Welcome back to a new season with all the exciting prospects that come with it!
I hope that your summer was both relaxing and rewarding. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as your Indiana Basketball Coaches Association president for the 2017-18 school year, the first in a three-year term. I think we owe a debt of gratitude to past president Mike Hackett for his service and contributions to our association.
A friend of mine recently sent an article that chronicled the role of a coach in a way that puts words to the myriad feelings and responsibilities we have with our young people and our communities. One excerpt related an exchange between a coach and a person who was curious about the coaching profession. To paraphrase, the coach was asked, “Is that all you are – a coach?” It was not meant to be offensive, but it allowed for a response of, “Sure, a coach, a teacher, an administrator, an academic advisor, in loco parentis for 24 plus, a resident counselor and psychologist, exercise physiologist, motivational speaker, sports nutritionist, and, least successful of them all: clairvoyant of a bunch of high school kids.”
I suspect we can all appreciate the sentiments expressed above. Our work is often a labor of love, something that we do for other people more than for ourselves. We are expected to wear many hats, always be at our best, and perform those roles to the satisfaction of anyone with an opinion, no matter how grounded in reality that opinion may be. It is what we do, and it has been our choice. To that end, the IBCA provides an amazing support system for the men and women who proudly wear the title of “Coach.”
The goals and traditions of the IBCA always have centered on keeping our game functioning at the highest levels, a model for the many coaches and organizations who look to Indiana as a traditional leader for basketball in our country. Our organization continues to focus on the development of the game, but just as importantly, on the development of the players and coaches who represent the game. Scholarships, awards and other recognition are a major part of the IBCA’s role in promoting our sport.
In order to participate fully in all that the IBCA has to offer, your membership is necessary. Over the past several months, we have worked to make the IBCA a paperless operation, one where the web site and other online opportunities have streamlined many of the functions that were previously contained in the bulky (and expensive) mailings to coaches.
Annual membership runs from October-October, and qualifies you for a $1 million liability insurance policy, simultaneous membership in the NHSBCA and many other benefits detailed elsewhere on our IBCA web site.
Membership also is required in order to nominate your players for recognition, so please don’t overlook that important fact. Last season, more than 85 percent of head coaches in Indiana were members. Clearly, our goal is 100 percent membership from our head coaches. In addition, we encourage the head coaches to consider registering the entire staff. At just $25 per coach, it is a very inexpensive way to support one of the largest and most effective coaches’ associations in the United States.
The IBCA continues to enjoy significant sponsorship levels from a number of organizations. BSN Sports, Subway and Best Choice Fieldhouse head a list of corporate sponsors supporting our organization. Bankers Life Fieldhouse is made available by the Pacers/Fever for the playing of our state championship games and the Indiana doubleheader of the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star series. Please take a look at the list of sponsors on the website, and consider patronizing them based on your particular needs.
We also encourage all coaches to participate in the IBCA/Subway Player of the Week program by sending nominations each week to Pat McKee. We are grateful to all of our sponsors for the generous support they provide.
The strength of our organization comes from the contributions of all those involved. Players, coaches, parents, administrators, sponsors and media – all of these groups have a vested interest in the successful operation of the IBCA.
Members of the IBCA Board of Directors and IBCA District Representatives always are available to listen to your concerns or suggestions. We will be sending out surveys this year in order to formulate a proposal to the IHSAA, and we would benefit from getting 100 percent response to those surveys.
Thank you in advance for your support this year. Best wishes to everyone for a successful and fulfilling basketball season.
See you in the gym!
-- Scott Kreiger
