| Whenever we undertake a new venture, be it | | | | Defense", written by Al McGuire, Marquette |
| coaching basketball, some kind of business | | | | University's coach. I used his methods of |
| startup, a hobby or whatever-we usually need | | | | swarming defense successfully for many years, |
| help. | | | | at the junior high and then at the high school |
| Help could come in as simple a form as a | | | | levels. |
| brochure, but if we're really starting something | | | | I worked hard at teaching myself how to coach |
| that is taking us into our own unchartered waters, | | | | basketball and each season I improved, but it was |
| we will be better served having a guide, rather | | | | a slow process. |
| than trying to figure out how to do whatever it is | | | | A few years later, and with some seasoning |
| we're trying to attempt. | | | | behind me, my journey to "teaching-coach" |
| Henry Ford, in running his company, had a bank of | | | | moved up a notch from just reading about |
| buttons on his desk. When he needed advice on | | | | basketball to becoming proactive--attending clinics, |
| accounting, he pressed a button to call in his | | | | seminars and camps. Among the clinicians to |
| accounting guru. For engineering, he pressed | | | | whom I owe much of what I know about |
| another button. Henry Ford was successful, in | | | | teaching defense was Bobby Knight. This was in |
| part at least, because he knew that he couldn't | | | | the 70's. Knight, at that time, was the acclaimed |
| know and do it all by himself. He kept a stable of | | | | guru of defense. His approach to playing defense |
| mentors-gurus who were knowledgeable in areas | | | | and how to teach it, was innovative and genius to |
| where he wasn't. | | | | this young coach from California. His man-to-man |
| Most of us don't have the luxury of having gurus | | | | defense philosophy and techniques gave me the |
| at our beck-and-call. However, in this computer | | | | ability to teach individual defense and then be able |
| age, we are closer to being able to reach out for | | | | to build this knowledge right into my team |
| a mentor, anywhere in the world we may be, and | | | | defense. What I learned from Coach Knight, |
| anywhere in the world a mentor might be. | | | | combined with my early success with "Mosquito |
| We can go one-on-one with someone who knows | | | | Defense", enabled me to develop my own brand |
| what we want to know without ever leaving our | | | | of defense and my "Giant Killer" defense |
| home. | | | | emerged. Defense was to become my hallmark |
| I was in a group with a financial mentor who told | | | | as a coach and later as an international consultant |
| us to, "find someone who has what we want, do | | | | and lecturer. |
| what they did, to get what they got". I'll admit, I | | | | These talented "mentors" inspired me to want to |
| tried that, but didn't get quite the results I'd | | | | be more than just a successfulhigh school coach. I |
| aspired to, however I learned a lot. This method | | | | read what they wrote; took notes on what they |
| works for some highly dedicated people, but most | | | | had to say at coaching clinics; I participated as a |
| of us average folks may come up short, as I did. | | | | coach in their camps; I even took my players and |
| I'm ready to retire, and want to have a | | | | my small sons to listen to them speak, to attend |
| renewable income source to keep me financially | | | | the camps as players, and to watch their teams |
| secure for the rest of my life. I decided to take | | | | practice. None of these "mentors" knew my |
| everything I'd been doing for more than fifty | | | | name or would remember me, but they |
| years in basketball and market it to the world.This | | | | influenced my early growth in becoming the |
| would have been extremely difficult for me in the | | | | teacher of the game into which I evolved. |
| 70's, 80's and 90's, but now in the new millennium, | | | | Now I'm a basketball coaching mentor for others. |
| I can accomplish this via the internet. | | | | Oh, certainly not like Bobby Knight, Abe Lemons, |
| Cool. I'm ready to go. Now, exactly how do I go | | | | Pete Newell, or John Wooden. But, I bring my |
| about this? My computer knowledge and abilities | | | | teaching DVD, e-Books, basketball coaches |
| are minimal. So, I got a mentor. That got me | | | | tutoring, monthly newsletter and more to a |
| started. Now I have three mentors, and have | | | | special niche market. My more than 50 years of |
| gone through a couple of others. Because I need | | | | basketball playing and coaching experience have |
| new information all the time, I can keep reaching | | | | been successful, by won-loss standards and in the |
| out there into cyberspace to find the help I need. | | | | number of coaches and players I've helped to |
| I ask, "what do I need to do?" and they tell me | | | | develop all around the world. |
| what to do and how to do it. Do I pay for this? | | | | My focus is on the niche market where new, |
| Yes. What's the alternative-going to school for | | | | aspiring coaches venture into the sport without |
| years to hopefully gain some of the knowledge | | | | much more of a clue than a 19 year old boy in |
| they bring to me immediately, or use the | | | | California had in getting started. I work with these |
| trip-fumble-stumble method of trying to do it | | | | "newbie" basketball coaches, with coaches who |
| myself? | | | | have some experience but are still learning, and |
| When I first started out as a basketball coach, I | | | | even with more experienced coaches looking for |
| was a nineteen year old and college student | | | | a splinter of information which might give them |
| running an after-school recreation program at an | | | | the help they need to get to the next level of |
| elementary school. Even though I had played | | | | basketball coaching success. I work with high |
| basketball in high school, I was by no means | | | | school players, whose goal is to play college |
| qualified to teach it. | | | | ball,and teach position specific skills to help them |
| Upon graduation from college my first basketball | | | | be successful. My goal-and my promise-to each |
| coaching position was at the middle school level | | | | coach or player I work with, is that I will take |
| and I found quickly that I needed more education. | | | | them to a higher level of teaching and playing than |
| During those formative years of my coaching I | | | | they were at when we got started together. |
| searched for as much help as I could get and | | | | The role of the mentor is to teach and guide the |
| found it from some of the most talented people | | | | student to a higher level of understanding and skill, |
| of that era. | | | | no matter what the field of interest may be. |
| In the 1960's, I fell in love with teaching basketball | | | | Are you looking for a higher level of success |
| defense after reading a book entitled, "Mosquito | | | | from where you are? Who is your mentor? |