I’D LIKE TO THANK JAMES PAGE WHO IS THE HEAD COACH FOR THE CABRILLO COLLEGE SEAHAWKS IN APTOS, CALIFORNIA IN THE COAST CONFERENCE SOUTH DIVISION IN THE CCCAA IN THE JUCO LEVEL OF BASKETBALL FOR SHARING ADVICE FOR YOUNG COACHES WITH THE CANNON NETWORK. HE SHARED, “IF I HAD TO GIVE ADVICE TO YOUNG COACHES, I WOULD START WITH, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE GETTING INTO COACHING FOR THE RIGHT REASONS, I DO IT FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF HELPING TO GROW AND DEVELOP
YOUNG MEN THROUGH A SHARED LOVE FOR THE GAME. MEANING I USE OUR SHARED LOVE OF BASKETBALL AS THE COMMON GROUND, WHERE OUR RELATIONSHIP CAN BE BORN, AND FROM THERE, BASKETBALL GIVES ME THE ACCESS TO COACH/MENTOR MY PLAYERS. THIS IS NOT THE JOB THAT YOU SEE ON TV, MOST COACHES ARE UNDERPAID, UNDERVALUED, AND OVERWORKED. THE MAJORITY OF THIS JOB HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH
X’S AND O’S, BUT THE IMPACT YOU CAN MAKE ON YOUNG PEOPLE IS WHY THE COACHES WHO LAST IN THIS PROFESSION, THAT IS WHY WE DO THIS JOB. 2ND PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD BE TO FORM RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER COACHES, THIS JOB CAN BE EXTREMELY CHALLENGING, AND SOMETIMES LONELY, FOSTER AND DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER COACHES WHO YOU CAN SEE SHARE SIMILAR VALUES AND BELIEFS AS YOU. USE THEM AS SOUNDING BOARDS, FOR ADVICE, TO TALK, BOUNCE IDEAS OFF OF. RELATIONSHIPS ARE KEY TO ANY PROFESSION, COACHING IS NO DIFFERENT. I HOPE THIS ADVICE HELPS SOMEONE. THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD.”