The Discipleship Hoops Podcast

Full Circle: From Player to Program Leader

• Jimmie L. Lucas • Season 2 • Episode 6

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 1:02:23

Season 2, Episode 6 of the Discipleship Hoops Podcast features Coach LaDarrien Evans, Head Basketball Coach at St. Joseph Catholic School Greenville.

In this episode, we sit down with a coach who has come full circle — from once being a player in the program to now leading it. Coach Evans shares his journey, the lessons he’s carried with him, and what it means to take ownership of something you were once a part of.

We discuss:

- Building culture from within the program
- The transition from player to coach and leader
- Holding players accountable and raising the standard
- Developing young athletes on and off the court
- The responsibility of leading the next generation

This is a conversation about growth, leadership, and doing things the right way.

If you’re a coach, parent, or athlete who cares about development and building something that lasts, this episode is for you.

Subscribe, share, and help us continue building leaders through the game.

For sponsorship opportunities and partnerships, visit our website.

Discipleship Hoops Podcast

Support the show

SPEAKER_00

Welcome to Discipleship Hoops Podcast, where basketball meets a purpose. This isn't just about mastering skills on the court, it's about developing the complete athlete. We're here to help young players grow stronger, smarter, and more skilled while deepening their character and strengthening their faith. At Discipleship Hoops, we believe basketball is more than a game. It's a platform for transformation, teaching discipline, teamwork, and reability. Together, let's empower the next generation of leaders to excel both on and off the court.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you all once again for all the love, so for the uh subscribing, for downloading, for sharing, just all the things that you know have allowed me to make this time and this space possible. I truly appreciate each and every one of you out there. And to continue with legendary coaches in this season to uh none other than some of you may not know him, uh, but you need to know him if you don't, you need to get to know this young man right here, phenomenal guy. Uh at I I'll just let him introduce himself. So, coach outside of the MAIS. First, truly, truly thank you uh for joining me today. I appreciate you taking time out of your out of your busy day. Uh now, for those that outside of the MAIS, the bubble of the MAIS, introduce yourself to the world. Okay. Where are you coach at? You know, where are you from and how long you've been doing it?

SPEAKER_03

Okay, um, I'm my name is Lydarian Evans. Um uh I'm the coach, I'm the head, newly head basketball coach, boys, um at St. Joe Catholic School in um Greenville, Mississippi. Um I've been coaching here now for five years. Um I was I started as the Junior Warsley head coach, and now I'm um the newly appointed high school head coach. And um, yeah, that's me. That's me.

SPEAKER_01

I'm here down here in old Delta, Greenville, Mississippi, in the Delta. So St. Joe, not to get mistaken with Madison St. Joe, right? All right, St. Joe. So uh, Coach Evans, you have a very uh unique story in that uh you played on this court and now uh, like I say, full circle, right? Now you're you go from being on the court as the leader, now you're on the sideline as the leader. So you come full circle, and now the like you say, the newly head coach, what does that mean to you to give back?

SPEAKER_03

Oh man, it means it means everything. It means the world to me. Uh coach, um uh if you asked me, if you had asked me this question maybe 10 years ago, coach, I looked at you crazy and said, I'd be doing what? And beware. Um, but life came full circle, man. Umce I got back here, um, it was just a whirlwind, an eye-opener. And it was, I just wanted to give the kids what my coaches gave me and things of that nature. Once I saw the opportunity presented itself to be here, I was like, hey, why not? You know, I was newly graduated out of college. Um, first of all, so it was like the opportunity presented itself and like I'm wanted to come and give back like it was given to me. So it it means everything. I'm actually I'm honored. It's an honor to even be able to come back and coach where I played at.

SPEAKER_01

Right, right. And that's good. So you alluded to a few minutes ago, but when you left, you know, when you walked out this campus as a senior, did you ever be like, yeah, you know what? One day I'm gonna go back there and just be a part of the program or just teach at the school, or like did you have any inkling that's saying that maybe one day I may return and go back get back there?

SPEAKER_03

Initially, no, I did not. Initially, no. Um my whole thought process was to try my hardest to get to somebody's college campus to play college basketball and things of that nature. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. And so to walk us through that, right? So you left here. What brought you? What from the day you left here up until coming back here five years ago, what was in that gap?

SPEAKER_03

Um a lot happened within that gap, coach. Um, so I graduated, and when I graduated, I um I did some tryouts. I had some tryouts. Um, unfortunately, none of none of none of them panned out. So I ended up going to school, I go ended up going to college just to go to college. Okay. That's okay too. Yes, yes, yes. And I and I pre- and that's one of the things I preach to, I preach to my guys every day. That's that's a life lesson that I want them to learn early. That, you know, even though you you don't get the opportunity that you always wish for in life, sometimes God has better plans for you. Exactly. And so you have to follow his will and not your own will. Right. And those that was part of the process of me growing growing up in a sense. And so I went to college at Delta State. Um, it was it started off rocket when I got to college. Um, you know, you know, when you first get to college, it's a new experience, a lot of new different things, parties, frets, and all those things. So um I went to college. Um actually um I flunked out first. Okay. Flunked out. And then in the midst of me flunking out, um, life started happening. So around 2016, 2017, within a six, within a six-month span, I had a bad car wreck um that left me with a gash in my head, unconscious. I had to get seven staples in my head. And then um, and then seven months later, seven months later, I was um, I had I was involved in a shooting where I had um I got I got a shot. I got a shot. And so those were major life changes for me. And um I that's that's my story I use for my players all the time. Those were major life changes for me, but I did not allow those things to stop me, hinder me, or take away um, or take away who I take away from anything from who I was as a person. Right. And um so I kept pushing, kept, kept trying. I got back in school, um, had about two years left. So um, once I got back in school, um, joined the fraternity, um, I didn't still didn't know, still didn't know that I wanted to coach yet. But um as I kept going and my advisor was asking me what was I thinking about, you know, after you know, getting ready to graduate from college and things of that nature, I was like, I know I want to, I love, I love basketball. Like, basketball is my heart. Right. And I I wanted to be somewhere close to the game. I wanted to be a part of the game, you know, stick close to the game, even though I'm not playing it anymore. And so um, one of my best friends, one of my best friends was like, hey, man, you ever thought about going back to the school you was at? And you know, just see if there's an opportunity for you. And um luckily when I um I came to a game where they were playing um a s a neighborhood school here, um Riverside High School. And um the coach, the head coach at the time, Coach Hunter saw me and he um he remembered me from my senior year because he he ended up coming being elected the new head coach like soon as I graduated. Right. And um he remembered me because we had small conversations, but he asked me what I was doing, and I was like, you know, in college, you know, about to graduate and things. And then she was like, I need help. You know, like not like I need help, but I could use some help around here. Would you like to be a part? And um it was, I was like, yes, yes, yes, like it's it was a no-brainer. Yes. And from then on, I started, I was volunteering first. I I didn't even, I wasn't even getting paid or anything. So I was just volunteering and helping out. And then um it went from there. I volunteered for a year, about a year and a half. After that year and a half, they asked me, um, a pussy asked me if I wanted to coach, uh, be the head coach for the JV team, and I said, sure, let's do it. You know, right. Because my first the first year was a uh a great experience. We won, so I was like, okay, I got I got a good footing in this. And um, so after that, um I became the JV head coach. And then the year after that, I was offered a job to teach PE here. So now we're here.

SPEAKER_01

That's why we're here now. All right, so that's a that's the you know, you have a um first of all, nothing's ever wasted, right? Well, first, thankfully that those accidents and the gunside, you know, that you're still able to be with us, right? That's oh yes, yes. Thankful to the most high for that, right? And so like we again full circle, right? So a player, right? Then you went through the your adversity, right? Um, um, your your you know things that you went through, then going through college, right? Then the assistant, right? Now here you are taking over a program. So all those things up until this moment right now, is you like planning, getting ready for like being responsible now for everything.

SPEAKER_02

Yes. Right. Yes, for everything.

SPEAKER_01

For everything. So what has that, what has your journey, how has your journey prepared you for this moment?

SPEAKER_03

Um it's prepared me, it is my journey has prepared me tremendously. Um it taught me a lot about responsibility and accountability. Um, because I would say this, going through those major life changes, um, I had to look my I had to do a, you know how you have to do a self-reflection, right? Yeah. You know, a self- a self-assessment of what's going on and what can you do better to help change your life. And so once I did that, you know, I had to look myself in the mirror, tell myself, you know, some things I probably didn't want to hear. I had to explain that to myself. And then um that helped me. And I would just say, growing up, growing me growing up, um, my my childhood and just growing up, period. Um I've been a person that wears many hats all the time. I've been a person that wears many hats all the time. Like um I'm a musician, so um I play at church. Um one of the one of the uh musical directors at the church, so I've been wearing that leadership hat. Um I'm the oldest sibling on my mom's side, it's just me and my little sister, so I've always been like the leader in that sense because I have a single mom, so I've always been the guy in the man in the house. So that was a part of me growing up early in a sense. So just um being a being a leader in so many other aspects of life and other situations, and like being a leader in high school, being being the um the captain of the team, those, all those little things and plus the major life changes just helped me to um grow and become the the leader I am now. So that all those many hats and being a leader in those many different spaces um have helped me to get to this point and you know grow and be the coach I am now.

SPEAKER_01

That's good. That's good, man. And so um, let's move on the court for a little bit. Gotcha. Um, in between this 94 by 50. And when it comes to like player development, like I would imagine, and you know, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I would imagine like a place like this, you don't you really have to build, grow, develop what's in the building. Yes. Right, yes. Right, and whether that's from, you know, seventh grade, eighth grade, ninth grade on up today, become a senior, you know, you you have to like I said, build, grow, and develop, right? And from within. And build a program from within. So what's been your development philosophy uh as far as when it comes to uh the kids coming through your program?

SPEAKER_03

Uh my development philosophy. Um, you don't work, you don't eat. You don't work, you don't play. Um, it's just that simple. I I I do not believe in um expecting results from work that you didn't put in. I always tell my players all the time, you can't expect results from work that you've never put in. Exactly. And that's uh something this generation has bad. So um when I first got here, that was um a difference, a difference maker for the kids because a lot of them weren't accustomed to actually getting in the gym, right? Getting up a certain amount of shots. Um just putting just putting time and effort in and not maybe take away a Saturday from spending spending with your friends or going out to the movies or things of that nature instead of that. They're you know, they're in the gym with me or in the gym with coach and things of that nature. So that's my philosophy. You can't expect results from work that you never put in. Right.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, yeah, that's true. And you're right, right? Kids think like they can just wake up and get a D1 scholarship and NIL deal without even touching the basketball court.

SPEAKER_03

That's that's that's I don't know. I don't I I don't I haven't heard of anybody that's done that yet, coach.

SPEAKER_01

I I haven't heard of it yet to see it. Yeah, no, it don't work like that, right? Right. Um it's it's so development is a difficult thing because I always tell kids in our program, I can't want it worse than you want it. Right? It's like like I've been there, I got mine, I know what it takes. And if you just like just take half what I'm saying and apply that, then you'll be a lot better off than you are. And I say this on a a lot of the um episodes before is the expectations of like you say, get it for nothing, right? And kids think like Steph, I can just walk out on the court and shoot a three like Steph, right? But they don't know, they don't understand that Steph's been doing layups since he was five. Right hand, left hand layups at five. Yes. Right? And then at nine he moved a little back. Then at twelve he moved a little back. Yes. He just didn't wake up at 30 and like, you know what, I'm just gonna be the best three-point shooter there is in the world.

SPEAKER_03

And that and that's and that's that's been the that's that's been a foundation to my philosophy um with my kids. Um I always tell them brick by brick, step by step. Exactly right. So um each after each season, we have I do player, I do a players on I do a players meeting with each each of them, and we go over, okay, this is what you was this season, this is what you shot from the field, this is what you did. Right. This is what you averaged now. This is where you're at right now. By the time next year, we need to be here. So in order in order to get here, we gotta put a plan together to get you there. So that's that's a big part of my philosophy. Actually, um we've started um we've started um group uh I was season group development already. Um we two we are two weeks in now. Two weeks, okay, yeah. We're two weeks in now, and um we've been we've been um getting some good progress already.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Yep. That's good. So you um so when when people come and watch you play, right? When you uh at away gyms and you walk into the building and your team is playing, like what do you want fans to, when they see your teams play, to say about your team?

SPEAKER_03

Um there's a couple of things I want them to say about my team. One, I I would love I want them to I would love for them to see the discipline of my team. Um because I was raised, I was raised old school. My mom was old school, my grandparents was old school, my grandfather was a preacher. So I'm a lot I'm real old school when it comes to certain things. Um I don't believe in individuality on the team sport, like we are all one. Um so discipline one um togetherness. Like I that's something I preach with my team. Like when I uh whenever we break, whenever we break down all the time, we we say one, two, three, family, four, five, six together. So we do things as a family and we do things together. That's good. So it's it's it's never um an individual mentality. I don't like the individual entire. I always want everybody to feel that they are a part of this. Like no matter if you contribute a little or a lot, you're still part of the team. So discipline, um, togetherness, um, and um playing playing with joy, like playing with that passion. Because I'm a passionate coach. Um I'm I'm very animated on the sidelines, as parents will say. I'm very animated. Um sometimes, you know, they they they question how much animation I give, but um, I'm very animated and passionate about um this game and just developing the the youth and shaping their minds and helping them grow as young men, you know, to be to be great dads, great brothers, great, you know, leaders and and be the best they can possibly be in with whichever field that they choose or whatever endeavor they choose to be in in life. And um so I I would love, I I like the I like my players to be passionate. So, you know, if we go on a 10-0 run and you know, coach call a timeout and they get these hollering, right? I'm not one of those coaches, I'm like, chill out. I I I love that energy. Like, yes, let's let's let's be passionate. But discipline, togetherness, and passion, those are the three things that I I like for um parents or visitors to see. Right. Um when I coach. And what's crazy is I've had, like in the past, I had a lady tell me, because I look, because I I look so young. So I had a lady tell me one time, um, for you to be so young, the way you handle yourself, um, you handle yourself so maturely, and your passion that you um coach your players with, um, she was like, I really love that. Right, right. She's like, that's different. You don't see a lot of coaches your age with that type of passion. So those are the type of things I like things too.

SPEAKER_01

You know, um I I this this is a this we're in a day and age of like the internet, right? And how distractions and how our kids can get really distracted, right? Especially, I mean, yeah, juniors, seniors so much, but especially that seventh, eighth, or ninth grade group, right? They get so distracted with the internet. And um I I always use a quote to John Wooden about how character, basketball reveals character, not reveals it. Yes. And just, you know, not just developing basketball skills, but just developing young, young men into men. Um, how does your faith play, you know, a part of that in just a day and age where there's just so much comparison and so much, so many things out there going on?

SPEAKER_03

Oh my faith, um, my faith plays a huge part in the development and um in our program. My faith plays a huge part. Um, I'm a big believer in God. I'm a big believer in Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father. I I would tell anybody I won't be, I wouldn't be sitting here or be in this position if it wasn't for um Jesus. Um and what I what I try to get the kids to understand um when it comes to just character, um, your character is gonna say a way a lot more about you than this basketball court could ever could ever say about you. Um I appreciate them all the time. Um you want to make sure no matter, not just on the court that you're carrying yourself the right way, but when you're out in the classrooms and when you're walking in the halls, um the way you carry yourself. When you're in the community, the way you carry yourselves. Like I'm big on, I'm big on, I'm big on those fronts because um you're a representation of your family, the school, yourself, and things of that nature. So you do not want to um, you do not like and like you said earlier, basketball doesn't build character, right? It reveals your character. So um that's that's what I love about this great game and this sport so much because yeah, you can tell me, yeah, coach, I'm I'm a hard-nosed guy. I'm I'm tough, I'm I'm this, that, and third. And I'm the I done seen some of the biggest, toughest guys that couldn't hack uh an hour and a half of basketball practice because it was too tough and mentally, mentally taxing. Like um, so it's definitely those are the things I tell them all the time, your character, the way you treat people. Like you should be treating the janitor the same way you treat the principal of the school. Right, exactly. Like it's you it shouldn't change, you know. And just because you might know somebody who might have a little more money than the next person, that doesn't mean you treat that person who doesn't have as much any differently than a person who does have all of the money. Exactly right.

SPEAKER_01

That's true. Yeah, that's true. Um my son's playing down at Colin and uh Coach Bowling, he he's uh he implements, well, he yeah, he has this rule that you know they don't wear slippers to class, they don't wear pajama pants to school, like they keep keep their hair cut. I agree. And so one of the things that I I took from that and brought over to our program this year was no house shoes or burden stalks or slippers on road trips. That you dress like we're going on a business trip. And so for you, uh what are some of your non negotiables?

SPEAKER_03

Oh, um, coach, I'm glad you asked. Um For my non-negotiables, um, you're gonna, like you said, um what we're implementing this year with because it's gonna be a um with my JV team, it was more so, when I had my JV team, it was just more so just carrying yourself correctly. Right. Make sure your shirts tucked in when you're when you're wearing slacks or things of that nature. Um verbiage, verbiage, yes. I'm I'm not a believer in uh in kids cussing for no reason at all or being disrespectful. Those are my non-negotiables. We are not gonna be having F-bombs and all that playing around. Nobody's grown. You're gonna be respectful. Right. So yeah, those things, um, and grades. For me, grades are are big, are are big are big non-negotiable for me because like I told, I just had to talk to my uh guys yesterday. Like I told all of them, everybody in here won't go play college ball. Right. But everybody in here can go to college. Exactly right, yeah. But what is what is one of the ways you can get to college? Grades, you gotta make sure you got good grades, you get scholarships. You can you can still get a scholarship. You won't be an athletic scholarship, but you can still, there are numerous scholarships you can earn academically with good grades. So the grades are non-negotiable for me. Um something that me and my principal are implementing this year, we're gonna do blazers. Okay. We're gonna do blazers. So um on away games, um, we will be wearing blazers to game. So, like you said, business shows. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I will I will be green like that one in your future? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir, exactly. It's gonna be green like that. Um they're getting I like that one. That will fly. They're getting fitted for it. They're gonna get fitted for it at the end of May. Okay. And this summer, they're gonna get fitted for it. So that's something me and my principal uh wanted to implement because um I just wanted to create, I just want to create a culture of where they're understanding um, you gotta approach things with a business like mentality. Not saying treat this like a job, but you gotta prioritize. Right. Not just the court, but like I said, the non-negotiable grades, being respectful, the way we talk, the way we carry ourselves. Right. So those things, those things are um my non-negotiable. I tell you one thing I did implement this year that was new for my junior varsity team, study hall. Oh, okay, yeah. So um every day before practice, we had an hour for study hall. Okay. And so we would go sit in the classroom, no phones, put your phones in a bucket. Right. Um, and we get down to work. Right. That's good. Before that hour, we get down to work. That's good. Um, it actually helped. It helped a lot. Um, because some of my players that were struggling, um they started off struggling at the beginning, but as we got through the season and through this year, um, each time, like grades where I started to see an improvement. And when whenever I did see somebody slacking, you know, I'd be that coach to go go have that conversation with them. And they, and after those, after those first two conversations, they don't they don't like to hear any more conversations from me because they they I'm I if I gotta come to you about my non-negotiables, you're not gonna like the you're not gonna like that conversation. Exactly. And I've had teachers, I even had a teacher tell me, uh, she was like, I thank you for implementing that. She's like, because we're classes starting to move better, and yeah, they're they're doing their uh doing the things they're supposed to be doing. And it that's just, you know, want to build that, build that and instill that in them.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you to season two sponsor, Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry. At Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry, they go far and beyond providing top-tier dental care in Fullwood. They create a warm, fun, and compassionate environment where your child feels safe and valued. Their mission is to partner with parents and nurturing healthy smiles throughout your child's formative years. They are committed to offering state-of-the-art care. While in turn, every visit is enjoyable and stress-free. Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry. You can reach them at 601-992-0007 or send them an email, Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry at gmail.com. Thank you. Dogwood Pediatric Dentistry. Right, yeah. That's good. So um from the court to the styline. Okay. Now you're I mean you're great as as um the head of the of your junior varsity team, right? Gotcha. Now that means you gotta stay great. As like you can't slack down now. No, can't. Because people are gonna be like, well, it's the same player you had last year. Right, it's a it's a it's a bigger expectation. It's a bigger expectation. So, you know, what's your like how why do you plan to go from great, not just be great, but stay great?

SPEAKER_03

Um, never stop learning. One, never stop learning. Never, never stop learning. Um I'm big on um, big on reading. Um, I have I I finished a book by Coach K. Um just um giving you uh using how different words you can use them each and every day to help like motivation, um team, just breaking down those different things. Um then this there's this another book I just started, um tapping into the potential of the mind. And so um, so that all those things help me as a coach to reach my players on a mental level. Right um because what I've learned in this coaching space, a lot of it is mental. If you can reach their mental first, getting them, getting them to do whatever you want them to do on the court is gonna be second nature. So what I what I focus on mostly is making sure I'm staying sharp and I'm growing in in an area that I can grow and where I need to grow. Right. And um so just make sure I'm growing, like not staying stagnant. Like during the coaching, during the coaching clinic that we that we attended earlier this year, that was big for me because that was my first coaching clinic. Um that was um my first time being around that many coaches at one time. Um I gained a lot of information, learned a lot of things. Like uh my notebook from that coaching clinic is was very full. And um just getting the opportunity to learn. I always want to be a I never I never want to stop learning. Like I always want to learn. So that is basic, that's that's how, that's my plan to just continue learning. Like never stop learning. I I don't feel like I made it. Right. And never feel never satisfied. Like I'm I'm always looking for, okay, where can I grow? Right. Where can I get better?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, my trainer uh when I was in Germany used to tell me it's what you learn after you know it all, they count. Come on now. Come on now. No, it would be like, you haven't arrived. Like, no, we gotta keep one more rip.

SPEAKER_03

I'm glad that you said that. Um, I remember I told I I was telling I was throughout this season with my junior varsity team, like, we didn't lose the game this season. Yeah, but after each game, I would tell them, like, okay, let's put this game in a bag, throw it away. Like, we haven't done nothing. We haven't, we haven't done, we haven't completed the mission, nothing has been done. Right. So it's no need for us to walk around with egos, walk around with our chest poked out, like, can't nobody beat us or we can't be beaten house. Like, we have a goal and you haven't reached it. So let's not get to thinking that we are top dogs and just, oh, we can walk around with our chest outside.

SPEAKER_01

Right, right. So, what what do you think in this this I call it an AU culture of basketball that's trying to trickle into high school basketball a little bit? And so what do you find players struggle with the most? Like, and so what I mean by that is like if a player, you know, has say he has 20 points, right? He's like, Coach, but I had 20. And you like, yeah, but you also had 15 turnovers and the guy you was guarding had 25. Right, so you minus five right now.

SPEAKER_03

Well, well, what I think about that um is is the advent of social media. Yes. The advent of social media, I think that uh has played a big role now because I can say this back when we were growing up and when we were playing, it wasn't just a big thing of social media. And so like you weren't trying to score the 20 points so you can put on, so you can go later post on your social media page, you know, um hard lost tonight, but you know, 20 points with a 20 points, da da da da da. And it's like it's like I saw Dion said, like, everybody wants to build a brand. Yeah, build your game first. Then you build your name. And it's a it's a lot of now, it's a lot of kids feel like they have to build a brand or build a name before they, you know, build their game. And that's a lot, that's what I've seen that's trickled down from the AAU culture into high school. Um, I preach to my guys all the time, bring your game, not your name. Exactly. Whenever we go into a game, like especially if we got a big away game or it's a rivalry game, things that nature, tell my players all the time, don't bring your name. Nobody, because nine times out of ten in this game we're going into, nobody knows you. Nobody knows you care about you. Or care about you. Like, they're gonna talk crazy, they're gonna talk ruthless and crazy to you. They're not gonna be, it's not gonna be sunshine and rainbows, they're gonna be mean, and it's gonna be grown people that's gonna be saying that. So bring your game. And what I but what I think could help that is if we had more coaches not giving it to it as much and standing firm on what their non-negotiables are, what their boundaries are, and stand firm on building the players and teaching them and you know, and building character, you know, building that first because what a lot of kids and a lot of parents don't understand is no matter what level of college it is, it's still it's still that 1%. Right. Everybody won't get that chance to go. So it's so it's just like, you know, let's make sure we're building everything else for when you're done with this. Now, if you're able to go on to the next level, that's good. Let's make sure we still build that too.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I I read the other day, uh probably about two weeks ago now, that out of 300,000 eligible D1 scholarship basketball player seniors every year, 1.5% get a D1 scholarship. Out of 300,000. That is a small number of every small number. Only 1.5% get a D1 scholarship. And so I I really don't fully under think kids really truly know how hard it is to get, you know, get to that level, right? Play at that level. No. Right. 1.5% out of 300,000 every year of the high school's eligible seniors.

SPEAKER_03

That's that that was just like I was telling my guys yesterday, like, it's what, 17 of us? Yeah, maybe two. Right. At the max, three. Right. We'll probably sign for a scholarship out of out of all out of all you guys. And that's me being nice. That's me saying, get giving you the hopeful, being hopeful like that one of you all, but if if not, it probably at the most might be one. So let's make sure we're building. I'm I that's my biggest thing. I want to make sure I'm building you guys and preparing you guys for life outside of basketball.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I I I think this this is my opinion, all right, and I stand on this opinion. It's not the opinion of Coach Evans. This is my opinion, and that coaches are afraid to coach kids because they're so busy chasing trophies. Yes. Chasing clout, chasing stats, chasing money versus coaching kids the right way. All right, and so like it's you like kids are being coddled or not coached. Cool.

SPEAKER_03

And I want to add to that. Can I think about all that? Not only that, I've um you have we're in this age now where um I've and I can say this, I've seen it on the high school level. I've I've been watching college and I've seen it on college level, but I've definitely seen it on the high school level where a coach won't coach a kid hard because he's afraid of him leaving and transferring and going to another high school.

SPEAKER_01

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03

And I let my kids know from day one I am a tough, hard-nosed coach. I I'm not gonna disrespect you. I'm not gonna call you out your name, any of those things. But I will be hard on you. Practice will be hard, and I will hold you to a standard. Right. And I'm not gonna meet you, I'm not gonna come down to your standard because your standard is the reason why you are like you are now.

SPEAKER_01

Exactly. That's why we're having this conversation.

SPEAKER_03

That's why we're having this conversation. Like you have to meet me where I am because I promise you the expectations I'm setting for you is gonna help you to progress and go further in life. And that's why I think coaches, coaches are missing the market now. Like you said, they they chasing the trophies, chasing the championships. And, you know, I mean what I'm chasing, I was um, I talked to one of my former JV players um not long ago. And um, because he moved to Alabama. His mom got a better job in Alabama, so they moved to Alabama. He would have been a senior this year. But um me and him was talking, and he was like, Coach, you know, I mean the the starting point guard for our team at that time, he's going to another school too. And um, his family moved. Yep. And uh he he was telling me, he said, Coach, you know, me and me and such and such, we still keep in touch and talk to this day. Like, we still have that um that brotherhood you talked about all the time. Like, we still call each other from time to time and laugh and joke about those things. And and um, and we and you know, we check on each other and we and we root for each other still. Like, we still uh reposting each other's you know stuff on social media and rooting for each other. And when I heard that, I told him, and that team, that was the team I won my second uh JV District Championship with. And I told him, I said, that meant that meant more to me and was bigger than that championship that we won that year. Exactly, exactly. Because that means what the things that I was preaching to y'all and you know the values I was trying to instill in y'all as being in a family and playing together and treating each other like a real brotherhood. Right, right. You guys still hold those same qualities to this day.

SPEAKER_01

So that's good. Um thing my players know about me is that I'm gonna do two things. I'm gonna be honest and I'm gonna be straight with them. Yes. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. No, I'm gonna tell you, I'm gonna give it to you raw and uncut. Yes. And then at that point, but I'm I'm gonna I'm always gonna encourage you, motivate you, uplift you, inspire you, pray for you. Yes. Right, and be available for you. Yes, always, always. All the time. But but with that comes me being honest and straight up with you.

SPEAKER_03

You're gonna, you're going to get the you're gonna get the uh complete honest answer from me.

SPEAKER_01

Then it's up to you how you respond after that.

SPEAKER_03

You know, yes. And um I've I've had some guys not respond well to my honesty at times, sometimes. And then, but then again, those same guys that didn't respond well in the beginning, right, like two years later, they'll come to me, hey coach, I'm everything you said, right? I'm seeing it now, coach. I see it, coach. I see it. The high school coach really ain't really ain't giving me a chance. I but I'm I haven't been putting in the work like I should and things of that nature. So it's just like, hey guys, I'm as sports, you can trans translate sports to real life. That's right. If you don't put the work in, you won't play. If you don't do your job at your job and your career, you can get fired. Right. Do without a job.

SPEAKER_01

So my thing with them for me is like I I will always care more about your character than your scoring average. Like I don't care if you average two points or 32 points. That has zero meaning to me if you if your character is horrible. Right. Because I'm not trying to, I'm not, my job is not to get you a D1 scholarship, right? If if you do that, kudos. I'm happy for you. My job is to prepare you to be a great husband and a good father.

SPEAKER_03

Yes. That is my job. That's that is, and that's that's something I've um I always preach to my JV kids. And since we started uh group workouts, I've been preaching to my high school guys, is I'm not, if you think, um, if you think that now's the time for you to be trying to build your resume to go D1 and play D1 basketball, I'm not the coach for you. I'm not the coach for you. Because I'm not, first of all, I don't care if you average sturdy. Right. You can average sturdy and have a horrible attitude or a horrible character, you won't play. Exactly right. I like I I told I tell my players this too. Players don't make me. I make players. Exactly. I don't I believe in developing people to be the best they can possibly be. And and and when I say I make players, I'm not saying that, oh, I take them and I make them as best as they possibly be. But it's the thing of is we're gonna get in, we're gonna get in the room, we're gonna grind, we're gonna develop, not just develop your game, but I'm gonna develop your mind. Right, right. Because uh what I've noticed from some coaches where they miss the market is developing the mind. Because you can develop a kid to be able to shoot uh 300 shots straight and not miss. Exactly. But what happens in a game when that kid has missed six straight shots and now he's beating his self, beating himself down, and he doesn't believe in himself anymore. And he's, you know, being a bad teammate to his teammates, and he don't want to communicate with his teammates. Like, how do you mold, how do you help that child, how do you develop their mental. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and you know, back to like other um, you know, chasing trophies and all that, you know, it's like I think often sometimes about how I I do this job because God appointed me to be in this position, right? And to to not to stack wins, right, but not to stack wins on the court, to stack wins in players' minds and hearts. Right that and and he'll give the increase from that. Right, and and so I'd say if I am like being a good steward of what he gave me and how he told told me to to to give, like, for example, I told a story before. I I had this, I work with a lot of fifth, sixth, and seventh graders.

SPEAKER_03

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_01

And I had this thing to where I was training them to like their development, I mean their potential. Right? All right, one day you're gonna do this if you do this. Man, you got the potential to do this. And so I was training them from that that mindset, and then I had to stop, repent, and ask for forgiveness because God said, No, I need you to develop who they are right now. Yes, not what they finna be, because they may not ever get there. You know, you training them for five years ago, five years from now, they may not ever want to play basketball again. Right? Train them to who they are today and what they are today, and develop that.

SPEAKER_03

And it's funny, it's funny that you say that, coach. Um, I went through a situation where I had this one kid, I had this one kid, um, he was in sixth grade. I was training him, developing, like you said, because I saw the potential like, kid, if you you keep working, I see you, I see where you can go and things of that nature. And um I was pushing him, he got to seventh grade, I'm like, okay, now let's let's let's let's let's expand on it and things of that nature. But as time kept going and I was pushing him, talking about his potential and things of that nature, to go back to what you said. That kid didn't even want to play basketball anymore. Like he was so disinterested. Like he was just like, oh yeah, I don't care, coach. And that's when I knew, and that it it gave me a realization. I'm like, okay, no, you gotta, like you said, you got it where they are now. Right, where they are now, yeah. Where they are now. And yeah, that's that's real, coaching. That's that that is a real that is a real thing because some goes back to also goes back to what you said earlier. We can want something for for a child for a person or a child, but unless they want it for themselves, yeah, is you just wasting. You just wasting your breath.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. So um three questions I would ask you. Okay. Okay. All right, I want you to speak to three different people. All right. First person is the young coach who's just getting into the game, watching this, you know, just came across this and watching this, and he's in year one or going into year two. All right, what advice other than don't do it would you g would you give, would you give um to them about coaching? And then second thing is to the parents, right? And speak to parents about managing expectations of playing time. And and if they they want to see their child get more playing time. As a coach, what would you say? Hey, this is what you sat down with that mom or that dad, be like, all right, this is what your child should be doing to get more playing time, and how to manage their expectations for them not getting playing time.

SPEAKER_03

Gotcha. Okay, so I will start with question one. Um, to the young, to the young coach, to the young coach, um never never stop learning, never stop growing. Make sure you're a student of the game, make sure you're learning your craft. Um, first and foremost, though, make sure your heart is in the right place. Uh make sure that you're doing it for the right reasons. Um, all the wins and everything matter, but it that's cool and all, but what's most important is the kids. The kids gotta be first and foremost because if the kids are not first and foremost, then you won't last long. You you Will you will you will give out fast. So make sure your heart is in the right place and you're doing it for the right reasons, too. I would advise the coach to um, like I said, become a student of the game. Like continue to grow your knowledge. Like any coach, any mentor you know, any basketball clinic you have that you can watch or anything of that nature, like always make sure you're developing your mind and staying in tune with the game. And thirdly, I would say um have some patience. Have some patience with yourself. Have some patience with the um with the players. Um have some patience. Even have some patience with your administration because I know um some people don't get in it to just be a junior high coach their whole life and things of that nature. So my biggest advice would be patience because you don't want to um run into a situation um where you're where you're just grap going to a job just to get ahead coach, but the job is nothing about the job is good or great. And it's a bad situation, not a good situation, fit fit-wise for whoever you are. So I would advise, like, make sure that you just stay patient because if um one thing about God, he said if you can be faithful over a few things, he'll make you rule over many. Amen. So um if you just stay down, be patient, make sure you're always in your craft and you're growing, and make sure that your heart is in the right place and that you're doing this for the kids and you're serving God while doing it, um, you can go very far. You can go very far. I'm a testament of that. Now, to your second question to the to the parents, to the parents um about playing time with your child. Um, first of all, I would advise you to know who your child are and have a realistic expectation of what of your child. A lot of parents see their kid as LeBron James or Michael Jordan. Right. And it's no disrespect to their child, but your child is nowhere near close to that level. Um can't do a left-hand layup, uh, can't do a jump stop, uh pump fake, and a step through for a layup. You know, so it's so it's just like let's let's be real, first of all, as a parent, let's be realistic of what your child is and where they are within their basketball development, where they are. And so once you're realistic about where they are within their development, that's when you can set realistic expectations. Exactly. And when you're talking, when as a parent, if you go talk to a coach and you have questions about your child playing time, the only thing I would advise you when you're talking to the coach, how can I help you to make sure he's prepared for when he comes to you that he can be ready to give you whatever he needs to do to get on the court. A lot of parents don't understand that. Yep. It's it's the coach's job to prepare the team. Exactly. It's the coach's job to prepare the team. Yeah, yep. The individual development. Now, if you have a coach that loves to do individual individual development, I'm one of those coaches. I I love individual development. I'm not married and things of that nature. So my time is free. I have a lot of free time, so I'm always in the gym. But you have some coaches who have families and you know, grandkids and things of that nature. So you won't always be able to get in the gym with them. But that doesn't mean you cannot get in the gym on your own and put the time in. So my big my biggest advice to parents is to make sure you're realistic about your child's development and where they are within their development. Then um, after that, you can set realistic expectations and goals. And like I said, when you're talking to the coach, just make sure you ask and make sure you talk to the coach and ask the coach, what do I need to be doing to on the development side to help him to make sure he's prepared to when he gets to you?

SPEAKER_01

Thank you for this season's sponsor, Power Financial Group. The mission of Power Financial Group is to glorify God by helping their clients be good managers of the resources entrusted to them. Whether it is investing for the future, planning for retirement, getting out of debt, or becoming a generous giver, their desire is to be your trusted partner on your financial journey. The team at Power Financial Group strives to serve their clients with integrity and excellence. Getting to know them, building a strong relationship with them, and helping them pursue their goals is the top priority. They take seriously their God-given responsibility to faithfully serve those families God entrusted to their care. As Power Financial Group, they can be reached at 601-790-1180 or send them an email at info at powerfinancialclaims.com. Thank you again, Power Financial Group. And one more question, well, I just wanted to uh stay right there for a second. Like, that is so true. And it's like it's that's hearing you say that is confirmation for me. My my coach and I, we were just talking about like when the season starts, okay, October 1st, whatever, October 13th, whenever that season starts, until whenever March, right? The season ends. Yes. It is not a coach's job to make your child better. You can't do it. I can't teach your child how to make a left-hand layup in 45 minutes or an hour and 30 minutes of practice. When I have 19 more kids like him, that we're trying to put a game plan together. Yes. The coach, the, the, the job, the parents' job is to to your what you just said, right? Get your child ready so when they come to us as coaches, we can plug them in places where they can be successful in what they already have. Yes. Yes. I can't teach your child how to shoot a jump shot in December.

SPEAKER_03

No, no, I that that that and see, that's the that's the loss, that's the lost art within all of this. Because what I think, what I think parents don't realize and don't understand is that with just like with anything you do in life, you have to get reps at it. Exactly. And not just a couple of reps. You have to get a lot of reps. I'm pretty sure like a pastor has to get reps. He has to get reps within speaking engagements just to work on his speaking for when he is on, you know, in the pulpit and preaching or a teacher. When you go to school, you have to go through so many classes and so many different observations and so many student teachings where there's where you're getting reps of learning. And it's no different from when you're playing a sport and involved in a sport. Exactly. You have to get reps, and those reps do not come during the season time. No.

SPEAKER_01

But also to your point, though, what I will do for every one of my players, if they say, Coach, can I stay out the practice and shoot? I'll rebound for you.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, I will. I will rebound for you. And if that elbow is not on the ball or tucked in like it should, that wrist is not falling straight through, I will I will correct that and help you grow.

SPEAKER_01

But you call me Saturday morning, coach. Can you open the gym so I can get some shots up? Absolutely. I'm on my way. I am.

SPEAKER_03

That is what I want to hear. You want to be in the gym? You know who I'm in the world doing anything bad? Yes, I will be here to do that. But it is not my job where I have 18 other kids on the court and we're talking, and now all of a sudden I gotta stop because little Johnny can't make a left-hand layup. So now I gotta, hey Johnny, I need you to do this, start from, start from the wing, and take two dribbles at a at an angle and hit and kiss it off the glass for me. I need you to do that five times. Like it's just impossible for a coach to prepare a kid like this.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Um, all right, so finally for players, right? What is something that players need to hear but don't want to hear?

SPEAKER_03

Get your behind, didn't it? Get in the gym, get in the gym, and another thing I think kids don't like hearing enough of, you're not ready yet. Yeah, yep. You're not ready. And you're not ready yet, it's not a bad thing. Right. It's it's not a bad thing. Um I goes back to earlier when I was, like I, like I was saying, um, me being in leadership roles and other aspects helped prepare me for this. I remember being a young drummer coming up, like being a young musician coming up, and I wanted to play one time, and the guy straight up told me, you're not ready. You're not ready. Now, now, in that moment, did I cry? Yes. Did it hurt my feelings? Yes. But also what that moment made me do was it made me go back and it made me work harder, just work on my craft, just as being a musician. It made me work on my musicianship and growing myself as a musician. So I took that same, and that was me at the age of maybe six or seven years old. Exactly right. So I took that same same work ethic and I moved it to basketball. Right. So when I when I wasn't getting playing, I I tell my kids this all the time. I did not make my junior high basketball team. Um, I did not make it seventh or eighth grade year. And then once I left my middle school that I was at and came here in my ninth grade year, I made the team. I started, started on and off and things of that nature. And that's what impressed my coach most because when my coach first got me as a ninth grader, I was wrong. But I had some fine and tune into it, and he was just like, wait a minute, so you never made it, but you're still working this hard? I was like, yes, sir. He was like, that speaks a lot about shit. Exactly, right. And so that's something I I just preach to kids, like you're not me telling you you're not ready right now. It's not me saying you won't ever be ready. Right, exactly. But it's it's it's time for development and growth. And I think that's something that guys don't want to hear get in the gym and you're not ready. Like they they don't like those things at all. And so, like I said, those things is what I went from seventh and eighth grade, not even making a team, to my 11th and 12th grade year being all district, all county, and things of that nature. So I just always preach my players isn't it's not about where you start, it's about how you finish and where you're going. So yeah, though, but those two things they do, they do not want to hear it. You're not ready and get in the gym. Yes, cold. Man, coach, I'm good already, coach. You saw me put up 15 the other night. Okay, can you do it again? You put up 15 the other night, but the next game had six. So was some inconsistency, you know.

SPEAKER_01

Exactly. All right, well, last thing before we get up out of here. Okay. All right, always like to end with this question. All right, there's only one right answer. So I hope you get it right. All right. Jordan Olivron.

SPEAKER_03

Um as in GOAT. Yes, go. Um I my kids ask me the same question, and I've never picked between, I never picked between the two because the way I look at that uh greatest of all time thing is um you the game has grown so much and every every error has, I say this not every era has a goat. Yeah. I can I can go goats from error, but if we just saying an overall goat, that's that's so hard to choose and um things of that nature. I'm a big fan of both. Big fan of both. Um now I will say this, what both of them um have that a lot of people can't uh what both of them have that a lot of people don't talk about as much is what they are able to do with what they have. Exactly. And I think that's the mark people miss. They can do a lot with a little. Yeah, that's true. And so, but if I had to pick one uh those drums that you play. Uh if I had to pick one though, I would probably say, because I grew up watching him, LeBron. I would say LeBron, because I got to see LeBron my own two sets of eyes. I've seen all the all the highlights of Jordan. I've studied him, I've looked up all his numbers, watched. I've coached I'll tell you this, I've stayed up at night just watching old series between Bulls and Knicks, or the Bulls and the Jazz, or the Bulls and the Seattle Sonics. One of my favorite series of watch watching is um the 92 series when they played Knicks in '92. Right. And when they played the uh Seattle uh Super Sonics in '96. Those are probably my two favorite series to watch um because of how competitive it was. But I it's LeBron. Yeah. It's LeBron.

SPEAKER_01

Yo, I I always break it down to your point with the errors, right? The 70s, you know, Chamberlain, Russell, the GOATs, right? The 80s, Magic and Bird were the GOATs. The 90s, Jordan was the best player in the 90s. Best player. Right? A 2000, you know, Kobe came along, right? Kobe. But since since LeBron has stepped his foot into the league, there's been no one more consistent and better than him.

SPEAKER_03

Now that now that is what I get, that is what I get. I have yet to see anybody 23 straight years where you are at least top 10 in the league, top 15 in the league. That that is one of the most impossible feats ever.

SPEAKER_01

So um, yeah, man. And then for me, it's it's okay again, it's always bigger than basketball for me, right? Like you've never heard about no extramarital affairs, no outside children. He didn't build schools, send kids to college. Like, not just I'm gonna pay for your freshman year, but no, I got you all, as long as you're in college, yes. Send me the bill.

SPEAKER_03

And to, and to, and coach, and to and coach, and to add to that, coach, not only to add to that, me, I'm big on play styles. Exactly, right. I'm big on play styles. I love, I'm, don't get me wrong, I love anybody that can put, because that's the name of the game, can you put the ball in the hole? Right. I love anybody that can put the ball in the hole, but I'm big on how unselfish are you as a superstar. Right. Because you know, most superstars, I need my 30 shots again. I need my 25 shots a game. Like, that's not negotiable. You got AI this line. Yeah, yeah, that's a non-negotiable. Like, most superstars got to have that. And me watching LeBron play, um, I always said that like him being, he's so great to me because he's a past first player, but he's the all-time leading score. Like, that that speaks that speaks various, speaks values, just like how much of an all-around player that he is. And that's that's where um that's why I think the game needs to gravitate more back towards. I I you I see so much of now, everybody just so everybody wants to be able to do one thing, one thing, one thing on. Shoot. Right. Shoot. And it's like, can you can you make a pocket pocket pass in that pick and roll? Exactly. Can you make a backdoor pass? Right. Can you make a slip pass? If he slip, if he slip on a pick and roll, yeah, can you make that slip pass? Can you throw a lob for a dump? You know, like can you make the people around you better? Yeah. Because as a as a leader, and whenever you go to places and you're going to be put in a leadership position, the first thing that's gonna be expected of you is to raise the level of the people that's around you. Right, exactly. And so that's that's another thing I I try to preach to to my kids, and even the guys who are quote unquote considered the best players on the team, right? Um, I I appreciate them all the time. Yeah, okay, your teammates look to you to be the best, be the guy. They look for you to, you know, handle the ball, score all the points, and things of that nature. But how can you hold them accountable? Right. How can you raise their level of play? How can you make them better as people and as players?

SPEAKER_01

Who are you in the locker room?

SPEAKER_03

Yes, how are you treating your teammates and you know, dealing with adversity when y'all don't agree on something and things of that nature? So that's that's something I'm big on like. I had one time my players, they got to they got to arguing in the locker room during halftime. Um, and I just most of the time, me as a coach, I would shut it down and you know, just be like, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop. But it would, they got to arguing, and then my best player spoke up and was like, guys, guys, we good. Why don't we? And he and he's a soft-spoken kid. He doesn't talk a lot. But to hear him do that, I was like, okay, we're we're getting some good care. Yeah, yeah. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yep. All right, Coach Evans, I appreciate your time. I appreciate you, Coach. Thank you. Thank you for taking time out and sitting down with me for it.

SPEAKER_03

It is an honor, and I thank you so much for the opportunity to even join this great podcast that you're doing. I wanted to tell you that I'm I've been watching you from afar. Um, and I do, I love everything that you're doing. Um, I really do. I I I wish we had more coaches with your spirit, with your with your core values, with your perspective. Um I keep that up, coach. We need we need that. We need that. That's that's what our that's what our kids need. Right, right. So I really appreciate you and I thank you for the opportunity, coach. All right, appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01

And that wraps up another episode of the Discipleship Hoops podcast. If today's conversation added value to you, do me a favor. Like it, subscribe to the channel, and share this episode with the coach, a parent, or athlete who needs to hear it. We're building something bigger than basketball here. We're building leaders.

SPEAKER_00

If you or your business would like to sponsor an upcoming episode and partner with us in impacting the next generation, visit our website at www.jimmyllucas.com or send us a direct message.

SPEAKER_01

We love to connect. Until next time, keep raising the standards, keep leading with purpose, and remember the game is the platform, future is the mission. Believe feel ball.