The Challenges of the times strengthens the NHSBCA by Dave Archer, Executive Director, NHSBCA Like most aspects of society, scholastic basketball coaches faced a myriad of issues in the past year related to the Corona Virus, Social Justice, wide spread unrest and unemployment. Our vocabulary became dominated by “re-words,” such as re-think…reconcile…reimagine…review… rebrand…reinforce…reactivate… resocialization… reboot…rebuild…restart…re-invent…repeat… reform…re-do…re-define and re-launch. The unprecedented circumstances dramatically affected individual coaches, State Basketball Coaches Associations and the National High School Basketball Coaches Association. Individual coaches and their teams lost the opportunity to finish their regular season, to play in summer leagues and to attend camps together. State Basketball Coaches Associations were dramatically affected financially by not being able to host banquets, summer camps, and their annual clinics. The NHSBCA was not able to operate their well-designed Scholastic Recruiting Events throughout the nation. A unique by-product of the circumstances was the noticeable strengthening of the NHSBCA. A well designed structure of meetings at the state, regional and national level increased the strength and resolve of the NHSBCA.
appropriate actions at the high school level, (c.) strong professional development opportunities, (d.) boost the NHSBCA Awards, Honors and Recognition programs, (e.) improve the benefits of membership and, (f.) enhance our working relationship with the NABC, WBCA, NCAA and NFHS. Additionally, the NHSBCA plans to take a more active approach in sharing our thoughts, concerns and plans on such issues such as: (a.) the NCAA Recruiting Calendar, (b.) the role of club and travel youth basketball, (c.) the rumored movement of non-scholastic basketball to be a year around venture displacing high school teams and, (d.) the growing number of high school players transferring schools. Collaboration among the NHSBCA network of state basketball coaching leaders is at an all-time high working to improve the scholastic game of basketball and its coaches. About the NHSBCA The National High School Basketball Coaches Association also serves as the High School Congress of the NABC. About thirty-five state basketball coaches’ associations and representatives of some states that do not have a basketball coaches association work together to improve scholastic basketball and scholastic coaches. The NHSBCA is the national voice for high school basketball coaches, working to foster high standards of professionalism and to support coaches. The NHSBCA conducts two general meetings per year, one at the NABC Convention and the other in July. Additionally, the NHSBCA Executive Committee conducts monthly phone conference meetings. For additional information about the NHSBCA, visit www. NHSBCA.org.
The NHSBCA leadership focused on what role could/ should trained scholastic coaches have in the youth basketball space moving forward. These are a few of the NHSBCA initiatives which are in various stages of design and implementation: (a.) vibrant Scholastic Recruiting Events employing a regional concept, (b.) following the lead of the powerful NABC Committee on Racial Reconciliation, the NHSBCA will encourage and recognize
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