his friend’s rummaged through six boxes of costumes to find the perfect outfits for Halloween night. The boxes are a mish-mash of years of collecting and making costumes out of our best finds from our closets and Goodwill. A witch, skeleton, Mummy, 70’s funk, 80’s punk, UPS driver and Elvis, to name a few.
Costumes simply take a little imagination… just like writing.
Did you dress up? Eat too much candy? Carve pumpkins this Halloween?
Write about it.
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: So You Want A New Coach?
Sometime you can’t choose your coach, so what happens if you find yourself with a coach you don’t like?
What Do You Do If You Don’t Like Your Coach?
Dealing with a coach that you don’t see eye-to-eye with can be a real challenge. When I was a young player, I didn’t like all of my coaches, so I can understand. And I’m sure that not every one of my players liked me as thier coach.
But if you love to play your sport, as long as you are in a safe environment, there are ways to make it through your season, learn more about the game and have fun while doing it.
What To Do If You Don’t Feel Safe
There is a difference between a coach that isn’t great and a coach that puts you at risk, physically or emotionally. If a coach touches you inappropriately (hit, kick, sexual advance), degrades you, insults you, or pressures you to play on an injury, it’s imperative that you set your boundaries and then talk to a trusted adult.
If you’re safe but you just don’t like your coach. The question that comes next is, what is it that you don’t like about your coach?
Not Getting Enough Playing Time
Do you feel like you should be getting more playing time? You aren’t’ the only one. Most athletes believe they deserve more playing time but there are only so many minutes in a game. So think about how many minutes are truly available versus your expectations.
If you are at a higher level of play, high school varsity or college level, where the game is more competitive, it is usually the better athletes, and the ones who have good work ethic and good attitudes, that get more playing time. But, at the youth level, I believe playing time should […]
Meet Sonya
Meet Sonya
Sonya Elliott’s memoir, Back on the Court: A Young Woman’s Triumphant Return to Life, Love & Basketball, is her story of finding hope in the wake of tragedy after she and her fiancé were hit by a train. She blogs about writing, basketball, and life and is currently working on a Young Adult Novel and a Non-Fiction Coaching book. Stories of her career as a fashion model are woven through her memoir, as both the Soloflex and Easy Spirit Shoes commercials were filmed during that time period, and this unique and intriguing business continues to be a part of her life.
Sonya played basketball at Eastern Washington University and was a starter for the Big Sky Champion team that went to the 1987 NCAA tournament. She coached for almost 25 years and was voted Seattle Times Coach of the Year, Seattle Officials Women’s Basketball Association Coach of the Year, and twice voted Metro League Coach of the Year. She loves the game of basketball and is thankful, not only for her husband and kids but for her ability to continue to get back on the court.
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PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: “I Like You” Team Building
When I was coaching we did “I Like You” team building. It’s simple yet powerful. I handed out papers to the entire team that had the words, “I like you…” printed across top of the page, and inspiring quotes about teamwork at the bottom, and a blank space with blank space between. Each player got an “I like you” paper for each teammate. (ex: If you have a team of ten, each player gets nine papers). Next the players write each of their teammates names on an I like you paper. Then the fun begins.
I asked the players to write down things that they like about their teammates. First-timers to this activity often take a while to get going but players that have done it before grab their papers and spread out around the locker room or court and get to work.
“Sarah I like you because you are […]
VANAGON ADVENTURES: Baja and Beyond!
The Blue Bomber is Beautiful again!
She’s back to her original Blue Star splendor.
BLUE BOMBER BAJA ADVENTURE
I haven’t posted about my recent adventures. So here I go. It all started back in March. Jason and I had plans to go to La Paz, Mexico to pick up our Vanagon, the Blue Bomber (See previous post for my solo trip to Mexico). We would spend a week moseying up the Baja Peninsula toward home, or so we thought. Plans changed.
Our drive time was reduced to four days instead of seven. No complaining, however, because the drive time was cut short for good reasons. We had an unexpected trip to Nevis beforehand, and we had plans to watch Cass run at Indoor Nationals in New Mexico, at the end of the trip. Like I said, nothing to complain about, it just rushed our Baja adventure a bit. Still, between time […]
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: From Facial Hair To Underwear: Routines, Rituals & Superstitions
I wore the same pair of underwear for all but one basketball game over my three years of middle school, and you guessed it, that one game when I didn’t wear them, we lost. And though this is way too much information already, I will clarify that yes, I did wash them between every game. This is only one indication of how crazy athletes can get when it comes to their superstitions.
If you asked me now if I really believed that it mattered what underwear I wore to the middle school games, I would say no, and even back then, if pushed, I would have said no. Yet, once it all started and the winning streak was happening I just figured it didn’t hurt. Fortunately, I didn’t continue that superstition into high school and college but I did have little rituals that guided me into game time as do most […]
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