Real Leaders Seize Real Moments

 During my thirty-nine seasons coaching, I noticed a decline in leadership willingness. This apathy picked up steam in the 1980's. The slow disappearance of school letter sweaters and monogram jackets began to escalate. The athlete began to value greater acceptance in the student body mainstream versus the visual identification apparel labeling him as 'the jock.' The athlete also seemed to 'back-off'' any perceived or real role of policing the team as a manager of peers.  Most often, I had co-captains and gave them specific responsibilities. I sought ways to enhance 'togetherness' and team pride. I discovered that the best co-captain scenario was to require team members, 'returning' the next season, to elect one co-captain and then have my coaching staff select the other co-captain; this struck me the best assigned leadership representation.


Once in awhile a team is fortunate to have an individual who feels motivated to speak or act at critical times to ensure 'good-for-the-order' moment. Let me share one such moment-in-time.


It was the Jacksonville 'Crimsons' 1987-88 basketball season. Andy Kaufmann, the State's two-years running leading scorer was poised for his senior year and he was complimented with great teammates' talent. Junior Rick Conn, who would later play at Wichita State was a strong re-bounder and double-figure scorer. Alongside 6'5" Kaufmann and 6'5" Conn was our opponents' worst nightmare, 6'6" Mike Petefish, who was terrific with inside defense and rebounding and Chris Trumbo, who was a deadly outside shooter.  Danny De Groot was a 6'5" forward who was the first off the bench to spell a front line player. In most years, De Groot would have started on JHS clubs. Joining Kaufmann in the back court making significant contributions were Todd Myrick, Thad Stremming, Jay Meyer and Bobby Hoffman. Rounding out the team was Lance Looker, Michael Johnson and Dana Fox. The team would finish 25-4 with Regional and Sectional Championships and became the first JHS State Team in better than two decades; however, that team nearly derailed in self-destruction. It was saved in a needed leadership moment...it came from reserve forward, Danny De Groot.
 Early in the season, we had much child-like jealousies tugging at the fabric. Some players could not rejoice in others' successes and when the attitudes began to play out with selfish play, I had my full. One night at practice it was obvious that a player refused to pass to an open Kaufmann. I 'went-off.' I sent them to the dressing room and told them they needed to resolve their differences or I was going to FIRE the entire starting players and address the media from Chicago to Centralia explaining that I had to get rid of a bunch of self-centered spoiled babies!


Our adult trainer, who eavesdropped on the locker-room confab, told me later that he never heard such yelling, cursing and expressions of disgust.
Finally, after thirty-minutes of this screaming and accusations, Danny De Groot took the center stage and told his starting teammates that they were a bunch of greedy and self-centered people. He said, I sit on the bench pulling for you guys just waiting for some bits of playing time and I have to watch your selfish crap...not fair. Five minutes later, the Crimsons returned to the floor having dodged a near-fatal self-inflicted wound.


De Groot WAS NOT a captain; De Groot was a leader...a hero!