Pat Knight Pulls 12-Year Old Out of Stands to Show Up His Players
January 9, 2009 by Cherie Burbach
Filed under Sports Rumors
Hey, I’m all for unique coaching methods. I mean, if players aren’t motivated, you have to be creative to get them to give that extra mile. But I’m not sure this method is the right way to go.
Texas Tech coach Pat Knight (pictured) was frustrated with his team for missing layups. Layups, for all those basketball virgins out there, are defined as a “usually one-handed, banked shot made close to the basket after driving in.”
Close to the basket is the key part of this little story. If players can’t hit a shot when they’re right next to it they are surely missing some easy points.
Instead of having the players practice doing layups (which would have been my choice as a coach) Pat Knight instead pulls a 12-year old kid out of the stands in the middle of a game and asked him if he could hit the layup that his players were missing. He actually had the kid stand in the huddle with his players. (This was the part that was supposed to embarrass and/or motivate his players.)
Texas Tech did, in fact, win the game. But then again they also played Stephen F. Austin. (So they most certainly could have won the game with an entire group of 12-year olds.)
Oh, and did you notice that Pat Knight has a famous (in basketball at least) last name?
Yep, his dad is Bobby Knight. The apple doesn’t fall far, does it?
Imagess: Newscom
