Schools
Lessons in Coaching
Joey Porter learned just how hard it was to organize fourth graders for his senior project.
With March Madness upon us, we realize that basketball is an extremely popular sport in our culture. We’re breed for competition and basketball allows any kid to try it out. In elementary school, basketball was the sport to play if you weren’t playing baseball or football, and that’s why senior Joey Porter of decided to become a basketball coach for his senior project.
“Much of my life is greatly focused on sports,” Porter said. “I thought coaching would be something I would enjoy and was fairly easy.”
In fact, Porter had some expertise in the coaching field already.
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“Sophomore year I coached a fourth grade basketball team for one of my other younger brothers,” Porter said. “Because of the experience I gained there, I was able to know what kind of offense and defense to run.”
Porter chose to become a coach for the fourth grade boys Arnold Mill Mustangs and had his younger brother on his team.
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“Having my brother on the team was very beneficial to me,” Porter said. “Because of his friendship with the rest of the team, I was very welcome among them…We ended the season 4-5.”
Porter had one assistant coach, Preston Bazemore of Blessed Trinity High School, to help him with his coaching.
“The hardest part of coaching basketball is always being a good role model for the players,” Porter said. "Even when we lost, I had to practice skills of good sportsmanship. I know the kids look up to me, so I want to set a good example for them.”
Even though Porter taught his fourth graders about basketball he learned a lot from his project, as well.
“I learned that coaching is more complex than I originally thought. If I don’t strategize for every specific game, then we will be beaten. I have also learned that development of the kids is more important to me than just getting that ‘w’ I want them to love and enjoy the game, so I do everything in my power to achieve that.”
Overall, this senior project took more than 37 hours to complete, but after all of that hard work Porter said, “I loved my senior project. Because of it I am possibly considering coaching as a future career. Because of my love of sports and kids, I feel I can benefit society by teaching them good life skills while competing in a healthy environment.”