A Coach's Challenge

Edwardsville and Jacksonville high schools have one thing in common; the two (2) schools/communities had greater basketball success when the teams presented a good mix of 'White' and 'Black' players.
 When I interviewed for the Edwardsville basketball position I was taken by a question posed by one interviewer when he asked, "What is your approach coaching the 'Black athlete?" I had been warned ahead of the interview that some 'race' issues preceded me. Actually, I did not know that skin pigmentation shades caused a coach to alter 'coaching methods.'
 I grew up in the very diverse and multi-cultural East St. Louis. I competed with and against 'Blacks,' 'Whites' and a whole bunch of third generation immigrants, most of whom represented a broad tint brilliance. That said, I became aware early in life, that when our USA  'glorious-melting-pot' of folks came together, nobody seemed to be without doubts, myths and suspicions about the 'other' guy.


In Jacksonville, I was once told by an adult Black that he grew up being told that "Whites' paid coaches to play their kids. Two of my Black ball players (1984) told me that it was not until their junior seasons that they finally dismissed the 'hood street talk' warning that the 'coach' would favor the 'White' players.


When it came to coaching, I followed a simple approach: Bring together teenage players from all ethnic, race and socio-economic backgrounds and mesh them into a singularly-committed group. Identify that group's collective basketball strengths and weaknesses and CAUSE them to accentuate their positives while eliminating their negatives, thus giving the heterogeneously diverse group a chance to be collectively successful. I LOVED THAT CHALLENGE and I could do THAT!


The aforementioned stated, let me speak to another coaching-technique that I brought alongside: I DID NOT treat all players the same , however, I held each boy to the same standards of expectations. I likely wrapped nearly 100-thousand ankles in 39-years and every time I seized those minutes with that player to ask a myriad of questions about his family life. At those times and with those answers, I equipped myself with information to better understand the player's home life, attitude and any baggage. I could and would engage that kid away from the court to mentor him predicated on individual needs as I perceived.


The last three years I coached was here in Decatur (Stephen Decatur and Eisenhower). My teams were primarily comprised of 'Black' players. I fought the battle to the end. Those years I would call the first week of practice for 5:30AM. Each year, I would hear many colleagues state, behind my back, "Those kids won't get out-of-bed' and report at that time." I would then telephone the mothers of the 'Black' players and tell them to help me with my fight against 'old myths and prejudice' beliefs. I never had a kid not show on time.


Jacksonville's African-American population during my 21-seasons, ran about 6%; my Crimsons' basketball teams averaged 42%. Next question! Make no mistake, coaching would be a hellava lot easier If most players could avoid the family table-talk.