If you haven’t seen Steve Kerr’s impassioned plea for change on gun violence in America, you haven’t been on the internet for the past few days.
“Any basketball questions don’t matter,” he began, before fairly thundering: “When are we going to do something. I’m tired. I am so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there. I am so tired of the, excuse me, I am sorry, I am tired of the moments of silence. Enough!”
Kerr in many ways is the template of a modern coach who knows the real key to success. However, how that should be measured, is in terms of the advancement of people, not just players.McKeever’s methods, on the other hand, are destined to go the way of the dodo. Sports and aspiring mentors should take careful note.
In that case, how does a coach like McKeever still exist, even thrive, in a modern environment? You only have to look at the scandals involving gymnastics, or the pushback from more than 1000 athletes in Canada who have laid clear the toxic culture in boxing, bobsled/skeleton and gymnastics, to realise the win-at-all-costs can prevail if strong people don’t have the courage to call for change.