№43: Hard Work: A life on and off the court by Roy Williams with Tim Crothers [2009] (A Book Review)
February 18, 2022
Welcome to the tedi.substack.com weekly newsletter! At the end of each week1, this newsletter will touch on any number of entertaining, informative, or (possibly) useful topics.
The focus of this week’s newsletter is on a review that I did on Hall of Fame Coach Roy Williams’ (with Tim Crothers) book entitled, “Hard Work: A life on and off the court” [2009]. In January 2015, I was in the process of doing a lot of research on basketball coaches and among the books that I read was Hard Work: A life on and off the court [2009]. It stood out then just as much as it does today.
I hope you are able to take as much away from it as I have.
More after the jump.
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Book Review: Hard Work: A life on and off the court by Roy Williams with Tim Crothers [2009]
Words by: Dr. Tedi Gustilo Villasor
During my time away from NBA.com/Philippines, I have had the opportunity to read a number of biographies, sports pieces, and published articles on a number of basketball coaches as part of an academic paper that I am currently completing. Life stories and philosophies of well-known (and, at times, not so well-known) head coaches who have shaped—in their own small way—some of our favorite NBA players to the men (and athletes) that they are today.
The focus of this article will be on former University of Kansas and current University of North Carolina head coach Roy Williams. College basketball aficionados would be familiar with the work of Coach Williams, 64, who served as one of the longtime assistant coaches of the legendary Dean Smith in North Carolina before taking his first head-coaching job with Kansas in 1988. Among the notable players during his 15-year career as the Jayhawks head coach were Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder), Kirk Hinrich (Chicago Bulls), Greg Ostertag (Utah Jazz [retired]), the colorful Scot Pollard (Sacramento Kings [retired]), Paul Pierce (Washington Wizards), Drew Gooden (Wizards), and current Orlando Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn (Jazz [retired]).
In 2003, Williams returned to UNC and won two NCAA Division I championships in 2005 and 2009. Some of the well-known Tar Heels that Coach Williams had handled dating back to his time as an UNC assistant were Michael Jordan (Bulls [retired]), James Worthy (Los Angeles Lakers [retired]), Sam Perkins (Seattle Supersonics [retired]), Brad Daugherty (Cleveland Cavaliers [retired]), Tyler Hansbrough (Toronto Raptors), Marvin Williams (Charlotte Hornets), Ty Lawson (Denver Nuggets), Raymond Felton (Dallas Mavericks), and Danny Green (San Antonio Spurs).
Coach Williams wrote a book (with Tim Crothers) in 2009 entitled, “Hard Work: A life on and off the court” that focused on his humble beginnings, coaching philosophy, career, and family. Hard Work struck me a little differently—from the biographies of his contemporaries—as Coach Roy seemed to give me a little bit of everything ranging from his coaching philosophy to the importance of spending quality time with the family. Highlighted by entertaining and insightful anecdotes, Williams sets the bar with a book that can truly inspire anyone in-and-out of the game of basketball.
Here are a number of highlights:
A player’s creed: Williams credited a lot of his personal development to his high school coach Buddy Baldwin who consistently preached three things: “Working on (your) game, being a team player, and caring about (your) teammates.” (p. 30)
His view on the game of basketball: “I saw coaching basketball as a way to give some kids who needed it the kind of father figure that I never had. Players would come by my office and we would talk more about life than basketball. (Players) consulted me about every decision (they) made. The baseball players and the girls’ basketball players would stop by and talk to me about what they wanted to do after graduation. It wasn’t unusual for me to have 15 kids in my office before or after school. I was essentially a guidance counselor who just happened to be the basketball coach.” (p. 62-63)
On finding the right kind of support system: “In life, you want to have a group of people who are going to be with you regardless of what you do. I told (my players) that some people are only going to be with you when you do what they want you to do, and there will be another group that is not going to be with you at all, so you have to find a hard-core group that will always be with you.” (p. 133)
The importance of a name: Coach Williams’ shared a story that whenever he was invited to a UNC basketball camp, he would play a game with the campers. Williams recalled, “I used to play a game with the campers. When I fist met them on Monday morning, I’d bet all 64 kids that by Tuesday night I would know all of their first and last names, and if I got somebody’s name wrong, I would buy them an ice cream cone. I never bought an ice cream cone. Coach Smith liked my energy, my enthusiasm, my organization, and how I had a personal relationship with each kid. I always thought, “This is somebody’s son. How would I want him to be treated if he were my son?” (p. 65)
His coaching philosophy: “My philosophy is that basketball is the simplest game in the world—if you can get five guys moving in the same direction for a common goal. Coaching is all about me getting my five guys to do what I want them to do better than you can get your five guys to do what you want them to do. If you have one guy looking out for himself, you’re in big trouble. If you have more than one, you have no chance.” (p. 176)
On being a mentor: “When it comes to mentoring my players, I look at myself like a teammate. I am playing as hard as I can every day to get them to believe in what I believe in: that there’s a right way to conduct yourself, there’s a right way to answer people, there’s a right way to dress when you go into a restaurant or get on a plane, and there’s a right way to play basketball.” (p. 190)
A thought that ever parent should reflect on: “Family dinners have always been very important to me. Whenever I was home (my family and I would) eat together. Sometimes it got in the way of the kids’ social lives, but they allowed me to do that. It was our way of being together and it allowed me to catch up with their lives. They were teenagers, so who knows whether it meant anything to them or not, but it was important to me.” (p. 239)
The pro game may never ever see Roy Williams pacing its sidelines,2 but with the UNC culture3 that he has passed on to his players—Roy Williams will always be a part of the game of basketball.
About the author: Dr. Tedi Gustilo Villasor obtained his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology (2009) and Masters of Science in Guidance and Counseling (2002) from De La Salle University-Manila (DLSU). He has also completed a Certificate in Sports Counseling (2006) from San Diego University for Integrative Studies (SDUIS). Aside from his private practice at the Makati Medical Center, Dr. Villasor was a columnist for Baby Magazine wherein his column, "Rules of Engagement" (formerly known as “Understanding Your Child”), focused on children 10 years of age and above. For more, you can visit his website at www.tedi31.com or follow him on Twitter or Instagram. ■
About
Tedi Gustilo Villasor, Ph.D. is a former columnist for Baby Magazine (Philippines) as well as a past contributor to NBA.com/Philippines. His other works include the indie comic books Lindol and OBIsessions.
Click here for more information on his work as a psychologist.
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Unless something exciting comes up that necessitates an additional entry.
He had resisted overtures from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004 and 2014.
He is the innovator of UNC’s “Play Hard. Play Smart. Play Together.” motto.
Again, only if something of interest comes up which would require an additional post.