For every great team, there’s a story behind it. How the team functions, the development of strategies, and the creation of the team’s ethos are all essential and most interesting parts. But one of the most important parts in the coach.
The coach plays an important role in every team, from creating the best possible strategies to extracting the best from every player on the court.
This role has a significant influence beyond the courtside plays; a team and a coach can be very close.
In the words of the Butler Grizzlies Men’s Basketball Head Coach, Kyle Fisher, “I have a basketball family, I have my family and I consider them all family.”
Coach Kyle embodies a philosophy centered around discipline, respect and organization. It’s very important to him to instill these values off the floor in the locker room, to hold the players to a standard that goes beyond the basketball court. This way, he believes, one can develop not just skilled athletes but disciplined, respectful individuals who carry these values with them both on and off the court.
In the world of junior college basketball, motivating players requires a more refined approach. Every player is going through a journey where they aspire to reach the next level. The beauty of college basketball, as Fisher explains, lies in their shared drive to progress. In a perfect world, everybody is motivated to play well and to win.
One of the reasons Coach Kyle attributes to their good results is everybody’s commitment to winning. His approach, therefore, involves inspiring each player to understand that tradition and to get them to work to become a champion.
When it comes to player progress, game time is one of the most important parts of the journey. Players with more playing time can develop a lot quicker and become a better player compared with players who get less game time. Coach Kyle consistently reminds the players that they are responsible for their playing time.
“I tell our team all the time that they will dictate their playing time.” Fisher said.
This shows that every player has a chance to play if they put in the hard work, and it shows the coach’s commitment to providing equal opportunities for every player.
In the Butler Grizzlies men’s basketball, Coach Kyle Fisher goes beyond coaching. He treats the team like his family, emphasizing values on the players like discipline and respect which can go beyond basketball, shaping not just athletes but better individuals. This approach creates a unique bond with the team, making them much closer, which, in turn, drives them to chase all their goals together as a unit.