Doreace Martin

I think being a high school basketball coach might be harder now than it’s ever been. You really have parents wanting to sit inside practices. That’s crazy to me. I don’t want to sound old, but back in my day, parents wouldn’t even think to ask. Practice was for the players and coaches. Period. Much respect to today’s coaches because they’re dealing with unwarranted egos, unrealistic expectations, delusional parents, handlers. The high school coach used to be more than just the person drawing up plays. They were mentors and role models. They taught you discipline, accountability, how to handle adversity and how to become a better young man or woman. Now, if a freshman isn’t playing 20 out of 32 minutes, you have parents ready to transfer them somewhere else. At some point, we have to ask: Are we helping these kids by removing every uncomfortable situation, or are we hurting their development? How do we give high school coaches the ability to actually COACH again while still holding them accountable?