When you retire from coaching like I have, you really get the chance to quietly go about the business of self-evaluation along several lines.
The beauty of being in a position to evaluate one area or the other is that being away from the game gives a unique perspective — and often a better one — to see what actually happened.
Like most young coaches, back in the day – the late 1960s, early 1970s – I had less of a concern about the moral aspects of coaching, than I did as I grew older.
Sometimes in coaching we all lose sight of what is right and what is wrong because we are so focused on the end-result of the contest.
Sit down with your staff and view film, then discuss how all of this is handled right from the opening tap until the gun sounds, ending the affair.
Here are some tips and suggestions for success along the lines of ethics and conduct during the course of your game.
Tip No. 1 – Never belittle any opponent for anything that transpires during the course of your game.
If you encourage your players to cheer when the opposition makes a mistake, then you are heading into dangerous territory.
If, for example, when the opponent travels with the basketball in front of your own bench, and you go wild, what do you expect your kids to do?
At the foul line, and your opponent misses a crucial free throw late in the game, are you excited or are you getting ready for the next move you have to make?
I’ve found through the years that the less time I became a cheerleader, the more time I had to coach.
Obviously, applaud and encourage your own players. Never participate in a vocal or a visible display of emotion when your opponent messes up.
Tip No. 2 – Don’t bait or downgrade the game officials.
If you are one of these coaches who feels that disrupting the flow of the game by constantly riding the officials, you are not setting a good example for your players.
I’ve witnessed opposing coaches who still complain about calls that go their way with shouts like, “It’s about time we got that call.”
In Maine, high school basketball coaches are rated by officials after every contest. Cumulative scores are shared with high school administrators, and evaluations follow.
Remember this: There are a lot of eyes watching you during your game and there are a lot of ears, hearing most of what you say during the game.
Players often imitate what they see and hear. I’ve witnessed numerous bad situations in gyms, which were provoked by bench conduct of the coach.
Tip No. 3 – Play by the rules.
As simple as it sounds, there are some coaches out there who notoriously circumvent the rules to gain an advantage.
My father was quite a card player, and he always said, “if you’re going to play the game right, you’ve got to play by the rules.”
Examples of not playing by the rules include putting a better shooter at the foul line, coming out of a time-out. Prudent game officials are always looking for this action, especially at the end of a game.
Another example of this type of wrongdoing is encouraging your home scorer to not administer a foul for a key player late in the game. Again, this can change the outcome of the game.
Throughout the course of my long career, there were several tables noted for such behavior.
The key to avoiding such illicit behavior is to require adults (not teenagers) at all tables in your league or conference. Preach honesty at your league meeting and bear down on your principals’ associations to do the same.
Tip No. 4 – Preach to your staff that they need to be filling in players on all ethical arrangements.
Nothing squanders all the head coach’s hard work more than insubordination by his or her underlings along ethical lines.
Be firm in your attempts to keep the aforementioned areas in line. If you don’t, the end results can spell disaster.
My father always used to say this to me as I headed out to the work place…”Reputations are easy to lose and difficult to maintain.”
Yes, he was a smart guy.
