I consider myself a pretty enthusiastic person. Ask any of my past or current teammates, they will probably tell you I never shut up. As a point guard you must do A LOT of talking. If you don’t, and something goes wrong… it’s usually your fault. Anyway, talking is something that has always come natural to me. Whether it’s directing my teammates on the floor or screaming on the sidelines after Meg McGuinness hits another ‘trio’, I am constantly chattering away on and off the court. I love encouragement. I like getting it, but I LOVE giving it. I believe everyone needs encouragement. No matter what it is, just something to keep people feeling important while competing. Reassuring a player that what they are doing is valuable is crucial. I try to use my high energy in a positive way, to encourage, yell or just make some kind of noise to motivate my teammates and make them feel appreciated.
This passed week Sport Changes Life held the 2018-19 Belfast Classic. Eight teams were invited this year, and I had the opportunity to be a team liaison for the Marist men’s basketball team. This was an unforgettable experience. I won’t get into too much detail about the tournament now (stay tuned for a separate blog), because I want to focus on the Marist basketball team. I was able to watch practices, shoot-arounds, AND sit right behind the bench during games. I not only watched but I observed. It is Coach John Dunne’s first year with the Marist basketball program, and boy is he something else. John is a very vocal coach… which I love. He brings a massive presence on the sideline for his players to feel motivated and encouraged. Reminds me of my high school days playing for Scott Hazelton. One particular moment during the first game of the tournament struck my attention and inspired me to write this blog. Coach Dunne in a loud voice said, “David WHAT ARE YOU DOING”, after David made a mistake on defense. (Don’t worry David I heard that once or twice from Scott… maybe a billion times). Anyway a few possessions later David came off the floor, Coach Dunne pulled him aside and talked to him. Then as David walked away, in front of the whole bench, in a loud and sincere voice, Coach said “David way to take that charge, that was awesome” (fist bump). Did David get yelled at, yes, BUT coach Dunne made an effort to give David the feeling of importance in front of his teammates. We all know it is not fun getting called out for your mistakes, but what helps is the sincere encouragement in front of others to make it known that you are valued. Coach Dunne was full of random statements of encouragement. When I say random I mean it. He and his staff would constantly give encouragement about little things (not just after having three slam dunks… sorry Liam). For example, “Matt that’s an awesome contest” and “Hey Brian that’s a great take to the basket” (after previously turning the ball over). My favorite one was during a walk-through of their out-of-bounds plays, Coach said, “ya you fell asleep on that one play, but awesome job on all the other ones”. Coach Dunne is extremely passionate and genuinely respects his players. He is hard on them but he is constantly giving positive reinforcement, especially during these games when emotions and stress levels can be high. Can’t forget about the Marist players! When Ryan was knocking down three after three (hitting his 200th career three) his teammates were the first ones to scream and keep encouraging him to shoot. Oh, and I thought the bench was going to get a technical after Brian through an alley-oop to Liam behind the defense… they went crazy!
I believe a successful team finds success because of the top dog (head coach). Players feed off their head coach. When the head coach is fired up and gives constant encouragement, the assistants follow; the players see that then they do too. It is quite contagious. Not everyone has that fire to constantly be vocal and make their players feel valuable, but Marist head coach John Dunne does. As I player I will always try to give encouragement to my teammates and never shut up, giving those random shouts when needed. But in my future, as a coach, I want my players to feel valued. I will probably be the hard a** coach with high expectations, but I also want to be the one that is respected. I know it’s not easy, and I know it will take time. But I will focus on using my high energy to give constant encouragement and make my players feel valued by their teammates and by me.
Thank you Scott Hazelton for always being an inspiration. And, thank you Coach Dunne, for reminding me that a hard coach can also be one that gives the most encouragement.
