High school coaches should offer constructive criticism

OK, time for an informal poll. Which managing style do you prefer to see in your local high school basketball coach?

Coach A: The coach is constantly on his feet, barking and yelling instructions. These instructions are not just changes in what defenses to use or calling plays on offense, but include instructions on fundamentals or skills.

Coach A pulls a player aside when the player leaves the game and tells him what he did wrong in front of the bench and spectators. Coach A offers little in the way of positive reinforcement and employs a quick hook when a player makes a mistake.

Coach A works the officials. He’ll criticize and question a call and may even wait for the officials at halftime to offer a few more words of advice on how the game should be called. During the game, the coach will appear baffled as to how one of his players got called for a technical foul.

Or?

Coach B: The coach is on his feet, usually, only when it’s time to call out a defensive change or to signal a play for offense. He also may come to his feet to praise a player or offer a pat on the back or handshake when the player comes out of the game.

Coach B talks to a player once they are both seated on the bench. You can’t tell what he is saying because he’s not standing in front of the bench talking loudly in a half-empty gym. If you could listen, you might conclude that, given his more professional style, he is offering constructive comments that will aid the player.

Coach B does not work the officials and, not surprisingly, his players follow his lead and are respectful of officials’ calls.

If you’re like me, you would rather play for Coach B. Or, more importantly, you would want your son or daughter to play for Coach B.

Over the years, I’ve always admired the coaches who do the bulk of their coaching at practices – and then let those lessons come to fruition in the games. Their players always seem to be into the game more, there is more team chemistry and the players actually seem to be enjoying playing basketball.

That’s the way it should be.

The opposite result, with coaches who overcoach, is players who play tight. They seem tentative and are sometimes looking over their shoulder for never-ending instructions – or to see how their coach is reacting.

These players don’t look like they’re enjoying the game.

That’s not the way it should be.

– . –

It seems that more and more high school basketball players these days are wearing ankle braces. Something that will help players prevent injuries is a great thing, but it makes me think back to how we “old fogies” from the 1970s survived without them.

We even played in low-cut sneakers, and the sneakers that were high-tops – the Converse canvas variety – offered little ankle support.

Instead, we were instructed on how to strengthen our ankles using a method that consisted of two exercises that you could do at home.

The first was to place the balls of your feet on a step and push up and down for several minutes. You did this several times a day.

The second was to stand on the outside edges of your feet with them pointing inward. Any time you knew you were going to be standing for a few minutes, you’d do this.

It seemed to work. Three years of high school basketball, including lots of games on slippery playground courts in the summer – and I never suffered an ankle sprain.

Or maybe it was just all that milk my mother and father had me drink at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Sports editor Joe McLaughlin can be reached at 990-8229 or jmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net