- February 24, 2025
I remember before and after every away JV basketball game in high school, my teammates and I would make up rhymes (freestyle) on the school bus as coach Brian Humphrey peacefully drove, often smiling.
With every good punch line, everyone on the bus would yell, “Man!” signifying their approval. Our freestyle session and respect for Coach Hump drastically increased when he silenced the bus and made his debut into the rap world. While his only rhyme wasn’t, understandably, up to par, the entire bus went crazy. Coach Hump humbled himself from the coaching level and became one of us. We were proud to call him our coach.
It’s always refreshing to hear stories of how coaches bridge the age and culture gap with their players through dance, rap, singing and other methods that make them closer to their group. Here in Flagler and Volusia counties, I’ve heard interesting stories about coaches’ attempts to reduce the gap, including Seabreeze Raushod Floyd’s favorite memory of former head coach Marc Beach.
“When we were in Kuwait, Coach Beach, because he played defensive back in his days, challenged a guy to catch the ball on him. That was the funniest thing I ever saw Coach do. I thought he was going to break his hip, but he did a good job covering the guy.” Because of that moment, Floyd gained a new respect for his coach.
Matanzas football head coach Robert Ripley also haves fun with his players on their level.
“We do a lot of different things to connect with the kids,” he said. “We often listen to music at practice, and I cut up and laugh with them. You have to be willing. Some coaches struggle with that. The ‘I was coached one way, so that’s how I coach’ mentality doesn’t work anymore. They have to know you care.”
It’s moments like these that have helped decide where kids choose to attend college. Some of the toughest coaches have changed their stance on the “no fun” idea of coaching, due to that reality.
There is a video of Nick Saban, who’s known as one of the hardest coaches in the business, doing the electric slide in a recruit’s living room with other family members.
While it may not be enjoyable to those who are “above that level,” it means the world to those who matter the most.
