AVONDALE, Ariz., October 20, 2017 (Newswire.com) - In the world of professional sports, many athletes turn to coaching after retiring. Success on the playing field does not always translate to the sidelines.
Tamica Goree is the exception to that rule. She has become one of the nation's top basketball coaches. Also, she is helping many student-athletes prepare for the next level of their career.
It is great to see a player you coach make it to the next level, but I love when a player excels in the classroom too.
Tamica Goree
She knows about playing at a high level. Tamica Goree is a former top NCAA basketball star from Indiana State University. She earned high honors playing point guard for the Sycamores. She attributes her success to her mental toughness.
"To play at the college level in any sport, you need to be mentally tough," Goree explains. "That edge could mean a player being at the top of their sport, or just another player."
Tamica Goree instills this thinking into her coaching. Discipline and being able to overcome adversity has helped garner early success as a coach. She takes pride in her coaching record. She also helps student-athletes prepare for college.
"It is great to see a player you coach make it to the next level, but I love when a player excels in the classroom too," Tamica Goree says. "All of my teams have had high GPA marks."
Having excellent grades and being a great player can open up many doors for high school student-athletes. Colleges do not just want great players. They want students first, athletes second.
Tamica Goree has been assisting players in qualifying for scholarships at the college level. Young basketball players dream about playing at the college level but think it's an easy route.
"There seems to be a misconception out there with young athletes," Goree explains. "You cannot just be a great player. You need to have the grades too."
Students hoping to earn a basketball scholarship need to begin their preparations early in their high school career. More and more athletes are being noticed at a young age and exposed to recruiters.
These young players see star athletes in commercials, television shows, and making a lot of money. The path to the stardom starts on the court, but also in the classroom. Excelling in school is overlooked, and Tamica Goree stresses the importance off hard work in and out of the game.
NCAA schools are always looking for the next star athlete. Sophomore year is an ideal time for star athletes to work with coaches like Tamica Goree and learn the long process of becoming a student-athlete at the college level.
“I’ve worked with players from all over the state, and the first topic we discuss is their grades,” says Goree. “Before I even look at their skills on the court, I want to see their report card and GPA.”
After players start working with Goree off the court, she then focuses on gaining the attention of colleges. She can email college coaches about the student-athlete, sending along a video of game highlights.
“Every player has a highlight video. It’s up to the player to show something different and not get lost in the shuffle,” she explains. “Whether it’s focusing on footwork, dribbling skills, or rebounding, you cannot just show scoring thirty points in a game. Coaches want to see the little things.”
When a player does make it to the college level and excels on the court, Goree feels a sense of pride and accomplishment. Even though the player was only working with Goree for one or two years, she develops a close bond. That bond goes on forever, as she makes sure to check on her former students.
“It’s a humbling feeling seeing these student-athletes you worked so hard to get noticed go on to do great things,” Tamica Goree says with a smile.
Source: Web Presence, LLC
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