Mr. Molloy will read the introduction to the class. Students will actively listen and answer writing prompts that will lead to class discussion.

SHANE BATTIER: Former NBA Player and Past NCAA Basketball Player of the Year National Advisory Board

A member of the NBA’s Miami Heat, Battier began his professional career as a 2001 first-round draft pick. A high school and collegiate Naismith Award winner and Oscar Robertson Award winner, Battier led the Duke Blue Devils to the 2001 NCAA Championship and two Final Four appearances. Off of the court, the religion major was a two-time Academic All-American and the 2001 Academic All-American of the year. Battier is celebrated for his unselfish play and ability to make his teammates better, and was dubbed the “no stats all-star” by author Michael Lewis in an article for The New York Times

Elevating your game: Foreword: By Shane Battier

“Athletes I most admire, like Grant Hill, are Triple-Impact Competitors.”

Class Discussion: Who are the athletes you admire? What do you admire most about these individuals? (Notebooks and Google Drive)

“Grant took a moderately talented Duke team within one 3-pointer of winning a National Championship game against Arkansas in 1994. No matter who was on the floor with Grant, you had a shot to win and that’s who I wanted to be –  a guy who makes the team better.” Shane Battier (page 1)

What team do you play on that came the closest to reaching their potential?

Frankie (Sports decision BC or Holy Cross. Holy Cross beat Uncle (younger than him) Billy Curley. How did you watch NCAAs in 1994? Let me tell you (March Madness has changed – ALL games are televised!)

Class Discussion: Who is a great TEAM athlete? Who at Hanover currently is the best at making his / her team better? Past Hanover High examples: Patrick Flynn (2-time state champion: football & basketball / South Sectional Champion: Lacrosse) Jeff Wheeler (2-time state champion: football & rugby)

“I had great coaches growing up, most of all, my dad.” Who has played for a parent? What are the benefits and drawbacks”

“When you have success as a team, it’s much sweeter than when you just have personal success.” (page 1)

Class Discussion: Comment on this statement. Describe a time when you had team success (State Championships) vs. a time when you just had individual success.

“The importance of the next play… Assignment – Focus on the Next play in ALL your practices and games.

GREAT PLAY: “You make the free throw, get back on defense, and try to do it again.” (page 1) “Act like you have been there!”

POOR PLAY: “You pick yourself back up, dust off your shorts, and say “That’s not going to happen again. I’m going to stop him next time.” (page 1)

Class discussion:

GREAT PLAYS: What is the best play of your career? Youth, High School, Club, Backyard games

POOR PLAYS: What are common examples of failures in sports? How do athletes react (wide range of behaviors) 

“I’ve had the good fortune to work with some of the greatest coaches and athletes in the world. Some – like Phil Jackson, Summer Sanders, Doc Rivers, Dean Smith, and Julie Foudy – are household names.” (page 2)

Class Discussion: Who are some of the individuals you have had the good fortune to work with?

“If you can  live in the moment and go on to the next play, you’re going to successful no matter what you do in life.” Shane Battier (page 2)

“Every coach and athlete is a steward of the game.” Shane Battier (page 2)

“Elevating Your Game has great ideas and exercises to help you become a better player – but more important a better person.” Shane Battier (page 2)

GREAT CLIP: Shane Battier: Leadership Through Work Ethic (1:11) (Leadership does not have to be vocal. I am playing for the right reasons

Shane Battier: Beyond Winning, The Rewards of Working As A Team (1:02)

Shane Battier: Why Being A Triple-Impact Competitor Is Important

Elevating Your Game is the 1st book we will be reading in class. It is a book written by the Positive Coaching Alliance. (Google Slides)

Forward Shane Battier (pages 1 & 2):

PCA Videos

We will attempt to identify the most useful videos for our class. These videos can serve a starting points for class discussions.

There are so many resources available today on sports, it is important to do a complete analysis on the quality and content. This will serve as a model for a possible assignment. When this class was 1st created, there was no blue print or curriculum. It was a semester course, which really did not flow too well, because each semester had a different focus. Since it has become a year-long course, the curriculum is a lot more consistent, but like a sports team, there always are “half-time adjustments.”

We will always be looking at current sporting events and controversies.

As a teacher, parent, former high school coach (football, basketball, & lacrosse), former high school & college student-athlete, and current youth coach, I have many perspectives on sports. I find the Positive Coaching Alliance, to be a tremendous resource. They have made a huge commitment to reaching out to pro-athletes and coaches to share in their mission.

Sports can be a very positive and valuable part of an individual’s personal growth. It also can be an important part of a person’s entire life.

Positive Coaching Alliance: Development Zone

So here are the resources provided by the Positive Coaching Alliance:

A great line for an athlete is there are different roles in sports – player, coach, fan, official – choose one. (It could be argued one could be a player and a fan during the same game (when a player is not actively participating he/she could be a fan.) The PCA acknowledges these roles and provides resources to help individuals fill the role is the best manner possible.

• Coach: Current coaches: Sports:
• Parent Hopefully when you a ready. It can happen early and it does impact participation in sports. Perhaps a scholarship. (2 Quincy Stories 1985 & 1988 (letter carrier).
• Athlete Current athletes (high school or other league)
• Admin/Leader Any leadership roles? Head of officials / umpires (Bryce B. 2017)
• Official/Referee Current officials Sports:

Hot Topics

• Recruiting: How many of you hope to play a college sport? What has been your experiences so far with the recruiting process. (NCAA Rules and texting)
• 1st-Time Coach: How many of you have coached or see yourself possibly coaching in the future? How many have had parents coach your youth sports teams? Coaching at any level is not easy. We will evaluate the tips and advice provided by the PCA.
• Tryouts: Tryouts are increasing important with age. Teams are leveled, from early ages with travel, club, AAU, and other select teams. What has been your experience with tryouts? What has been the most competitive team you have tried out for? As an experienced athlete, could you design a effective and efficient youth tryout? What would your focus your evaluation on? (Sample youth basketball tryout) Some evaluations can be painfully awful (youth baseball).
• Playing Time: Playing time can create huge philosophical debates. Should there be equal playing time? If not equal playing time, how should it be distributed FAIRLY (this does not mean equally)? What are the factors involved in determining playing time? Have you ever felted slighted about playing time? Do most athletes value playing time over winning? Would you rather be playing on a team that might not win or would you be willing to not play as much if it meant your team would be more successful? What is the ideal playing time for your high school sports?
• Parent/Coach Conflict: I would like to admit I have “parent googles.” I like many other parents view my child with a different prescription than other parents and coaches. However, with my experiences in sports, I hope my view is as close to 20/20 vision as possible. If there is a conflict with a coach, how should it be handled? What types are conflicts are legitimate (my child is not being played the league minimum)? What conflicts are best kept to the parent (my son should be playing 3rd not 2nd)? How supportive are parents of coaches? Can a parent’s relationship with coach negatively affect a child’s sporting experiences?  (Hockey Parent: Sports Illustrated article) Who should meet with a coach if there is a conflict?
• Olympics Resources: Let’s check this out! Does anyone have Olympic aspirations? Has anyone been to an Olympic event or meet someone who has competed in the the Olympics? How about Special Olympics?
• Coaching Own Child: There perhaps should be a category “Playing for Your Parent.” (Do you smell that? It smells like a great assignment for the class.) I have coached my child in a few different sports. It is not easy and each age brings a new set of challenges. It is not always healthy, but it also can be extremely rewarding.
• PCA Workshops: The PCA has come to address Hanover students in the past. They also conduct workshops for parents. Sometime the vision of the PCA is polar opposite from the vision the parent or even town youth program. Education is important in any area of life, and for youth coaching this may be the best resource available.

PCA Principles: We will analyze these closely to determine how these principles might help you as a student-athlete.

• Honoring The Game (ROOTS)
• Mastery Approach (ELM)
• Mistakes/Mistake Ritual
• Filling Emotional Tanks
• Double-Goal Coach®
• Triple-Impact Competitor®
• Second-Goal Parent®
• Development Zone™
• PCA Workshops
• Road Map To Excellence
• AskPCA

Topics in Sports: There are so many topics in sports, but here are the ones the PCA has identified. Some are included in other sections too.

• 1st-Time Coach
• Motivational Sports Quotes
• Women In Coaching
• Recruiting
• Team/League Management
• Teamwork
• Playing Time
• Hazing/Bullying
• Tryouts
• Motivation
• Coaching Own Child
• Health
• Parent/Coach Conflict
• Character Building
• Concussions
• Specialization
• Goal Setting
• Nervousness
• Preventing Sexual Abuse
• Injuries
• Olympics Resources

Media Type: We will use many different media types this year.

• Video (934 PCA Videos)
• Audio
• Article
• Worksheet
• External Link
• Workshop
• Book

Welcome to Sports in Society. This Blog will be a tremendous resource for you and the class. Several of you will write a blog of your own and share it here. We have an impressive list of alumni, and this year’s class has some Hall of Fame caliber students. So if you are willing to work hard, push yourself, and be a good student-athlete you have found the perfect class.

“I did more work in this class than almost all my other classes.” Matt H. (State Champion, 2-sports athlete, college student-athlete)

Triple E: (Eyes, Ears, & Engaged) This is a must. If you cannot put your cell phone, down, please text your guidance counselor and tell them you need to switch, because we will be a cell phone free zone. For this class to reach it’s potential, just like any team, we need contributions from all members. You can not be contributing to this class if you are not fully engaged. The students will make this class a valuable experience. It involves a commitment to giving your best. All in!

Class Notebook: EVERY DAY you need to have your notebook. It is the starting point for class discussions and there will be several opportunities for “Silent Sustained Writing.”

Reading:

Website Analysis (Positive Coaching Alliance)

Shaquille O’Neal, a basketball legend, has many nicknames. While in Boston, his was called “The Big Shamrock.” Another name he acquired over the years is “The Big Aristotle,” because of his using the quote:

“For all my friends in the media who like quotes, mark this quote down. From this day on I’d like to be known as ‘The Big Aristotle’ because Aristotle once said, ‘Excellence is not a singular act; it’s a habit. You are what you repeatedly do.’ Shaquille O’Neal

Shaq also promoted reading, which is what we will do quite a bit in the class. We will not be reading Shakespeare, or other novels that do not spark your interest. We will be reading about sports. There will be many resources to choose from, and you are encouraged to share additional resources. At times there will be Silent Sustained Reading in class, other times Mr. Molloy will read and have a class discussion. If you do not like reading (about SPORTS) perhaps you should consider seeing your guidance counselor for another course option.

Some of the readings we do throughout the year will include:

Silent Sustained Reading:

1. Coach by Michael Lewis
2. Friday Night Lights
3. Fall River Dreams
4. Tuesdays with Morrie
5. The Last Lecture

Book Excerpts: (Elevating Your Game, Friday Night Lights, Fall River Dreams, Senior Year)