A good coach can make or break a season and a player. In a January Bark survey, 42 percent of student athletes answered that they felt that a coach has held them back as a player. Although that number is high, it highlights the importance of a good coach.
Junior Charlie Poser has been coached by his father Tom Poser for his entire basketball career. Tom Poser, now an assistant coach for the boys’ varsity basketball team, has helped head coach Jay DeMaestri guide Charlie Poser and teammates, developing them on and off the court.
“Since my dad has been my head coach my whole life up until the end of eighth grade and now as an assistant coach under Jay, it has helped me develop my playstyle and made me who I am,” Charlie Poser said.
Junior Leo Centeno has also been coached by Tom Poser for the majority of his basketball career.
“I like a coach who knows what’s best for me as a player and for the team. Both [DeMaestri] and Tom Poser as well as the rest of my coaches at Redwood do that,” Centeno said.
Coaching is a difficult craft to master. Not many coaches are capable of unlocking the potential within each member of the team. Some coaches unintentionally hinder player development, while others do so deliberately. In many cases, a bad relationship or lack of effort between coaches and players can impact not just the outcome of games, but also the performance of the players and their mental fortitude. Luckily for the Giants, their basketball coaches are focused on winning and developing their players into better athletes and better people.
“What I’m focused on as an assistant coach is to try and be a great assistant to the head coach and do my best. I try to help the kids take pride in their specific roles, understand where they add their value and how to do great at their job,” Tom Poser said.
Apart from his coaching on the court, Tom Poser values the family that the basketball team has built largely due to the coaching and developmental atmosphere.
“Everyone supporting each other works really well in basketball and it works really well for us,” Tom Poser said.
Coaches sometimes need to push their players to reach their potential, helping both the individual and the team. Centeno knows that DeMaestri does a good job of driving his players to get them where he wants them to be.
“I think he knows individually what each kid needs to get to the highest performance they can achieve. He reads his players and knows what they need to do. He’s not afraid to get in your face sometimes and motivate and help you,” Centeno said.
Charlie Poser finds that DeMaestri and Poser have similar coaching styles and care for each individual on the team.
“Both Jay and [Tom Poser] want us to move and pass the ball and work as a team. At times they can be assertive, they will yell and get on you if you mess up, but it’s because they care and their coaching style is great,” Charlie Poser said.
Coaching is one of the most impactful ways a player can be affected. Although not every athlete has a positive coaching experience, for Centeno and Charlie Poser, their coaches have shaped them both as athletes and individuals.
