Keep your head in the game

Constant e-mails for more playing time. Parents yelling at the refs. Distracted by the big game. Coach C says, "Forget about it." Your focus is your team.

Q: A couple of parents on my JV team keep e-mailing me about their sons' playing time, stating they should be getting more than they are. How should I handle this?
Coach C: As a coach, you cannot worry about the exterior factors. You have to be strong. The exterior factors are always going to be there. Even if you move up to the college level, you're going to have to worry about the exterior: fans and the media, if you read the paper.

When I coached at Georgia Tech, Bobby Cremins (head coach) and myself never read the local newspaper. It really gets to you. And you don't want that to bother you. So you have to be strong.

You can talk to the parents, but you don't have any control over them. You can be honest with them and let them know that what they say isn't going to make an impact on their children's playing time. Your focus is on your players.

Try not to worry about what parents say and never let it change your philosophy.

Q: No matter how many times I talk to the parents of my high school players about yelling at the referees or coaching from the stands, it still happens. What do I have to do to get my message across?
Coach C: Parents are always going to yell at the referees. I would try to remind them at the beginning and middle of the season that the officials are the officials. You don't have any control of these parents' reactions.

You should remind the parents that they are an extension of their child. You don't want them to yell at the referees, but they are going to do it. Try to pay attention to what is happening with the season. The only people you have control over are your players.

You can tell your players to go home and talk to their parents, but in the end, there is nothing you can do about it.

Q: Do you have any motivational tips I can use that will get my high school boys' team more fired up before our big games? I don't want to be to rah-rah, but I want them to feel inspired.
Coach C: Getting up for the big games is usually the easiest thing to do because your players know it's a big game. There's one thing about coaching – you want to keep an even keel. You don't want to make one game different than the others. Your players will notice that. You don't want them to take the next game lightly.

It's a psychological thing. You may be able to do some things during practice to get them motivated and show them it's a big game. But I would not change my personality. Let them see the same person they've seen all season. That way, they know whom they are dealing with. OC

There's one thing about coaching – you want to keep an even keel. You don't want to make one game different than the others. Your players will notice that.

With more than 27 years of coaching and recruiting experience, Kevin Cantwell knows the physical and mental impact the game has on today's players. For 16 years he served as an associate head coach for Bobby Cremins at Georgia Tech. He also served as an assistant and head coach for Appalachian State University. He has coached and recruited 22 NBA players.

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