Sports letters 2/2/03

There's something to be said for a coach

To the editor:

I've always admired and respected coaches. After all, I was one. For one season.

I thought since I played basketball in high school, I'd have no trouble coaching. I knew everything there was to know.

I coached the boys' JV team in a small Illinois town near St. Louis. I also coached the eighth- and ninth-grade boys basketball teams. In addition, I taught five different subjects in the classroom.

Those who have been in that situation will find it easy to understand why I eventually went temporarily insane or, according to who you ask, permanently.

One evening, my JV team was taking a real drubbing. What to do? The varsity coach was sitting on the bench. He told me to call timeout and tell the players to run the Collinsville press.

Having seen the Collinsville, Ill., powerhouse at that time on several occasions on TV, I knew their press was such a successful defense that it caused many a team to fold. If we tried it, we could come back and win! However, I didn't know anything about the Collinsville press. I told the coach. He told me not to worry about it since the players had seen it many times on TV and in person.

I called timeout. I told the boys to run the Collinsville press. I was met was a collective, "Huh?" I responded by shouting that they had seen it many times and could run it --then I looked over my shoulder at the varsity coach. He was biting through two towels to try and restrain his laughter. I'd been had.

"So what do we do, coach?" the captain inquired.

"Oh, the heck with it. Just get back out there and do whatever it was you were doing," I said, throwing a towel in disgust, for face-saving dramatic effect.

These days I often visit area coaches' hospitality rooms. After all, I did coach, if only for one disastrous season.

The looks I receive from other coaches when I enter the hospitality rooms are skeptical at best. That's understandable.STEVE MOSLEY

Cape Girardeau