"Good artists borrow; great artists steal." - Picasso
I'd encourage everyone to get on coach Mike Neighbors' weekly email list. The women's coach at the University of Washington, Neighbors regularly sends a newsletter containing basketball and coaching information.
Here are lengthy excerpts from a lengthy post from Coach entitled "When Players Need You Most." Like me, Coach is an avid reader and we've shared a number of books worth reading...so I'll 'borrow' this from his most recent newsletter. I haven't quite figured out how to post a pdf in Blogger or I'd just attach the whole article.
When they miss the game winning shot...
When they don’t play well...this is similar to the first one but not the same. This can be after a win or a loss...“shout praise/whisper criticism method”
When they don’t play at all... Here I am speaking to that player who has played in all your pre-season scrimmages. They had a role in some early non-conference games.
When they are in a shooting slump... the very best shooters in the world have these. Your shooter needs you when they are in one.
When they foul out...this is a situational one. Grab them and sit them with you. Don’t let them sit on the end with their head draped in a towel covering their frustration (or tears if it’s a tourney game). T
When they are thrust into a leadership role... This isn’t necessarily something that happens during a game although it could be at times. It could be the day a senior leader graduates. It could be the day after a star player/leader quits because you took the “fun” out of the game. Whenever the time comes, your player needs you to be there.
When they call/text to ask you to shoot with them... I never miss a chance to “shoot” with players now. This request could also be disguised as “watch film”, “work on Free throws”, “improve ballhandling”.
When they lose a loved one ...if this list were in order, this one would/should be #1.
When they have a relationship go bad... This one can be touchy. Depending on the relationship you might be the LAST person they want to talk to. You don’t need details. But, you do need them to let you know you are there for them IF they need you.
When they screw up...This is a broad encompassing one. It covers miss class, fail a test, late for bus, bomb a project, forget their shoes, pack the wrong uniform, break a team rule, get in trouble with the law
When they are injured... if a player plays this game long enough they will miss some time from practice or some games. It could be a sprained ankle that they need a couple of days to recover or an ACL that sidelines them for a year. They need you.
When they can’t practice or play.
When they rehab...this is a goes with above. But needs to be said. Injured players want a plan to win their rehab just like a healthy player wants a plan to win the game.
When they are sitting out in red-shirt ... They need you throughout the year to keep them posted as they have no real way to gauge their improvement.
When they have car trouble...
When they graduate...So many coaches lose contact with players after they are “done with them”. You have to reach out. They will need you for recommendation letters. They will want to use you as a reference.
When they have a rumor going around about them... This one WILL happen, so be ready. It could be from inside the team or just a general rumor going around. It might also involve a facebook stalker!! Don’t laugh, with social media like it is these days you better be prepared for the “someone posted a pic of me on facebook” dilemma.
When they visit a new place... I just added this one today because a player just left my office. She came in and said “coach, I know you travel a lot.
Coach Neighbors doesn't present this as an all-inclusive list. This is a beginning not an end. As Brad Stevens says, "we get more from them than we give."