Thirty-eight years as a basketball coach… “Be honest” Every athlete wants to hear they are good enough to go to the NBA. But I recruit with honesty and their futures in mind. Truth at the moment can be hard to hear. But they come back and thank me for being bold enough with truth from the beginning.
I do not want to crush their dreams but what they can gain by being on a college basketball team, traveling the country, meeting amazing people, and getting an education is what I want to recruit toward. If, in the end, they make the league, that is the icing on the cake from hard work.”
Honesty and caring are always how Doc has approached me over the last twelve years of our friendship. He has no problem using honesty with me and pushing me to think to become better. I have the privilege of calling this man, my friend.
Our mutual love for basketball and heart to be a friend to everyone is what has formed our friendship over the years. Our passion and conversations of basketball and me being a coach’s daughter, while getting our hair cut, is where it all began.
As he does with his athletes, he remembers everything I tell him and asks about my kids and their futures every time we bump into each other. He is the definition of someone who cares about every person in his life.
Even when Alyssa showed up to his sweet sixteen games he was coaching in, in the opposing team, UNC, jersey, and Trajan showed up to his office in a Duke shirt; He has remained my friend, haha.
Doc knows that a basketball gym is where my dad and I go to get away, bond, and retrieve from the craziness in life. He allows us to come watch practice as this is a mutual love dad and I enjoy together. All the lessons learned from Doc go way beyond this sideline story, and I look forward to sharing many more in the months to come!