Knox Central

[IrishBBall]

irish,

 

I don't think any one is doubting your coaching success or knowledge. But thank you for listing all that information for us. We now know that you have benefitted from being on the sideline with all-stars and watching them play. My question to you was the development of the, as you called them, college level talent at Central. Is this another feather in your coaching cap or the result of their high school coaches tirelessly working with them over the summer? Please address this topic.

 

Again, thank you for your resume.

I won't belabor this with much since I addressed alot of what you're asking on my last post. It's been a while since I was blessed with the talent that earned me most of what I stated earlier. The Zags haven't had anyone with the talent on my previous teams. I started coaching AAU girls when my wife was a h.s. coach to help her players improve. I had the good fortune to hook up with the Tennessee Stars which is one of the best grils AAU programs in the country. I coached 1 or 2 more years after she quit because of a commitment to the kids. I was asked to help the Zags when they started 4 years ago and did so while trying to coach my son's traveling baseball team also. I attribute most of the Zags success to a group of hard working blue collar kids that came to us with the desire to improve. We've won tourneys all over the south but were usually laughed at prior to the start of our games. We were a very undersized, underimposing team. See Andre Whitehead's AAU review of the Zags. In an Atlanta tourney, the players asked us before started where our varsity team was. Our smallest guy after we spanked them told them shaking hands that they better be glad our varsity didn't come or it would have been really ugly. I've done this coaching without a son on the team but with the intention of helping everyone of these kids be the best that they could be. I feel I've been blessed with knowledge along with a love of teaching the game that I can only provide in AAU. I can't afford to be a high school coach. BUT, I know and appreciate all the hard work that they do seeing as how my wife and other family members have been hs coaches.

 

The answer/address to your question is on my previous reply to your other post.

[DietCoke]

irish,

 

Thank you again for a timely reply. So the reason they are not winning is because of the coach? These 4 seniors would be winning if another coach had them? Surround these slightly above average players with the rest of their summer team and I'm sure they would win a bunch of high school games. Parents have an inflated view of their own children and when things go sour who will take the blame. Their kids, no? The coach is to blame. They make excuses for their child's poor performance and decision making to a coach. What kind of message is being sent to these kids. When they get a job it will be up to them to work and be motivated. You didn't get to where you are in the banking world by making excuses when times got tough. What an exuse, to say I'm not going to play hard or I'm not motivated to play hard because of the coach.

 

I know I'm not going to change your mind and you aren't going to change mine. I have enjoyed the topic though. Aren't sports great?

[DietCoke]

District 3 AAA was supposed to have a coaches meeting today. Did this occur with the sonw that we are having? I heard they were going to come up with a tournament format. Why would they wait until now to decide? Seems to me that they should have discussed this a long time ago. Why decide today? Aren't there teams out there that have district games left? Someone out there who may know something please inform us all.

[IrishBBall]

irish,

 

Thank you again for a timely reply. So the reason they are not winning is because of the coach? These 4 seniors would be winning if another coach had them? Surround these slightly above average players with the rest of their summer team and I'm sure they would win a bunch of high school games. Parents have an inflated view of their own children and when things go sour who will take the blame. Their kids, no? The coach is to blame. They make excuses for their child's poor performance and decision making to a coach. What kind of message is being sent to these kids. When they get a job it will be up to them to work and be motivated. You didn't get to where you are in the banking world by making excuses when times got tough. What an exuse, to say I'm not going to play hard or I'm not motivated to play hard because of the coach.

 

I know I'm not going to change your mind and you aren't going to change mine. I have enjoyed the topic though. Aren't sports great?

As you can tell from my other posts my intention has never been to bash any coach. I've seen enough other posts calling this coach or that coach an idiot or a joke. My frustration comes in wanting to see all my players succeed not just in basketball but life. You are correct in saying parents have an inflated perception of their kid's abilities. I know that I'm a pretty good judge of talent. As far as the coach making a difference, there's no better example right now than Bruce Pearl and UT is there? I'm not saying Coach Lambert, or Buzz for that matter, is the fault. The few times I've talked to Coach Lambert, I found him to be a funny, likeable guy. I don't know that he even knew I had coached his guys. If I could answer all those questions I would make big money consulting with ADs across the country. I agree 100% with your hard work and motivation statement. Why are some people successful after changing schools, jobs, etc. The biggest tribute I've had as a coach is when a former player tells me they are now coaching and using the things that I taught them. My wife was given a thought invoking plaque when she retired that all coaches need to hear. It's kind of a corny Hallmark thought but if you truly are in youth coaching for the right reasons it will hit home. I hope this is truly my bottom line coaching philosophy. It reads:

 

A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW IT WILL NOT MATTER WHAT MY BANK ACCOUNT WAS, THE SORT OF CAR I DROVE, THE KIND OF HOUSE THAT I LIVED IN...BUT THE WORLD MAY BE DIFFERENT BECAUSE I WAS IMPORTANT IN THE LIFE OF A CHILD

Edited February 11, 2006 by IrishBBall

[icantthinkofaname]

irish,

 

Thank you again for a timely reply. So the reason they are not winning is because of the coach? These 4 seniors would be winning if another coach had them? Surround these slightly above average players with the rest of their summer team and I'm sure they would win a bunch of high school games. Parents have an inflated view of their own children and when things go sour who will take the blame. Their kids, no? The coach is to blame. They make excuses for their child's poor performance and decision making to a coach. What kind of message is being sent to these kids. When they get a job it will be up to them to work and be motivated. You didn't get to where you are in the banking world by making excuses when times got tough. What an exuse, to say I'm not going to play hard or I'm not motivated to play hard because of the coach.

 

I know I'm not going to change your mind and you aren't going to change mine. I have enjoyed the topic though. Aren't sports great?

 

 

Diet Coke-- You must not have attended very many Central games this season. I agree with IrishBBall. Lambert may be a good man, but he is NOT a good coach--no where near it. All he does is jump up and down, stomp, and look like an idiot on the sidelines in a game. These kids deserve a coach who knows how to win!

 

Here are a few of the "coaching" decisions I saw Lambert make this season:

 

1. Central is down by 1 or 2 with the ball and approximately 20 seconds left in the game. The guard dribbles the ball to the sideline and gets double teamed. About 12 seconds are left in the game. What does Lambert do? Nothing. He lets his freshman guard try to get out of the situation-- with the clock running down-- all by himself. The freshman throws up an awful shot that has no chance of going in. The other team gets the rebound, Central fouls to stop the clock. Then, with less than 5 seconds left, Lambert calls a time out. All of this happens right in front of the Central bench and Lambert. Why didn't he call a time out when he had time to set up a play? Or, call a time out to get his freshman out of trouble in the corner?

 

2. In tight games and key situations, he plays his player (I won't name him) that turns the ball over just about every other time he touches the ball and can't hit a shot if his life depends on it. The kid shouldn't even be on the court.

 

3. Getting mad at his kids for being upset (and saying a bad word) they had just lost a game they led throughout and should have won. What's wrong with showing emotion and being upset you lost a close game? Nothing! Unless you play (played) for Lambert.

 

 

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying this Central team would win this year's state title with another coach. But with Ben, Brandon, Chase and Justin and the freshman class they had coming in this year, they should be contending for the top 2 or 3 in the district and maybe even earning a trip to the regions.

 

Remember 3 of those freshman tore up the middle school league last year and if they were coached correctly and given the chance this year; along with Ben, Brandon, Chase and Justin; Central could be contending in the district this year.

 

 

The only reason Lambert is the coach at Central is that he is Principal Miller's buddy. Miller is not going to fire him. Lambert knows it. Everybody knows it.

 

Also, the fact remains Lambert has NEVER coached a team which had a winning season (over .500). Boys, girls, Central or elsewhere... Lambert has not "coached" a winning team anywhere. He may be a good man, but he is not a good coach.

 

Lambert needs to admit to himself that he's not the right man for the job. He won't build a winning program at Central. He can't. He don't know how. He needs to step down. For the good of the kids, for the good of the team and the boys basketball program at Central. These kids deserve better! They deserve a coach that wants them to grow up to be fine young men and who wouldn't mind coaching them in winning a few basketball games along the way!

 

And before you ask, I don't have a kid on the team. But, I do have a kid that goes to Central and I try to support Central teams.

[chill]

As you can tell from my other posts my intention has never been to bash any coach. I've seen enough other posts calling this coach or that coach an idiot or a joke. My frustration comes in wanting to see all my players succeed not just in basketball but life. You are correct in saying parents have an inflated perception of their kid's abilities. I know that I'm a pretty good judge of talent. As far as the coach making a difference, there's no better example right now than Bruce Pearl and UT is there? I'm not saying Coach Lambert, or Buzz for that matter, is the fault. The few times I've talked to Coach Lambert, I found him to be a funny, likeable guy. I don't know that he even knew I had coached his guys. If I could answer all those questions I would make big money consulting with ADs across the country. I agree 100% with your hard work and motivation statement. Why are some people successful after changing schools, jobs, etc. The biggest tribute I've had as a coach is when a former player tells me they are now coaching and using the things that I taught them. My wife was given a thought invoking plaque when she retired that all coaches need to hear. It's kind of a corny Hallmark thought but if you truly are in youth coaching for the right reasons it will hit home. I hope this is truly my bottom line coaching philosophy. It reads:

 

A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW IT WILL NOT MATTER WHAT MY BANK ACCOUNT WAS, THE SORT OF CAR I DROVE, THE KIND OF HOUSE THAT I LIVED IN...BUT THE WORLD MAY BE DIFFERENT BECAUSE I WAS IMPORTANT IN THE LIFE OF A CHILD

 

The Zags and the Breakers are two examples of AAU programs that actually get players better through practice. Most AAU teams are for showcasing talent and individual skill. These two programs are about player development, defense, and unselfish offense. That's probably why both of these programs have been so successful in recent years.....just curious, how long did Scott last at Central.....

[catsfever]

District 3 AAA was supposed to have a coaches meeting today. Did this occur with the sonw that we are having? I heard they were going to come up with a tournament format. Why would they wait until now to decide? Seems to me that they should have discussed this a long time ago. Why decide today? Aren't there teams out there that have district games left? Someone out there who may know something please inform us all.

 

 

The meeting was changed to Wednesday the 15th

[IrishBBall]

The Zags and the Breakers are two examples of AAU programs that actually get players better through practice. Most AAU teams are for showcasing talent and individual skill. These two programs are about player development, defense, and unselfish offense. That's probably why both of these programs have been so successful in recent years.....just curious, how long did Scott last at Central.....

Not long enough in my opinion. I think he was there either 2 or 3 years at the most. I wish he was still there. He's been an embarassment to the Irish program for the short time he's been there. I understand you had problems with him last night. I think you know that at least part of us operate with class. Could I get the details please?

 

Thanks for the props on the Zags! The Breakers also do an excellent job in the age group under us. I think that both teams are fortunate to have good kids to go along with coaches that have worked at the college level.

 

 

By the way did Coach E get his money's worth on the 2nd tech? Even from the Catholic perspective it was a horrible no call on an obvious charge by our player. I only saw his hands in the air to get the first. Did he do anything to deserve that first ?

[IrishBBall]

I think that Daniel Hansen, Jason Seymore, Tyler Howell and T.C. Dinkins are pretty good high school players as well for Powell.

I was referring to impact players . My good is obviously much better than your good. Good is a relative term and to me the 6 thru 8th players on the 4th or 5th place team hardly constitute good. Sorry for the dose of reality!

[Know Nothing]

I was referring to impact players . My good is obviously much better than your good. Good is a relative term and to me the 6 thru 8th players on the 4th or 5th place team hardly constitute good. Sorry for the dose of reality!

 

Hansen and Seymore are starters. Both would start at Catholic. Hansen has around 12 assists in the last two games against one turnover. Seymore had 16 points at Clinton, including three treys.

[Ntheknow2]

Powell definitely has some good players. I don't think they take advantage of McGaha's size enough. He's a pretty big boy and they don't really feed it to him down low like they should. The tournament for that district is shaping out to be one of the best. It's going to be good competition for teams, I'm seeing some upsets as well.

I'll agree with you and you are right about not being fed the ball down low.

Edited February 12, 2006 by Ntheknow2

[IrishBBall]

Hansen and Seymore are starters. Both would start at Catholic. Hansen has around 12 assists in the last two games against one turnover. Seymore had 16 points at Clinton, including three treys.

Really...For whom? Let's see we've beat you 2 out of 3 in the regular season and you've not beaten us in 4 years at the fall league in Karns. Parton, I won't even dignify that one with an answer. Brown, NO way. Walden, No way. Smith, those guys should get his autograph while they can. The 5th spot has been a revolving door but we've got a 6'4" gut there right now. McGaha would probably start since we're not real big.Sorry again!

Edited February 12, 2006 by IrishBBall