Coaches Working Together Can Serve To Protect the Best Interest of the Student-Athlete By Nalin Sood, Executive Director, Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association, Past President and Executive Board Member, National High School Basketball Coaches Association As each of us looks back over the past 19 months, many of us know what we experienced and are still living through may be the most profound and challenging times of our professional and possibly personal lives. The sudden change and uncertainty we have lived through has tested all of us-young and old. During the past year and a half, I have found the role of myself and many of my friends as scholastic basketball coaches as critical, vital, and significant to our main stakeholder, the student-athlete, as ever. For each of us scholastic basketball coaches, many of us know that we are more than just three-hour a day, six-days a week, four-months a year coaches. We are 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, and 365-days a year mentors, advisors, counselors, and father/mother figures to these young men. In 2018, the National High School Basketball Coaches Association in collaboration with the NABC, NCAA, National Federation of High Schools and respective state athletic associations were given guidelines to plan, propose and execute the June Scholastic Division 1 recruiting events (JSE). This decision came down from the NCAA Board of Governors with a primary goal of the JSE’s to serve the best interest of the basketball student-athlete during the recruiting process. This opportunity, one that the NHSBCA has long waited for, was seized upon. Why? Simply said, as the overall goals laid out by the aforementioned governing associations, associations that at the end of the day are in many ways likeminded. We knew that with proper approval and oversight we would be able to provide a positive culture and environment for the student-athletes participating in our events. No different than the same environment each of us is accountable to provide once the school day ends.
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Our current times present many hurdles and obstacles that our young people need the proper guidance, mentoring, and support to navigate. Just the past year and half has presented extraordinary issues such as social injustice, divided political climate, a presidential election unlike we have ever encountered before and a pandemic. Just one of these issues alone is enough, but coupling all these together clearly defines the times we are currently in. To work alongside our young people and to foster their developing and malleable minds shows the power and importance of our profession. It is more than just teaching a jump shot, close-out, or defensive stance; it is to teach and exemplify the necessary life skills they will need to conquer future challenges that are just as great or even greater in their future. As we hand off these student-athletes to our colleagues at the collegiate level, whether that be for athletics or academics, we know we do so to persons that are just as driven and many with a moral compass going in the same direction as ours. We know our “kids” will be in good hands and continue to be steered in the right direction towards successful and prosperous futures. What the past three years have shown me is when we work together, such as in the case of the JSE’s, we can serve to protect the best interest of the studentathlete. We can minimize the outside influence and empower the accountable and trained one. The role of the scholastic coach is one that many of us do not take for granted and are of great fortune to call it not just our passion but also our career. 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.
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