I attended my first coaching clinic on October 3rd/4th at JustAGame Fieldhouse in the Wisconsin Dells. I had the privilege of listening to Mike Lee (Basketball Instructor), Coach Buzz Williams (Marquette), Coach Tod Kowalczyk (Toledo), Coach Steve Merfeld (Creighton), Coach Brian Wardle (Green Bay), Coach Matt Bollant (Illinois), Paul Hoover (Pro Shot System), Coach Drew Diener (Cardinal Stritch), and Coach Forrest Larson (Between Jobs). This was more than simply gathering notes on offensive/defensive systems, basketball drills, or basketball set plays. This was about learning from a group of people who are extremely passionate about what they do as coaches. Entering my 8th season as an assistant at Viterbo, I certainly understand the amount of hours it takes to coach at the collegiate level. I understand the ups and downs that are going to occur throughout the course of a season. Three Keys I Took Away From the Fall Clinic: 1) You are only as good as what you emphasize. - Have an identity and philosophy that fits your program and recruit players to your identity. 2) Love your players. - We can talk about all the hours coaches put in, however, we must understand that the players are working just as hard (or should be)! Show that you love them and they will respect that and play hard for you. 3) Stay Positive! - Something I continue to work at each year is staying positive. I am proud to admit I understood the work/life balance pretty early in my coaching career. I have a great family to wake up to and turn to at the end of the day! In closing, Thank You to all the coaches I had the privilege of talking to and learning from this past week. You opened my eyes to the great commitment, regardless of school size, location, or conference, that is the coaching profession. Have a great season! Comments are closed.
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AuthorThe purpose of this Blog is to share thoughts and insights from Coach Ryan Thibodeau and the Archives
January 2015
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