What are my [dis]Illusions?

No, this is not about  Use Your Illusion I 

or  Use Your Illusion II, although I stumbled upon a sweet  heavy metal blog 

looking for  FREE and unrestricted Guns N' Roses images.


Oppose SOPA.


As we get into THIS time of year (and maybe this only speaks to teachers and basketball coaches), there is something about mid-January and mid-term exams and the heart of your conference basketball schedule and the day-in-day-out muddle it all becomes...

Don't we seem to lose ourselves?

I just revisited my copy of Richard Bach's Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah.  Oh, and if you haven't checked out his blog yet, feel free to postpone your time on this page.

Three lines that resonate with this mid-January grind:

"There was a Master come unto the earth, born in the holy land of Indiana, raised in the mystical hills east of Fort Wayne" (1).

Love it.  Don't take yourself seriously.  Have a sense of humor.  Recognize who you are and what you are doing.

"You teach best what you most need to learn" (48).

I wish all of the people spouting negativity and defeatism and pontificating about whatever gets them all riled up could take a step back, remember where they are from and who they are and that they "teach best what [they] most need to learn." 


And finally, "Live never to be ashamed if anything you do or say is published around the world--even if what is published is not true" (48).

Your Interview Advice

I was asked for some interview advice last week.  I suppose the teaching profession may be thankless, or so people say.  But, a young man coming up and asking for some advice made my day.  Really, the question made my year.  I often feel lost within the career and that I may not even bring anything valuable to the conversation--and maybe I don't.  But to this young man (I changed his name), and to this teacher...well, I felt this should go into a blog and was worthy of a click on the "publish post" button.

Dear Matt,

I'm honored you asked for some advice and let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.

One thing I've noticed on the college basketball side is how important the managers are to the program.

Some key traits I would suggest trying to highlight, whether in your resume or in the interview, are:

1.  Initiative.

Demonstrate to the staff how you take pride in a job well done and like to see things getting done.

2.  Foresight. 

Can you predict upcoming problems?  How?  Something as simple as not having enough water at practice or knowing mail needs to go out, or the website hasn't been updated, can you run the score clock at practice?  What past experience has developed these templates for you to predict upcoming problems?

3.  Can you help with recruiting? 

Even though student-assistants or managers can't be on the recruiting trail per say, do you know all of the top prospects?  Do you know what your current team's needs are?  Maybe you were a great high school player from a strong league and can be an asset to the staff based on those ties.  Who was your high school coach?  Does he have recruitable players?

Demonstrate your value.

But you need to casually work this into the interview...maybe not even in the formal interview
but while you are being escorted in or out.  Can you notice something on the wall, on the desk, or wherever, and throw your two cents in?

4.  Do some early networking.

Befriend, if you haven't already, members of the managing team.  Maybe you can get them to drop your name?

4b.  The head coach won't be in charge of placing managers--someone else has that responsibility.     This is the guy you need to research.  Find out where he went to school, what traits he likes in the managers...hell, I once got a job because the coach and I both love Pearl Jam...research him. 

5.  Know the rapport of the coaching staff.

Uh, house was built in 1825 by General Custer.

Are they professional and all business all the time?

Do they use humor in their communication
with each other?  Everyone I've met loves Step Brothers?
Do they?

In order for you to demonstrate you can fit in,
you need to know their rapport.

I hope this helps and let me know if you need anything else.

Best Regards,
Chris Norkun