By Bill Koch, Journal Sports Writer, The Providence Journal
Apr 27, 2020 at 5 PM
Former Rogers High School basketball coach Jim Psaras is staying actively involved with the coaching community during the coronavirus pandemic. [THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL/GLENN OSMUNDSON]
“We need to get back in the gym.”
If you’ve spent even a few minutes around a basketball coach at any level, this is the answer to most of life’s problems.
Missing free throws? Back in the gym. Sloppy offensive execution? Back in the gym. Team chemistry issues? Back in the gym.
What happens when that solution is no longer viable? The coronavirus pandemic has made social distancing the rule. High school buildings are closed and college students are off-campus with no immediate plans to return.
Creative minds like Bob Walsh and Jim Psaras are looking to fill the gap. Walsh works as the associate director of player development, scouting and recruiting coordination under Ed Cooley at Providence College. Psaras won more than 400 games and three championships with the boys at Rogers High. They’ve turned to Zoom calls in an attempt to remain sharp and connect fellow coaches with one another.
“Physically, we can’t be in the same space right now, so a lot of it becomes mental,” Walsh said. “A lot of it is coaches trying to find creative ways to stay connected to their teams and make them better when it’s not, ‘OK, let’s go shoot 250 3s.’ ”
“I’m trying to provide bridges for coaches to learn,” Psaras said. “We’re talking any experience level. I’ve been in coaching 35 years, and I’m talking to guys who have been in coaching for as long as I have and more.”
Walsh previously served as a head coach at Rhode Island College and the University of Maine, but he’s also maintained a public presence in a different arena. His blog at coachbobwalsh.com hits on an array of basketball topics and his Dynamic Leadership Academy involves presentations from coaches, athletics directors and business executives.
Walsh has used that outlet to raise more than $2,000 for coronavirus relief. He’s been contacted by several teams — Gettysburg College, Bard College and The Hill School — over the last two weeks about speaking with their respective teams. His lone requirement is a donation to a charity of their choice.
“The challenge now is I’ve got to find ways to stay connected and get better when I’m sitting in my bedroom at home,” Walsh said. “I’ve found the majority of the kids or the teams that I’ve worked with — the groups that I’ve worked with — to be very engaged.”
Psaras announced his retirement from the Vikings in 2014 but hasn’t left the game behind. He’s leaning on 12 years of service as a counselor with the famed Five-Star Basketball summer camp to build a star-studded lineup. New York natives Will Klein and Howard Garfinkel founded what became a basketball institution in 1966.
Hubie Brown, Bob Knight, Rick Pitino, John Calipari and the late Chuck Daly are among the coaches who have taken a turn manning the drill stations or starting their careers with Five-Star. Former attendees include future NBA stars like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Patrick Ewing and Stephen Curry. Psaras also recalls an initial visit by Bob Hurley Sr. after winning the first two of his 26 New Jersey state championships with Catholic power St. Anthony.
“I’ve been trying to mentor my former players or my former assistants who are at middle schools or high schools coaching,” Psaras said. “Even the Rhode Island Basketball Coaches Association — I’ve been reaching out to them to try to mentor. Not that I have all the answers but I want to be able to help out.”
Walsh and Psaras were in contact Wednesday and are likely to combine forces in the near future. One coach who remains in the game and one who has never strayed far from it share a common goal.
“It’s turned out to be fun and helps me stay sharp,” Walsh said. “We’re trying to help people who could use the help a little bit, too.”
“There’s a lot that I miss about coaching,” Psaras said. “There are some things that go along with it that I could do without. But there’s that missing of connecting with kids and building relationships.”
