[bbcoach7]

I feel these kinds of examples (modeling losing with class & dignity) are likely much more common than you may think. It's easy to spot a loud, innapropriate and offensive coach. You can see/hear the behavior from the stands, and from out on the court.

I've always been surprised at how much talking on the court I don't hear, even though I'm standing right on the edge of the court. At least 1/2 of our games, my players will ask me, "can you hear that girl cursing and calling us names?" No, I never have, not even one time. When I call a time out and gather the team at the bench to talk to them, I'm aware that the fans in the 1st couple rows of seats can hear me when our bench is right in front of the stands- but the Refs can't. They can't hear what I'm saying. So it doesn't surprise me that your observation came from the stands.

I really like this quote- "That guy knew basketball and could teach it to kids, yet still keep life in perspective." I like it because it touches on the 3 areas that I believe a good coach must excell in. 1. Game knowledge 2. Ability to teach 3. Being a leader and modeling appropriate leadership characteristics.

I think it's also worth noting that the game belongs to the players. You can't have a game without players. The rest of us (coaches & refs) are not necessary.