When I was a kid, all I ever wanted to do was play basketball, preferably in the NBA and preferably with the New York Knicks, but I would have been happy playing just about anywhere. I was doing pretty well throughout my school years and very often I’d have scouts come to see me. Unfortunately my dream was cut short because of a cartilage issue which I had, a shattering blow for me at that age.
Thankfully at that time I had an amazing basketball coach David Giunta Newport Beach resident like myself, and a fantastic coach. I didn’t want to leave the game and so with his help, I began coaching basketball after college, and now do so alongside my day job. I absolutely love coaching and if this is something that you too would like to get involved with, here are the skills which you’ll need.
Patience
Patience is without question the most important skill that you are going to need, whatever level you are coaching at. You may have idea in your head for how games and training should go, but they very rarely play out like that in real life. Your patience will be tested by your team and by the individuals within it. If you are not a patient person, coaching probably is not the place for you.
Desire to Win
When you are coaching people, you need to be giving them the desire and the will to win and the only way that you can do this is if you have it yourself. This must not be confused with a win at all costs attitude, but when your team see you desire to win, they will want to replicate it. You must have this desire to succeed in order to give you team the best chance during the game.
Jack of All
In your role as basketball coach you are not just teaching your team about the finer points of basketball and this is a position which calls on you to be far more than just a coach. In your position you will find that there are times when you must be a father figure, a mentor, a friend, an enemy and just about everything in between. Your responsibility is to your team and their personalities and you must be able to wear numerous different hats within this role.
Knowledgeable
If you don’t know what you are talking about, you will instantly lose the respect from your players, and you’ll find yourself in a position where they will not learn from you or play for you. With this in mind then, it is crucial that you have a deep understanding of both your players, and of the game of basketball itself. As long as you do have this understanding, you can gain the respect from the players that are under your tutelage and most importantly, get the best results.