The Program...

Not many people understand what it takes to run a high school basketball program, especially at an inner city school. I wanted to take this opportunity to give some insight on what it is really like.

From the outside looking in, it seems easy. It seems like all you have to do is get the kids in shape, teach them some plays, and watch them perform on gameday. In reality, it is so much more than that. There are so many different situations that have to be dealt with, even before the kids step on the court. A lot of these kids come from low income, single parent households. A lot of these kids come with baggage. When these kids become a part of the program, you not only become their coach, but you become their counselor, mentor, academic advisor, and father figure. They really become your kids.

In my 3 years on the staff, we have dealt with all kinds of situations. Babysitting is always a big issue. In one instance, we had a kid who had the responsibility of watching his little brothers and sisters as a 10Th grader. His mom worked a middle shift, just so the family could remain poor. Yea... remain poor. There was no dad in the house, so it was on him to watch them, feed them, and make sure all of their homework was done. He was a good kid who was very soft spoken, and a very hard worker on the basketball court. He never took for granted the opportunity to be a part of a high school program, and it showed in the effort and energy he played with. He loved it. He was the type of player and the type of kid every coach would want on their team. Well one day I get a phone call, saying he was caught in school with multiple bags of weed. It's sad because I know he was a good kid, who was kind of forced into that situation. He felt like it was his responsibility to provide for his little brothers and sisters, by any means necessary. He ended up being off the team, out of school, and in the juvenile detention. So it was left to us as coaches to try explain the situation to the rest of the kids, as well as to try educate them on the consequences of drugs and drug dealing.

That situation is one of many that I have had to deal with as a coach. We had a kid who ran away from a group home(he was later found and returned to the team). We had a kid who was forced to live in a shelter, because his mother was dealing with domestic abuse issues with her live in boyfriend. We had a kid who was released from prison, who needed permission from his probation officer to practice at certain times(he also had to wear an ankle bracelet). The issues go on... and on... and on... and on and on. Every day before practice, we have a meeting in the coaches room to discuss the practice plan for that evening. Most of the time in those meetings usually ends up being spent talking about what issues occurred in school that day, or about a situation a kid is dealing with in their personal life. There is always something.

It takes a resilient group of men to be able to handle all of these situations. Doug Snyder, Bob Freed, Mark Smurda, Mike Kaminski, and Dan Freed are just that. They are a great group of men who take on every challenge they are faced with. The salary they are paid doesn't even come close to justifying the time and sacrifice they put in when it comes to the program. When we have morning games on weekends, coaches spend their own money to get the kids breakfast bars and juice, because they know in most cases there is no food in the home. At summer league tournaments, there is always an abundance of hot dogs and drinks for the kids to enjoy. Every night after practice coaches leave with a car full of kids who have no rides home. On multiple occasions, coach Snyder(head coach) paid for all of the kids to attend college basketball games in which one of the former players from the program was playing. (He took them to see Darnell and Ray, both of which I spoke of previously). The staff participates in numerous fundraising activities to raise money for the kids to go to camps that they wouldn't have otherwise been able to afford. Anytime a kid needs anything, the staff is always there to help. That goes for every kid. The star of the varsity gets the same treatment as the worst kid on the freshman team. They will do anything to give every kid the opportunity to be successful. Not just successful when it comes to the game of basketball, but successful in life as well.

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The work doesn't stop when a kid graduates either. Coaches take former players on college visits, job interviews, and in a few instances have helped them get jobs within the school system. Just about a week ago coach Snyder actually drove one of the kids to his college campus for the move in process, because that child's parents were unavailable. The job never ends.

After all of the distractions are settled, the coaches always put a good team out on the court. Year after year the team is one of the best in the area. Whenever the coaches are questioned about the success of the team, or the success of an individual player, they give the kids all of the credit. They never mention the struggle and adversity they have to deal with on a day to day basis. It is all about the kids and the program, and not the coach. I love that. Coach Snyder has been offered jobs for him and his staff at other schools, but he always turns them down. Even though these schools have wonderful facilities and no economic issues, he stays loyal to his kids and his program. He finds it more rewarding to help our kids, which are the kids who need it the most. Not just to help them become better basketball players, but to help them become better young men.

I am honored to be a part of the program. I have picked up so much in the 3 years I have been on the staff. I learned a lot when it comes to coaching, but I also learned how to deal with multiple personalities and situations. When you see a child benefit from your influence, it makes all of the hard work and sacrifice worth while. The experience has been an invaluable one, and I look forward to being a part of the program for many years to come.

Ok that's all for now... thank you for visiting and stay tuned...