The first step in becoming a better basketball coach or basketball trainer is understanding and accepting that nobody cares how many points you scored. Or what you won. Or didn't win.
It may get you in the door for sure. Maybe get you a job. Maybe get you some clients to start out. Maybe get kids to come to your camp. It certainly won't hurt you starting out if you were a great player.
But it won't help you keep your job. People know great coaching.
Not too long ago, we received a call from a former conference player of the year collegiate men's player. It was more than a decade ago that he was conference player of the year. We didn't even know who they were.
We don't state this to undermine this individual's basketball playing accomplishments. We state it to illustrate that it's not really going to matter what you did in high school, college, or professionally - nobody cares. If you think that it's going to matter - let alone carry you in the coaching ranks - or within the player development world, then that's going to hurt you.
How good of a coach you are, how much better you can get players, how much your players, parents, staff, respect you, recommend you, and appreciate you - that is what is going to matter.
That isn't about how good of a player you were. That comes from taking the approach to developing as a coach or a trainer as you did when you were a player.
You will find out fast... that coaching and playing... are not the same thing.
Vastly different.
While there are some great players that became great coaches, it is far more often the exception than the rule.
If you were a great high school, college, or professional player, you will often have to:
- Train players or coach players that may not have natural abilities you had
- Work with players that may not have the same kind of work ethic you had
- Help players that may not have the same skill set that you had.
It's a different ball game.
You have to especially be able to work with bad players and help them get better.
The best place to start when you are working with players is to forget about what you did as a player -- not your experience (which will probably be super important to your players) -- but your accolades. Your anecdotes. They're not important to the kids you are working with.
It's about what you can do for players that are still playing that matters.
BASKETBALL COACHES AND TRAINERS - NOBODY REALLY CARES ABOUT YOUR PLAYING CAREER
Never forget that.
