High School Perspective
High school coaches are the most important coaches in the game. They have the opportunity to work with players on a regular basis at an age where players can be molded. This development is certainly physical, but it’s also mental. High school coaches who can help players understand what it means to compete, be a good teammate, and excel on and off the court help prepare their athletes for success in the future whether that includes playing basketball or not.
By the time players get to college, many of them have established habits and mindsets that can be tough to break. Sometimes, their high school coach has tried to help the player improve. Sometimes, youth coaches allow players to get away with things because they are afraid what might happen if they hold them accountable. Understanding the perspective of high school coaches can help coaches at all levels be better with their teams. Middle school and AAU coaches can learn what’s important to high school coaches. The more everyone is on the same page, the better things will be. In addition, college coaches can have a better understanding of what high school coaches have to deal with and how they can better relate to players once they step on campus.
Marcus Dilligard shares his perspective on coaching his team. He talks about dealing with parents, playing defense, and how to make things better.
- Dealing with parent expectations
- Man or zone?
- How do you try to score against zone defense?
- What is missing in today’s high school game?
Coaches at every level have to interact with parents. This isn’t always a bad thing. Parents are invested in their child’s success. Even college coaches know that the parents can be just as critical to the recruiting process. How do you interact with parents at your level? What’s your perspective? How can you make them part of the process instead of excluding them and then trying to go back and build relationships when things are already going downhill.
