Coach: Robert Wood
High school: Mountain Vista
Sport: boys basketball
What made you decide you wanted to become a coach in your
present sport?
I loved playing basketball, and I knew my playing career would
be over after college. Coaching provided me an opportunity to stay
involved with the sport I love.
Describe one of the best moments you can remember from your
coaching career?
My favorite moment in coaching was when my sons, Andrew and
Brian, played for me at Buena Vista High School during the
1998-1999 season. We won the state tournament and went 26-0. The
actual moment was immediately after the championship game when we
had a family group hug while the rest of the team was dog piling at
mid-court. It was emotional and heart-felt.
What was one of the most heartbreaking moments of your coaching
career?
My most heartbreaking moment in coaching was during my coaching
years at Chadron State College. We won the regular season
conference championship in 1997, and then were upset in the first
round of the playoffs by the eighth-seeded team. Most of our
players were seniors, so the game painfully finished their careers.
The locker room after the game was the quietest and saddest locker
room I have ever walked into.
If a young athlete came to you and said he or she was interested
in a career as a coach, what advice would you give him/her?
If I was advising an athlete about being a coach, I would advise
them to work extremely hard and to coach within their personality.
The harder you work the harder your players will work. I would also
advise them to have fun and enjoy the victories.
What do you do for fun that isn’t related to the sport you
presently coach?
I enjoy spending time with my family, my three sons and their
wives and my new grandson. I love to read, especially detective and
mystery novels. I love to play golf, go to movies, eat at
restaurants, watch both the NFL and college basketball.
What is the toughest decision a coach in your sport has to make
on a fairly consistent basis?
The toughest decision made on a consistent basis is how much
playing time to give to each individual player. All of the players
have a great desire to play, and it is difficult to successfully
work more than eight players into a game. When you have a great
team, playing time is less of an issue, but if you are struggling,
it is very difficult to work everyone in and still be
successful.
If you could coach for any professional sports team for one
year, which would it be and what changes would you make?
If I could coach a pro team, it would probably be the (Denver)
Nuggets. My goal would be to get each player to play hard every
night on every possession. If the Nuggets would play with the
effort of my high school team, they would be a true championship
contender. I probably would play the players who play the hardest
the most. If the Nuggets played consistently hard, they would never
lose to the Timberwolves, the Sacramento Kings or any of the other
bottom feeders.
Your present team just won the state championship. What do you
(and/or the team) do to celebrate the achievement?
Immediately after the victory, I’m sure we would jump around,
dog pile and act totally foolish. In the coming weeks, we would
celebrate with a team banquet and re-live the experience. We would
have a pep rally at the school to celebrate with the student body.
Personally, my wife and I would throw a party for the coaching
staff, parents and boosters. I would watch the championship game
over and over and over.