I’D LIKE TO THANK ANDRU VAUGHAN WHO IS THE HEAD COACH FOR THE TORRANCE HIGH SCHOOL TARTARS IN TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA FOR SHARING ADVICE FOR YOUNG COACHES AS WELL AS YOUNG PLAYERS WITH THE CANNON NETWORK. HE SHARED, I PLAYED HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL IN THE SOUTH BAY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DURING THE MID TO LATE 80S. THE AREA WAS FILLED WITH TALENTED PLAYERS AND HALL-OF-FAME CALIBER COACHES. AFTER MY PLAYING CAREER AS A WALK-ON ENDED AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY DUE TO AN INJURY, MY LOVE FOR THE GAME STEERED ME TO COACHING. UPON RETURNING HOME, I CHOSE TO ASK AS MANY QUESTIONS AS I COULD TO ALL OF THE GREAT COACHES IN THE AREA AND TRIED TO ABSORB AS MUCH KNOWLEDGE AS I COULD.

 AFTER 33 YEARS OF COACHING AT EVERY LEVEL FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO DIVISION II UNIVERSITIES AND JUNIOR COLLEGES, IN ADDITION TO WORKING OUT PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS TO IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS, ONE MAJOR PIECE OF ADVICE I WOULD GIVE TO YOUNG COACHES IS “NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU KNOW ABOUT BASKETBALL, THERE IS ALWAYS MORE YOU CAN LEARN. BE A SPONGE, ASK QUESTIONS, AND FOCUS ON LEARNING SOMETHING EVERY DAY. IF YOU DO THAT, THERE WILL BE VERY FEW SITUATIONS WITHIN GAME STRATEGY, PARENT INTERACTION, PLAYER DEVELOPMENT, OR PROGRAM OVERSIGHT THAT YOU WON’T BE PREPARED FOR. BEING PREPARED FOR EVERY POSSIBLE SITUATION BREEDS CONFIDENCE AND ALLOWS YOU TO THINK CLEARLY IN TIMES OF STRESS AND CONFUSION. YOU ASK YOUR PLAYERS TO PREPARE FOR EVERY SITUATION, WHY IS THE SAME ADVICE NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU IN COACHING?” WHEN YOU FEEL YOU KNOW IT ALL AND CAN NO LONGER LEARN, IS THE DAY YOU FALL BEHIND AND IS INEVITABLY THE TIME WHEN THE ITEM YOU DIDN’T LEARN ABOUT OR PREPARE FOR, SHOWS UP IN FRONT OF YOU.”

TO PLAYERS, I WOULD SAY: “NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL WORK AND GOOD GRADES, AS WELL AS BODY LANGUAGE AND TEAMMATE INTERACTION. TO A COACH WHO IS RECRUITING YOU, TO YOUR TEAMMATES, OR TO YOUR ABILITY TO LEAD, GRADES IN THE CLASSROOM, TEAMMATE INTERACTION, AND BODY LANGUAGE TELL QUITE A BIT ABOUT WHO YOU ARE AND IF YOU SHOULD BE FOLLOWED. ALWAYS BE POSITIVE WITH YOUR BODY LANGUAGE AND TEAMMATE INTERACTION FOR YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MAY MAKE A MISTAKE AND NEED THE SUPPORT OF A TEAMMATE, OR WHO MAY BE WATCHING YOU IN ORDER TO RECRUIT YOU. UNSPOKEN WORDS AT TIMES SPEAK LOUDER THAN THOSE SPOKEN.” IN ORDER TO BE A GOOD LEADER AND TEAMMATE YOU MUST ALWAYS MAINTAIN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND MAINTAIN TRUST WITH YOUR TEAMMATES. IT IS TOUGH TO TRUST SOMEONE YOU DON’T LIKE DUE TO HOW THEY TREATED YOU OR REACTED TO A PLAY YOU MADE.”