Post by CEZAR on Dec 24, 2013 13:43:00 GMT -6
I spoke with Gerry Quinn of the IL Chill- and asked him if he can take away from his busy day and answer some questions for us, as always Gerry never disappoints, Here is part 1, Part 2 I will post on Christmas, enjoy!!
1. ILSOFTBALL.COM-Tell us about your background, grew up, school, etc. programs your story!
GQ-
I grew up in East Chicago, Indiana, and attended Bishop Noll HS in Hammond, Indiana. I attended college and received my BA, MBA and JD from the University of Oklahoma. I am a rabid Sooner fan and try my best to arrange my fall softball schedule around their football games.
2. ILSOFTBALL.COM-What made you decide to go into coaching? What is your coaching philosophy? How important is winning?
GQ-
I have been around competitive athletics my entire life so going into coaching was a logical step. I (like everyone in my neighborhood) grew up playing everything. Football, basketball, baseball, hockey, etc. East Chicago was a great sports town. My father was a high school football coach for 50 years as was my uncle. My two brothers also coached high school athletics at various times throughout their adult lives. I have coached boys and girls basketball, softball, and track at the high school, club, junior high and rec league levels. My first coaching job was when I was a junior in high school coaching a 7th grade boys basketball team. I enjoy the tactical aspects of coaching and really enjoy watching young people develop their athletic skills.
I don’t know that I have an articulated coaching philosophy. However, if I did it would be “Success through Preparation”. That applies equally to coaches and athletes. I can’t expect to do the best job coaching my athletes if I do not prepare to do so. If I have an opportunity to watch an opponent prior to playing them I sincerely believe I can design a game plan that will give us the optimal chance for success. It does not mean we will always have success because at the higher levels of competitive sports talent often wins out. However, we can prepare to give ourselves the best possible chance by utilizing our strengths and exploiting the weaknesses of our opponent.
Winning is important to establish credibility in the athletic world. You can’t get away from that. Many of the advantages the kids in our program have now are because of the games that were won by the players who came before them. Winning is critical, but you can never compromise your integrity in the process. The manner in which you deal with your athletes and your opponents is your legacy. It should never be squandered for a win.
3. ILSOFTBALL.COM-What type of student-athlete is most difficult for you to work with? How do you overcome this?
GQ-
I am blessed to coach highly motivated and intelligent athletes. That presents a different type of challenge. Trying to get a high achiever to take chances so that she may learn from her failures is not always an easy thing to do. To me the most important characteristic a player can have coming into our program is the willingness to acknowledge that she may not have all the answers. To help them get over the hump, I try to get them to examine their goals and understand they have to take chances and make adjustments to reach them.
4. ILSOFTBALL.COM- What do you believe makes a great softball program, what criteria would you use to determine whether or not you have a good program?
GQ-
To me, a great softball program is one where (1) the kids improve their skills steadily, (2) have great energy on the field, and (3) the coaches are helping them do both of the aforementioned. The athletes are treated fairly by the coach and they in turn are responsible for doing the work they are supposed to do to become better players and teammates.
How you measure success varies based on the competitive level you are playing at. The more competitive the level of play the more you are judged by wins and losses, but obviously there are other measures of success too. Kids who go on to play in college, kids who are great students, kids who learn to treat others fairly and are willing to share the spotlight would all be indicators of a successful program. If players stay with your program year after year that would be another indication you are having some success at executing your master plan.
5. ILSOFTBALL.COM- How important is planning to good coaching?
GQ-
As I stated previously, I think planning is extremely critical. The problem most of us have at the club level is finding the hours in the day to be the type of coach we would like to be. We don’t get paid $5 million a year like Nick Saban to sit in our office until midnight breaking down film. Most of us have other jobs and responsibilities. Also, the current club dynamic is to have kids who live a ways apart from each other making it hard to practice more than once a week during the school year. All of this puts a high premium on being organized and planning ahead. You can’t go into a 3 hour practice with a half-assed idea of what you are going to do because it might be your only time with those players during the week. In summary, when we are together it needs to be scripted in advance to be sure we are making the most of our limited time window.
6. ILSOFTBALL.COM- Who is your role model?
GQ-
Growing up in Indiana Bob Knight was probably my coaching idol. When I was coaching basketball in the 80s I would go to IU for Knight’s coaching camps and they were just fantastic. He would lecture non-stop for two days straight. To me, he was the epitome of demonstrating how preparation and discipline can result in a player obtaining success on and off the court.
Some of my early softball mentors were Mark Doran and John Hanrahan. Mark remains my hitting instructor of choice and he has been instrumental in many of our kids going on to earn collegiate softball opportunities. I started my own kids with Mark back in 1998 when they were 11 and 9 years old respectively. I drove from Northbrook to Mokena every Monday night for a 30 minute hitting lesson for about 10 years. Now I get to convince my current players to make that drive. John Hanrahan was one of the founders of the Windmills program and has produced a slew of effective pitchers through the years. John was one of the people who early on convinced me the key to success was seeking out great competition.
7. ILSOFTBALL.COM- A parent complains about something that has happened in your program/playing time etc. How would you handle that? How do you deal with an upset parent?
GQ-
First, I encourage them to seek me out away from the ballpark a day or two after we have completed weekend play. That gives us both a chance to review the issues that might be raised. When I am at the park I am in full competitive mode and I block everything else out. If someone confronts me at the ballpark, especially in front of others, they may be done with our program right then and there.
I try to be very straightforward in my dealings with players and parents. There is always a reason for what I do when it comes to playing time and I am not afraid to share those reasons with a parent/player. They may not like to hear what I have to say, but I think it best to be honest and upfront. If a parent or player cannot reach a common ground with me then we will look to part ways after the season is over. Fortunately those instances are very rare. Life is too short for either side to be held captive against their will. I believe I give everyone opportunities to show what they can do so playing time is not usually a huge issue, but not surprisingly, the issue does pop up from time to time.
8. ILSOFTBALL.COM- What motivation techniques work best for you? What do you do with the athlete who is not motivated to achieve?
GQ-
Fortunately our competition provides tremendous motivation for our athletes. In addition, our kids are genuinely grateful for the opportunity to play our schedule and have quality teammates. They don’t want to give that up so motivation is rarely an issue with us. They realize you can’t play our schedule without putting forth maximum effort. You will be embarrassed if you don’t play your best. Players don’t want to be embarrassed so they are pretty attentive to what I have to say and know they need to put in the work on their own too.
1. ILSOFTBALL.COM-Tell us about your background, grew up, school, etc. programs your story!
GQ-
I grew up in East Chicago, Indiana, and attended Bishop Noll HS in Hammond, Indiana. I attended college and received my BA, MBA and JD from the University of Oklahoma. I am a rabid Sooner fan and try my best to arrange my fall softball schedule around their football games.
2. ILSOFTBALL.COM-What made you decide to go into coaching? What is your coaching philosophy? How important is winning?
GQ-
I have been around competitive athletics my entire life so going into coaching was a logical step. I (like everyone in my neighborhood) grew up playing everything. Football, basketball, baseball, hockey, etc. East Chicago was a great sports town. My father was a high school football coach for 50 years as was my uncle. My two brothers also coached high school athletics at various times throughout their adult lives. I have coached boys and girls basketball, softball, and track at the high school, club, junior high and rec league levels. My first coaching job was when I was a junior in high school coaching a 7th grade boys basketball team. I enjoy the tactical aspects of coaching and really enjoy watching young people develop their athletic skills.
I don’t know that I have an articulated coaching philosophy. However, if I did it would be “Success through Preparation”. That applies equally to coaches and athletes. I can’t expect to do the best job coaching my athletes if I do not prepare to do so. If I have an opportunity to watch an opponent prior to playing them I sincerely believe I can design a game plan that will give us the optimal chance for success. It does not mean we will always have success because at the higher levels of competitive sports talent often wins out. However, we can prepare to give ourselves the best possible chance by utilizing our strengths and exploiting the weaknesses of our opponent.
Winning is important to establish credibility in the athletic world. You can’t get away from that. Many of the advantages the kids in our program have now are because of the games that were won by the players who came before them. Winning is critical, but you can never compromise your integrity in the process. The manner in which you deal with your athletes and your opponents is your legacy. It should never be squandered for a win.
3. ILSOFTBALL.COM-What type of student-athlete is most difficult for you to work with? How do you overcome this?
GQ-
I am blessed to coach highly motivated and intelligent athletes. That presents a different type of challenge. Trying to get a high achiever to take chances so that she may learn from her failures is not always an easy thing to do. To me the most important characteristic a player can have coming into our program is the willingness to acknowledge that she may not have all the answers. To help them get over the hump, I try to get them to examine their goals and understand they have to take chances and make adjustments to reach them.
4. ILSOFTBALL.COM- What do you believe makes a great softball program, what criteria would you use to determine whether or not you have a good program?
GQ-
To me, a great softball program is one where (1) the kids improve their skills steadily, (2) have great energy on the field, and (3) the coaches are helping them do both of the aforementioned. The athletes are treated fairly by the coach and they in turn are responsible for doing the work they are supposed to do to become better players and teammates.
How you measure success varies based on the competitive level you are playing at. The more competitive the level of play the more you are judged by wins and losses, but obviously there are other measures of success too. Kids who go on to play in college, kids who are great students, kids who learn to treat others fairly and are willing to share the spotlight would all be indicators of a successful program. If players stay with your program year after year that would be another indication you are having some success at executing your master plan.
5. ILSOFTBALL.COM- How important is planning to good coaching?
GQ-
As I stated previously, I think planning is extremely critical. The problem most of us have at the club level is finding the hours in the day to be the type of coach we would like to be. We don’t get paid $5 million a year like Nick Saban to sit in our office until midnight breaking down film. Most of us have other jobs and responsibilities. Also, the current club dynamic is to have kids who live a ways apart from each other making it hard to practice more than once a week during the school year. All of this puts a high premium on being organized and planning ahead. You can’t go into a 3 hour practice with a half-assed idea of what you are going to do because it might be your only time with those players during the week. In summary, when we are together it needs to be scripted in advance to be sure we are making the most of our limited time window.
6. ILSOFTBALL.COM- Who is your role model?
GQ-
Growing up in Indiana Bob Knight was probably my coaching idol. When I was coaching basketball in the 80s I would go to IU for Knight’s coaching camps and they were just fantastic. He would lecture non-stop for two days straight. To me, he was the epitome of demonstrating how preparation and discipline can result in a player obtaining success on and off the court.
Some of my early softball mentors were Mark Doran and John Hanrahan. Mark remains my hitting instructor of choice and he has been instrumental in many of our kids going on to earn collegiate softball opportunities. I started my own kids with Mark back in 1998 when they were 11 and 9 years old respectively. I drove from Northbrook to Mokena every Monday night for a 30 minute hitting lesson for about 10 years. Now I get to convince my current players to make that drive. John Hanrahan was one of the founders of the Windmills program and has produced a slew of effective pitchers through the years. John was one of the people who early on convinced me the key to success was seeking out great competition.
7. ILSOFTBALL.COM- A parent complains about something that has happened in your program/playing time etc. How would you handle that? How do you deal with an upset parent?
GQ-
First, I encourage them to seek me out away from the ballpark a day or two after we have completed weekend play. That gives us both a chance to review the issues that might be raised. When I am at the park I am in full competitive mode and I block everything else out. If someone confronts me at the ballpark, especially in front of others, they may be done with our program right then and there.
I try to be very straightforward in my dealings with players and parents. There is always a reason for what I do when it comes to playing time and I am not afraid to share those reasons with a parent/player. They may not like to hear what I have to say, but I think it best to be honest and upfront. If a parent or player cannot reach a common ground with me then we will look to part ways after the season is over. Fortunately those instances are very rare. Life is too short for either side to be held captive against their will. I believe I give everyone opportunities to show what they can do so playing time is not usually a huge issue, but not surprisingly, the issue does pop up from time to time.
8. ILSOFTBALL.COM- What motivation techniques work best for you? What do you do with the athlete who is not motivated to achieve?
GQ-
Fortunately our competition provides tremendous motivation for our athletes. In addition, our kids are genuinely grateful for the opportunity to play our schedule and have quality teammates. They don’t want to give that up so motivation is rarely an issue with us. They realize you can’t play our schedule without putting forth maximum effort. You will be embarrassed if you don’t play your best. Players don’t want to be embarrassed so they are pretty attentive to what I have to say and know they need to put in the work on their own too.