Episode 075: Dan Dickau joined me on the podcast to talk about coaching youth basketball.  When I speak at summer camps, I always use Dan as an example of someone who held his dreams close to his heart and put in work.

Holding your dreams tight and putting in work are two qualities I want to teach my kids.  I tell them to hold your dreams tight because there will always be people telling you that you’re not tall enough, not talented enough or not good enough.  If you’re not holding yourr dream tight, you might actually start believing them.

But dreaming isn’t enough, you also have to put in work.  And that’s what Dan did such an incredible job of.  He was always the first to the gym and the last to leave.

If you don’t know much about Dan, he was a First Team All-American at Gonzaga University and played six years in the NBA.  After he finished his playing career, the Portland Trailblazers hired him as a player development assistant.  Dan is currently an on-air broadcaster and the host of multiple basketball podcasts.

Since we’re both parents to kids who love hoops, I wanted to see how he’s handling the balance between helping his kids with sports vs. just being a fan.  In this interview I asked how his parents helped him on the court, his take on coaching youth basketball and what he’s specifically doing to help his kids become their best.

Here are some of the questions I asked Dan:

• How important is winning in youth basketball?
• Where do you find balance between being a dad and a coach to your kids?
• Do you focus on skill training or running plays in practice?
• What's realistic to expect of your kid's when it comes to practicing on their own?
• How do you handle sport-specialization in your house?

If you want to learn more about coaching youth basketball, check out Episode 007: Basketball Player, Coach, Parent w/ Matt Santangelo

Instagram  @HoopCommitment
Twitter  @HoopCommitment
Facebook  HoopCommitment
Website  HoopCommitment.com