Season Off the Sidelines

After ten seasons on the sidelines, wait, take this back to the playing days, and it will be over twenty years since I have spent a season off the court.

My wife and I have made the decision to move back home to be closer with family. A little one on the way can shift a lot of previously considered priorities to the side for the future. As a result, my time on the sidelines will temporarily be suspended for at least a season with every anticipation of returning in the near future.

• Can I come back after taking a break?
• Will I lose contact with connections and coaches?
• What will I spend my time on that has otherwise been consumed by hoops?
• Does it hinder my development as a professional?

I don’t know.

My responsibility is towards my family. However, my confidence in my ability to lead a program or support a staff that strives for similar champion ambitions remains the same. There will be a comparable feeling to that of an injured athlete in the training room; I will be able to witness what everyone else is doing, but it is not the same as being immersed in the actual action.

So I have to continue to chase the action. And my plan to stay involved will start with attending practices all over the region. One of my favorite things to do during the off-season is traveling to nearby programs to check out a workout or practice. The way I see it, I will have an entire season to do just that. This will give me an opportunity to observe coaching strategy, forms of communication, or program infrastructure, in addition to linking up with a ton of people that have traveled within the sport.

There are countless people whose careers have deviated from a traditional path to coaching success. To those that have sacrificed, grinded, and possibly drudged through other lines of work to supplement the pursuit of a passion I will continue to find inspiration from you. And for those that are just in the beginning, hopefully this site (our story) can increase perspective while seeking new opportunity! Either way, be sure to follow along for some of the new content coming out and who knows, might run into you at a practice down the road. Good luck coaches!