Happy Wednesday - Make sure you’re taking game shots.

A Cool Experience for a Kid (and a Dad)

I had the opportunity to take my daughter to a special basketball event that I’ve actually never been to before - The Hall of Fame Classic at the famed New Castle Fieldhouse in New Castle, Indiana. If you are a reader from outside of Indiana, you probably know that our state is known for basketball, but you may not know that TEN of the top 12 biggest high school gyms in the entire country are in Indiana.

If you have ever been there, you know it feels different. It is not just a gym. It feels sacred. The basketball gods have clearly spent some time in that building.

We watched Plainfield take on the defending state champions and #1 ranked Norwell. The level of play and the coaching on display was super impressive. I found myself almost coaching from the stands. Dissecting plays, coaching up my daughter on what was happening, and laughing at how much the crowd gets after the referees. I can never hear it as a coach, but as a fan, you hear everything. “Over the back!”, “Call it both ways!”, “That’s a travel!”. We may need to pay referees more.

Now, my daughter is six. I figured we'd watch some of the game, she'd get restless, and we'd head home. That was the plan. And although she was very invested in the sour Skittles and popcorn, we stayed for the entire game. Alright, time to go home.

Here's the part I didn't see coming.

As we were leaving and driving past the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, I was telling her about it as she looked out the window.

"Stop. I want to go in there."

For real?! I couldn’t have stopped quick enough.

I hadn't been since I was about her age. Honestly, I wasn't sure a six-year-old would care. But she did. What was even cooler is she asked questions about everything. She wanted to see it all. We stayed way longer than I expected. It caught me off guard, in the best way.

We don't give our kids enough credit. We assume they won't be interested, won't appreciate it, won't remember it. But their curiosity opens doors to moments we didn't know we’d get. She didn't just want to leave after the games. She wanted more.

For those of you coaching your own kids, or just trying to share this game with the next generation: don't underestimate what they're taking in. Sometimes they surprise you. Sometimes they're the ones who remind you why you fell in love with this sport in the first place.

Taking Care of Coach: Why Your Mental Health Matters This Season

I had a great conversation this week with my friend Gabrielle Smith, the head girls basketball coach at Richmond High School. We were catching up about the season, swapping stories, and somewhere along the way the conversation shifted to something we don't talk about enough in this profession: how coaches take care of themselves.

Gabrielle made a point that stuck with me. She talked about the importance of coaches prioritizing their own mental health and wellbeing during the grind of the season. And she's absolutely right.

I'll be honest with you. There were seasons in my career where I ran myself into the ground. I'm talking about nights where I couldn't sleep, lying awake replaying possessions in my head or worrying about a player's attitude. My blood pressure would spike. Migraines became a regular companion. By the time February rolled around, I was running on fumes, and like clockwork, my body would finally tap out. I'd get hit with whatever bug was going around because I had nothing left in the tank.

Sound familiar?

Coaching is a stressful, lonely, and demanding job. There aren't many people who truly understand what a long season takes out of you. The pressure to win. The time demands that never seem to end. The mental strain of managing players, parents, administrators, and your own expectations. It adds up.

And here's the thing about winter sports that makes it even harder. You're coaching during the darkest, coldest months of the year. You arrive at school when it's dark outside. You leave when it's dark outside. Some days you don't see the sun at all. The holidays come and go, and while everyone else is relaxing with family, you're game-planning for the next opponent. You're missing dinners with your kids. You're missing their events. You're constantly putting out fires, one after another, and there's always another one waiting.

The list of stressors goes on and on. And most coaches I know are strong people. We push through. We grind. We tell ourselves we'll rest when the season's over.

But I want you to hear this clearly: you have to take care of yourself. Your mental health matters. You matter.

If you're struggling, you're not weak. You're human. And the reality is that this job can wear you down if you don't have outlets and strategies to manage the stress.

Here are some things I want you to consider:

Find an outlet, both emotional and physical. You need someone you can talk to openly, whether that's a spouse, a friend, a fellow coach, or a professional. You also need something physical to release the tension. Go for a run. Lift weights. Take a walk. Do something that gets you out of your own head and moving your body.

Be honest about how you're coping. Too many coaches I know turn to alcohol to take the edge off after a tough game or a long week. I get it. But that's not a solution, it's a mask. If you notice yourself reaching for a drink more often than you should, take a step back and ask yourself what's really going on.

Prioritize sleep. I know it's hard. Your mind is racing, your schedule is packed, and there's always more film to watch or plays to draw up. But sleep is foundational. Without it, everything else falls apart. Do what you can to protect your rest.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you're feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed, reach out to a professional. There's no shame in it. In fact, it takes strength to recognize when you need support.

Here are some resources worth knowing about:

We spend so much energy pouring into our players, our programs, and our schools. But you can't pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself this season. Your players need you at your best, and more importantly, you deserve to feel healthy and whole.

Check in on your fellow coaches too. Sometimes all it takes is a conversation, like the one I had with Gabrielle this week, to remind someone they're not alone in this. If you ever need somebody to check in with, feel free to reach out to me.

Stay well, Coach.

The Scouting Report is your weekly dose of resources that can help your coaching. Plays of the Week, videos, drills, etc. What’s the old joke? The best coaches are just the best thieves?

Shared Resources

Some good Horns sets:

We’ve all gotten that one message from a parent that makes you pause, blink twice, and say… “Did they really just send that?”

If you’ve got a funny, confusing, or just plain wild message sitting in your inbox, send it in to [email protected]. We’ll feature the best ones anonymously - names and personal info will be removed.

Let’s remind each other we’re not alone in this coaching journey.

That’s a wrap on Episode 23 of Game Shots. Thank you for subscribing.

My mission has always been, and will always be, to support coaches around the world who love the game and want to keep getting better.