Dear NABC members,
I write to you today as our sport – and our country – continue to inch back to normal. Programs at all levels of college basketball are welcoming prospective student-athletes for campus visits – many for the first time in over a year. Summer recruiting begins in earnest this weekend, as coaches will spread out across the country for the first of two scholastic and two-year college evaluation periods.
It’s an exciting time for our sport. But it’s also not yet time to let down our guard.
Throughout the course of the pandemic, I’ve implored coaches to lead by example. I wrote to you shortly before the start of the 2020-21 season that coaches – the public faces of college basketball – would set the tone for how the watching world would view our game’s handling of unprecedented circumstances. I encouraged a spirit of collaboration and flexibility. I urged you to prioritize student-athlete health, safety and wellbeing over competitive concerns.
Across the board, I believe you rose to the challenge. And for that, I believe our profession and the game of basketball are better off.
Much of what I spoke of prior to the start of last season remains applicable today. It’s vital that coaches continue to model safe behavior as we hit the recruiting trail and interact with our teams on campus. COVID-19 protocols will differ across recruiting events, but where masking and social distancing are still required, coaches should comply. And we should continue to follow the basic public health guidelines of proper hygiene and staying home when sick.
Many of our campuses continue to have guidelines in place, and just last week, the NCAA updated its health and safety protocols for summer workouts. We need to remain flexible in accommodating these policies. The world – and our impressionable student-athletes – are still watching.
As we re-engage our teams, remember that student-athletes faced challenges this past year that went far beyond basketball. Many lost loved ones, or at the least feared for their health. All experienced the disconnectedness that came with lockdowns and social distancing. Our focus this summer should be on supporting their mental wellbeing as much as it is on their skill development.
Coaches need to look out for our own health and safety as well. The last several months have seen a rise in instances of violence towards officials and coaches at youth events, and dangerous fan behavior on pro sports’ biggest stages has become all too common. I encourage you to be mindful of your surroundings on the road, and to seek counsel from campus public safety to become better prepared should you encounter a threat.
Advocating for You
When I began my tenure at the NABC, one of my initial goals was to vastly improve the NABC’s relationship and influence with the NCAA and other governing bodies. Coaches have lacked a voice at the table on important policy decisions that impact our sport for far too long. While there remains room to grow in this area, our efforts are beginning to bear fruit.
This past season, the NABC and WBCA successfully proposed a blanket COVID-related NCAA waiver to grant immediate eligibility to student-athletes who were serving their year in residence following transferring. We were also an active participant in discussions related to the new one-time transfer exemption, impacting final legislation by pushing for the May 1 notification date.
More recently, the July 2021 recruiting calendar – modified following cancellation of the NCAA College Basketball Academy – was structured to include the NABC-proposed three non-scholastic evaluation weekends. We stressed the importance of maintaining evaluation opportunities while also maximizing coaches’ availability to their current players on campus during the week.
And earlier this month, we joined the ACC in advocating for a renewal of a waiver that permits up to two noncoaching staff members to participate in instructional on-court activities during the summer CARA period. Our rationale was twofold – that additional coach-player interaction remains necessary, and that professional development opportunities for these support staff personnel is good for the sport’s overall health.
Our efforts are not just focused on Division I. We advanced a proposal to offer Division III basketball student-athletes enrollment flexibility to maintain eligibility to compete following graduation. The NCAA adopted the proposal in April for the 2021-22 academic year.
The message behind our advocacy strategy is simple: basketball coach perspectives add value and need to be heard. This approach extends even beyond the college athletics governance structure. Last week, Gonzaga coach Mark Few was invited to participate in a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on athlete compensation and NIL – an encouraging acknowledgement from congressional leaders of the importance of coach input on these key topics.
A Personal Note
Next month will mark my one-year anniversary at the NABC. To say this year has been challenging would be a massive understatement. But through the trials, I’ve seen the best in our member coaches. I’ve seen your steadfast commitment to leading young people. I’ve seen your passion for supporting fellow coaches. I’ve seen you thrive in the face of adversity.
It’s an honor to go to work every day on your behalf.
Sincerely,
Craig Robinson
NABC Executive Director
