Coach John Saintignon is a former division-I assistant coach from Oregon State University, a former high school head coach from the state of Arizona and one of the all-time leading scorers at USC. Coach Saintignon also currently coaches and trains professional players overseas and will lead the Coach’s Corner series on Arizona Preps.
Passion
What is passion?: A strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something. All of us coaches would love to have that or see it, but this has to be cultivated, encouraged, and allowed. We can't say we want it and then have our players or fans turn it down when it comes.
What brings you chills? To me it's the pre game and to see how the teams come out in any sport for the beginning of the battle. I love to see how different places put this forth; UCLA last night at their game had a great montage on their big screen, with the former greats, like Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook - telling the crowd to get ready, then highlights of the prior season's players, all the while the lights were turned off. The fans/students get to cheer and be proud and loud.
Duke is another of the places for college basketball. I was in Argentina recently for a variety of coaches clinics I was doing and, let me tell you, my son's favorite soccer team, River Plate, was playing for the South American cup and I was in awe.
There is passion and this is what I was so happy to see, because of the intensity of the fans, the energy in the building and to witness the other team be so intimated prior to kickoff and to feel such a sense of urgency, that I believed we all could play. How could you not be prepared for that one!
I used music in my practice sessions to add different objectives. Not for the listening pleasure of the players, but sometimes to get used to the noise that was going to be in another arena? Sometimes to get our players to have some feeling, that created a bounce in their step. Like a movie you see, it's the score of the movie that makes the intensity of the scene.
Try to get your student body to get creative. Try to encourage them to cheer for their team with passion and your players will love you for the home court environment you have helped to create. Take a look at this video and let me know your thoughts?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zSqyX6Ectc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw_nXzwiCtY
