Dear NABC members,
I am extremely honored to be selected as the next Executive Director of the NABC. I’d like to thank the NABC Board of Directors, board president Jamie Dixon and the search committee for entrusting me with this opportunity to serve you.
Coaching is and will forever remain in my blood. I have a passion for the betterment of our profession and the student-athletes we lead – a passion I know each of you share.
I wanted to take a moment to update you on several topics currently impacting the NABC.
I step into this new role during perhaps the most unique moment in time in our game’s history. The COVID-19 pandemic has already created repercussions on the NABC and the sport as a whole, and much remains unknown about the upcoming season. The NABC will be positioned at the forefront of contingency planning for the 2020-21 season, but we will all likely be forced to accept the inevitability of disruptions and competitive disadvantages along the way.
And of course, health and safety will always remain our top priority.
It’s also a time of important societal change. I’m remarkably proud of the NABC Committee on Racial Reconciliation’s efforts on issues such as social justice, educational equality and voter engagement, as well as so many coaches’ participation in the new McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative. We’re only just getting started in the fight against racism and injustice.
Student-athletes have never been more influential than they are today. To that end, we have begun the process of forming an NABC Player Development Coalition through our Ad Hoc Committee on the NBA that will add more student-athlete perspectives to the work of our association. Our job as coaches is first and foremost to serve student-athletes. Their voices must be heard.
I am already hard at work building relationships and collecting feedback to address transfer immediate eligibility and name, image and likeness legislation. A similar priority is furthering the collaboration between the NABC and the NCAA, NBA, USA Basketball, NAIA, NJCAA, NFHS, grassroots entities and many other key basketball stakeholders.
The NABC is an organization for any coach at any level. Whether you coach in the largest Division I arena or the smallest high school gym, your voice matters, and I want to hear from you. I promise to make the work of the NABC as transparent as possible, and intend to regularly address our membership through a variety of mediums.
Guardians of the Game is more than a slogan at the NABC. It’s who we are as coaches, personifying the core values of leadership, advocacy, service and education. Those are the same values I will strive to represent for you every day – as a leader for our profession, an advocate for coaches and student-athletes, a servant to our game, and a champion for education.
I believe the NABC’s best days are ahead. Thank you for this special opportunity.
Sincerely,
Craig Robinson
NABC Executive Director
