I’D LIKE TO THANK JEFFREY MYLES WHO IS THE HEAD COACH FOR ARTESIA HIGH SCHOOL PIONEERS IN LAKEWOOD, CALIFORNIA FOR SHARING ADVICE FOR YOUNG PLAYERS AND COACHES WITH THE CANNON NETWORK. HE SHARED,

I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN LOS ANGELES, CA. I PLAYED 3 YEARS OF VARSITY BASKETBALL AT SANTA MONICA HIGH SCHOOL AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO A JC AND PURSUE BASKETBALL, BUT I CHOSE TO ATTEND A 4-YEAR UNIVERSITY INSTEAD, I ENDED UP GOING TO AND GRADUATING FROM FRESNO STATE UNIVERSITY WITH A MAJOR IN HEALTH SCIENCE. AFTER TAKING A BASKETBALL COACHING CLASS AT FRESNO STATE WITH THE LEGENDARY JERRY TARKANIAN AND HIS LEAD ASSISTANT, THAT IS WHERE I FELL IN LOVE WITH COACHING BASKETBALL AND DECIDE TO GET INTO COACHING.

MY ADVICE TO YOUNG PLAYERS AND ALL PLAYERS IS, “YOU HAVE TO NEVER GET BORED WITH THE FUNDAMENTALS, AND PLAYING CORNY BASKETBALL WINS.” KIDS THINK PLAYING OFF 2 FEET AND JUMP-STOPPING IS NOT FLASHY, BUT THOSE ARE WINNING BASKETBALL PLAYS. PLAYERS SHOULD NEVER GET COMFORTABLE AND ALWAYS WORK LIKE SOMEONE IS TRYING TO TAKE THEIR SPOT OR THEIR MINUTES BECAUSE IN REALITY SOMEONE IS OR THEY ARE TRYING TO TAKE SOMEONE’S MINUTES IF THEY MAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL, SO NEVER STOP WORKING AND ALWAYS COMPETE!”

MY ADVICE TO YOUNG COACHES IS TO, “TRY TO TAKE MENTAL BREAKS DURING THE SEASON AND DECOMPRESS FROM BASKETBALL. BASKETBALL HAS NOW BECOME A YEAR-LONG SPORT AND YOU CAN EASILY BURN YOURSELF OUT IF YOU DON’T TAKE BREAKS FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO PASS ALONG WHAT WAS PASSED ALONG TO ME, I WAS TOLD THAT THE OUTSIDE PEOPLE WILL THINK, “WHENEVER YOU LOSE GAMES, IT’S THE COACH’S FAULT AND WHEN YOU WIN GAMES, IT’S THE PLAYERS’ VICTORY”, SO JUST ALWAYS REMEMBER TO “NEVER GET TOO LOW IN DEFEAT AND NEVER GET TOO HIGH IN VICTORY” AND KEEP DOING WHAT YOU FEEL IS RIGHT, AND GET A STAFF WHO AREN’T YES MEN OR WOMEN! “