Viking Coach

Q: When the chips are down what keeps you going as a coach?

A: When it comes down to the bottom line. . . I flat out love the game of basketball! Some days that "love" is what keeps me going as a coach. In fact. . . if you are going to invest as much time as most coaches do you better love what you are doing.

Q: What about the money coach?

A: A coach who is worth their salt doesn't even want to think about that aspect of the job.

Q: Why is that coach?

A: If you add up the hours that are spent coaching the pay probably is close to the minimum wage. Let's take a look at a typical year of coaching:

IN SEASON WORK
Practice's - Around 55 practices @ about 2 hours = 110 hours
Scrimmages - Generally 3 a year @ about 8 hours = 24 hours
Home Games - 13 @ 4 hours = 52 hours
Away Games - 14 @ 6 hours = 84 hours
Stat Recording - 27 games @ .5 hour = 14 hours
Scouting - Let's say 7 games @ 3 hours = 21 hours
Watching Game tape - 27 plus occasions at 1.5 hours = 37 hours
Press Reporting - 27 games @ .5 hours = 14 hours
Working the Christmas Tournament = 10 hours (PA Announcing)
Saturday Morning Hoops - 10 sessions @ 3 hours = 24 hours
Coaching Clinics - Generally 15 hours worth = 15 hours

I'm at around 400 hours. . . just in season stuff. . . the job is just beginning.

OFF SEASON WORK
Player Conf./equipment collection - 20 players @ .5 hours = 10 hours
Post Season Banquet preparation & banquet = 10 hours
5 on 5 tournament = 20 hours (raise money for program)
Elementary Night School (4 nights - 2 hours in the Spring) = 8 hours
Organization of Summer Basketball = 8 hours (includes a meeting in D.L.)
Summer Morning Hoops - 3 days @ 2 hours x 7 weeks = 42 hours
Thursday night travel league - 7 nights @ 3 hours = 21 hours
Shada 3 on 3 Tournament - 80 hours
(This is the prep work time I do. I get paid extra for the weekend of the shada)
Summer team tourneys - Usually all day events = 30 hours
Fall Gym Supervision = 30 hours
Help with Junior High hoops when it starts = 10 hours

At this point I have put together a total of around 700 hours.

Q: What's your point?

A: The point is not to gain sympathy, far from that. . . I love what I do. . . you don't need sympathy when you feel good about what you are doing. I guess I have multiple points:

#1 - To be your best. . . to be better than the rest. . . you need to love what you are doing and take pride in what you are trying to accomplish.

#2 - There is more to coaching than just showing up at practices and games. . . a coach is doing his program a disservice if that is all they do.

#3 - I guess I also want readers to understand that most head coaches go above and beyond just what the public thinks when it comes to coaching.(practice and games). The hope is that the reader will gain a better appreciation for the dedication of a coach