Tiger Tuesday: Growing pains

Sports

November 30, 2009

Related Photos

Tigers coach Andy Dotson, right, and assistant Luke Mackay talk to their team during a timeout. Daily Sun photo/Ron Farmer
Lady Tiger coaches Art Prevost, middle, and assistants Marty Nichols, left, and Charlie Nichols, get a message to Rebecca Bentz (40) and Whiteny Smith (21). Daily Sun photo/Michael Kormos

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Trust us coaches, some of us know how you feel

By Todd Wills

Andy Dotson and Art Prevost, I feel your pain.

The growing pains.

I’ve been there before, sitting on the bench, suffering through the double-digit losses. Wondering if my young team would ever make a shot. Or grab a rebound. Or check into the scorer’s table correctly.

In fact, it was just last winter. That it was my fourth grader’s basketball team really shouldn’t matter.

I’ve covered over 500 basketball games. That qualifies me to be a basketball coach, right?

I figure I’m just as good with a white board as I am with a laptop and a tape recorder (hold off on the e-mails Waxahachie fans).

I mean I’m no Rick Pitino, but I’m sure I could play him on TV (now wouldn’t that be a soap opera).

I know what a pick-and-roll is. Lewis Orr gave me a great play to break a half-court press.

Losing 58-42 or 76-34 with your players’ parents in the stands. Now that’s a nightmare. I can one up you.

My team — we were called the Hot Shots — got shut out two games in a row. Not so hot with the shots, huh?

We followed that up with a 32-2 beating. We were almost as bad as this year’s 0-17 New Jersey Nets.

And I didn’t even get fired, though I wasn’t invited to the postseason swimming party. Any idea what that was all about?

Speaking of the Nets, Coach Pre and A.D., we could be fired coach Lawrence Frank. I mean how can he live with himself, taking the $4 million he’s owed for the rest of the season?

Have faith, my friends. I count 15 days until the district opener for the Lady Tigers and 22 for the Tigers.

That’s an eternity. You’ll have these kids ready.

Just look what Coach Dotson and assistant Luke Mackay did last year. Turning a season around and making the playoffs. You brought the team together. You’ll do it again.

Coach Pre and your assistants, the Nichols boys, the effort your team put forth in last week’s North Mesquite win last Monday was like watching a Kim Mulkey team play. It electrified the gym.

And singing the school song A cappella? It brought a tear to Chuck Williams’s eyes.

Seriously, it was a beautiful thing.

So keep at it. Stay hungry. Practice like crazy.

Usually all’s well that end’s well.

My team last year? In our post-season tournament, after going 0-8, we played a team that beat us by 20 points.

You know what, we beat them by 5.

Great coaching? Probably. I have to say my use of our four timeouts was Red Auerbach-like.

Satisfying?

You know the feeling.

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