Coaching...

**imported_Counts** · February 21st, 2007, 04:21 PM

No need to drop a sport if those not interested do not show up then those who want to play can sure you could go 0-20 but there is more to sports than just winning the importan thing would be that kids with an intrest in playing would getthe chance to play.

That being said I have no clue as to wheather some of the kids playing Basketball this year did or did not want to be there if they enjoy the game by all means keep playing if not leave a spot open for someone who might.

Getting back to the point if it is true that Mills is steping down Clintwood would have to rank right with Pound in terms or running off coaches LOL

**cvcgrad** · February 21st, 2007, 04:47 PM

Well, in Clintwood's case, it wasn't a problem finding players willing to play. There were enough to play, but they weren't serious about basketball. The result was a half-hearted effort and lackluster season. Winning and losing aside, I'm not sure that is beneficial to the school either. If you have a really bad team who really tries, you can say, "we'll they have it their best." But, to have a group go out and not even try is not fair to the coaches who give their time or the fans, however few they may be, who come out to support them.

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No need to drop a sport if those not interested do not show up then those who want to play can sure you could go 0-20 but there is more to sports than just winning the importan thing would be that kids with an intrest in playing would getthe chance to play.

That being said I have no clue as to wheather some of the kids playing Basketball this year did or did not want to be there if they enjoy the game by all means keep playing if not leave a spot open for someone who might.

Getting back to the point if it is true that Mills is steping down Clintwood would have to rank right with Pound in terms or running off coaches LOL

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**imported_Counts** · February 21st, 2007, 04:59 PM

I heard the same agrument made to drop Ervinton football a few years back but they turned there ship around.

The problem with droping a sport for the reason you gave is that you punish the kids that may have had nothing to do with that team IMHO if the players are not putting forth the effort it is the coachs job to sit them on the bench or run them off.

I missed alot of games near the end of the season due to work and illness in my family but from the games I watched I did not think Clintwood looked that bad out side of one or 2 games the biggist thing I saw was that there shooting was horrable but the same thing could be said for several other teams I watched this season.

**dirt34** · February 21st, 2007, 05:12 PM

CW shouldn't drop basketball as a sport. You just cant drop a sport because you arent that good in it. When Green and Hamilton played for CW back in the day they werent LPD champs or anything. CW has always been competitive. Just because the coaches arent that great doesnt mean to do away with the sport, it just means you might need a new coach. You just have to find the right one. The kids can only do what they are taught and coached to do.

**cvcgrad** · February 21st, 2007, 06:00 PM

I think it would be awesome to see Clintwood turn the program around. But, based on the lack of interest I've seen in the last couple of years, I think it would be really unrealistic to expect any coach to be able to motivate a team who just doesn't care about a sport.

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I heard the same agrument made to drop Ervinton football a few years back but they turned there ship around.

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I suspect there have been times in the last two years when the coaches have wanted to do just that. In fairness to them, if they eliminated everyone expect the players who were really interested in playing, they would not have had enough to play some games.

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The problem with droping a sport for the reason you gave is that you punish the kids that may have had nothing to do with that team IMHO if the players are not putting forth the effort it is the coachs job to sit them on the bench or run them off.

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Clintwood actually had the potential to have a good team this year. The team reached rock bottom, imo, during the LPD tournament in the game against Powell Valley. I can honestly say I've never seen less emotion or effort from a Clintwood team before.

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I missed alot of games near the end of the season due to work and illness in my family but from the games I watched I did not think Clintwood looked that bad out side of one or 2 games the biggist thing I saw was that there shooting was horrable but the same thing could be said for several other teams I watched this season.

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**Slobber Knocker** · February 21st, 2007, 06:01 PM

You know the problem at Clintwood. No talent coming up! Simple as that. No talent! At the beginning of the year if you have to play freshmen on a varsity team that do not have the basic pick and roll; jump, sag, and slide defensively, take a charge, dribble with both hands, shoot a left hand lay-up while jumping off of the right foot, basic skills... you are going to have problems. You could bring in Dick Vitile as an inspirational speaker, Bobby Knight to coach the team, and have the L.A. Laker cheerleaders to root them on and they still would not have a winning record. You can say so and so got hurt but I have seen them play, watched them practice, and if you know any thing at all about basketball outside of the LPD you will realize that this team along with several others have no talent to be competitive. I am not sugar coating anything.
Clintwood has one of the best fundamental coaches in Mike Grear and Coach Mills but they only work with the kids from November to Feb. The kids are simply not dedicated to basketball. The numbers and talent are not there.
You want to get better? Call your coach (Coach Grear will always have an open gym for his players if he is not busy)and friends and go to a gym at 8 in the morning when school is not in, play for a few hours. When the coach leaves, hide someone in the gym and come back about 15 minutes later. Play for a few more hours, put the pitching mound ramps out and jump off them to dunk the basketball. Then after this is over around 5, go eat dinner, and then meet up with your friends again to go play open gym over at Pound, Clintwood, or Longs Fork (when we had an open gym) with the adults. That is how you get better. Sweat and heart. (Ahhhhhhh what memories!!!!!!)
During the summer, go to Kingsport, Bristol and play at their Y's or outdoors where the men play at. Take your team to the team camp at VCU in Richmond. A lot of AAA city schools out there with better athletes then you will find at Va Tech. You get better by playing better competion and keeping a basketball in your hand.
Coaching has not got a thing to do with it at Clintwood. The coach does not throw the ball away when up by 3 with a few seconds left. Coach doesn't shoot 50% from the free throw line even though he goes over and over how important free throw shooting is, coach does not get beat by not blocking out after the offense takes a shot. Basketball is a REACTION game. If you have to think, you are dead. That is why you have to play all year round.
My passion is football but there is no excuse in this small area why you cannot succeed in both sports if you want to.

**cvcgrad** · February 21st, 2007, 06:03 PM

Well for me, its not about winning or losing, but about how much interest the school has in the sport.

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CW shouldn't drop basketball as a sport. You just cant drop a sport because you arent that good in it. When Green and Hamilton played for CW back in the day they werent LPD champs or anything. CW has always been competitive. Just because the coaches arent that great doesnt mean to do away with the sport, it just means you might need a new coach. You just have to find the right one. The kids can only do what they are taught and coached to do.

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**kmccall** · February 21st, 2007, 06:18 PM

Yes, a coach at the High School level may not be the problem but what you need is a coach (usually a parent) to form up a travel team when they are young. Get the kids excited about the game, teach the fundamentals and practice, practice, practice. This will make your teams better for the future. This is not a hard thing to do you just have to devote the time.

**Slobber Knocker** · February 21st, 2007, 06:30 PM

Very good idea but a traveling team is good if you can find parents that are willing to travel to the tri-cities, or Roanoke to find the good teams that play AAU tournaments. There is a lot of work for parents to do with those organizations and you runthe roads more sometimes than you do going to high school games. Not to many basketball tournaments are held down here in the mountains for the youth.
I believe in the simple things to get better. Dribble to your hands fall off, shoot 4-500 JUMP shots a day, not white-boy, text book set shots; and play defense against better competion and adults in an open gym somewhere.