Winning Hoops Coaches Playbook 2024 - 33

the candidate's liking, he or she may be better
off passing on the opportunity.
So what are reasonable-no, let's make them
great-expectations that a middle school coach
should have for the varsity coach? Many can be
listed, and here are a few.
1
2
Don't micromanage the middle school
coach's team.
It will vary from head coach to head
coach how much of their influence they want
on the middle school playbook, but it's an
overbearing head coach who doesn't allow the
middle school coach to use some of his or her
ideas and set their teaching plans for practices.
For one, the middle school coach knows their
team and its strengths and weaknesses better
than the varsity head coach. Also, most people
who get into coaching, even at the middle
school level, would like to have some part of
the process be part of their thoughts and ideas.
Few want to be robots for the varsity coach.
Treat the middle school coach like
a colleague, not an underling.
Even if the head coach is not interested in
receiving input from their middle school coaches,
they should at least indicate that they respect
their opinions and are willing to listen to them.
Middle school coaches often seek advice from
the varsity coach, and when they do, the tone of
a conversation-and not of a lecture-is usually
appreciated. No one likes being talked at.
A middle school coach feels like they are
part of the program when the varsity coach
seeks their opinion on various things, including
how the varsity team looks. Most good varsity
coaches realize they can often benefit by
receiving input from everyone on their staff.
The best coaches at all levels will tell you they
always look to learn from other coaches.
3
Let the players know you stand behind
the middle school coach.
It's good practice for a high school
coach to talk to the middle school teams a
few times each year. The good ones use these
opportunities to try to explain that what they're
going through fits in the big picture of the
basketball program and their own careers. The
egotistical or insecure ones see it simply as a
chance for the younger players to hear them
speak and to make themselves look good.
Good middle school coaches often " take a
bullet " for the head coach. They are laying the
groundwork in terms of discipline, work ethic, and
player expectations that will benefit the varsity
coach down the road. This doesn't necessarily
make them popular with their players.
If the younger players don't understand that
" this is the way we do things in our program, "
then they see no reason to follow the structure
laid out by the middle school coach. They
expect to eventually get their way with a
" nicer " coach they like better. This is part of the
blueprint for a bad basketball program.
It also wouldn't hurt for the varsity coach-
without laying it on too thick-to let the middle
school players know he or she thinks highly
of the middle school coach and that they are
someone they should listen to and respect.
Like parents who think complaining to the
varsity coach will get them what they want,
players who feel they can just bide their time
before they get what they want are program
killers. Their reward will be losing seasons
down the road, and that's one expectation no
varsity coach wants to endure. n
COACHAD.COM 33
http://www.COACHAD.COM
Winning Hoops Coaches Playbook 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Winning Hoops Coaches Playbook 2024
