Why, really, would anyone want to coach?
鈥淚t鈥檚 like asking a rabbi or a priest why they believe in God,鈥� says Marc Skelton. Or Ishmael why he goes whaling with Captain Ahab.
鈥淓ach November, I reread the opening paragraph from Moby-Dick,鈥� Skelton (M.A. 鈥�06) writes in (Doubleday 2019). As with Ishmael鈥檚 seasonal desire to knock people鈥檚 hats off, he adds, 鈥淣ovember is when I need to be in the gym running practices, screaming about abstract intangibles and invisible stats, or preparing my team to knock off someone鈥檚 head from a pulpit.鈥�
In 2006, Skelton took over the woeful Panthers of tiny Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School, 0-18 the previous year and 80-point losers in his first game. Pounding the Rock describes a transformation that has since brought the team repeated Public School Athletic League Class B championships and a New York State Federation Tournament of Champions title. But the book is also about hope in one of America鈥檚 poorest communities.
November is when I need to be in the gym running practices, screaming about abstract intangibles and invisible stats, or preparing my team to knock off someone鈥檚 head from a pulpit.
鈥擬arc Skelton
Skelton tells Panther teams about their school鈥檚 trailblazing history in the small schools movement and about its namesake, the civil rights activist who famously declared that she was 鈥渟ick and tired of being sick and tired.鈥�
The Panthers play in a 鈥済arden shed鈥�-sized gym and face distractions from babysitting young siblings to 鈥渄rugs, evictions, suspensions and arrests.鈥� None has yet played in the NBA, but a number have attained a college education.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 the secret to our success on and off the court?鈥� Skelton writes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 trust. In coaching, it is said that the players don鈥檛 care how much you know until they know how much you care.鈥�