Jamy Bechler

Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.

Best Basketball Not on TV

Westmont’s Tugce Canitez vs. Sue Bird

(originally published on March 17, 2013)

March Madness is upon us and eyes are glued to the TV watching conference tournaments to see who’s bubble bursts and who’s dreams come true.  However, there is some madness going on in Frankfort, KY that is under-the-radar.  The NAIA women’s basketball national tournament is down to its’ final four teams.  The “Fab Four” games will take place on Monday.  Westmont (CA) University will join three teams from Tennessee: Lee University, Freed Hardeman University and Cumberland University in the Fab Four.  This tournament may be lacking UCONN or Brittney Griner but it certainly is not lacking excitement, talent or story lines.

[Read more…]

Defense Wins Championships

All of us sports fans have heard it said that “Defense Wins Championships”.  Though that axiom has a lot of legitimacy, it is hard to say whether it is 100% true.  Lots of things go into winning a championship. However, I must say that this year, it seemed that I noticed more winning coaches praising their team’s defensive efforts as the main reason for their success.  This has gotten me to thinking about my team and whether or not we should emphasize defense even more next year. It probably can’t hurt. Regardless, here are some of the examples that I am talking about when it comes to defense helping a team win a basketball championship.

[Read more…]

James Justice Wins College Slam Dunk Championship

Congratulations to James Justice, the 5’9 All-American guard from Martin Methodist College, for winning the 2012 State Farm College Slam Dunk Contest.  He beat out seven NCAA Division I players, including Miles Plumlee from Duke University.  If you didn’t see it on ESPN, then I highly recommend it.  If nothing else, seeing the judges (including Bobby Hurley and John Salley) react after James’ last dunk is priceless.  Here is the footage (courtesy of SBnation.com).

Championship Lessons Learned at NAIA National Tournament

(originally published on March 27, 2012)

From March 10-20, I spent time serving on the NAIA National Tournament Committee.  It was a bittersweet experience.  Meeting all the coaches, watching all the games, observing many practices and helping the tournament run smoothly was great.  However, it was difficult watching the teams play knowing that we had been fairly close to qualifying ourselves.  If only we’d won 1-2 more games, we might have been one of the 32-teams that earned a bid.  I must say that Rob Edmission’s Oklahoma City University team was extremely impressive throughout the entire tournament.  They beat Union University in the championship game, which is no small feat.  As I watched the games and thought about how to get my team to the tournament, I came up with some observations. In no particular order, I have listed them below.

[Read more…]

Best Basketball Coaches Not on TV

(originally published on March 7, 2012)

A recent blog posting by Helen Wheelock got me thinking about coaching job searches and who administrators hire.  Seems like most of the talk always centers around the DI coaches, especially the “up-and-comers”.  I do not profess to know exactly what makes a good coach in all situations.  Good coaches in a bad situation can lead to struggles and failures, whereas unproven coaches (i.e. assistants) in good situations can lead to success and excitement.

[Read more…]

Sign Up For Leadership Insights

Join Thousands Of Others Who Follow Jamy On These Platforms: