COACH DAD
By // Scott Hogsett
M
y life has never been without
sports. Not even after that
fateful day I broke my neck
after being pushed off a porch.
I had just graduated from high
school, where I had played baseball. So it
stands to reason it would be the same for
my son, Jacoby, who has been playing team
sports since he was 4 years old.
Every dad dreams about coaching
his son. I just happen to coach from a
wheelchair.
At the beginning I was worried. I
always wanted to coach his teams, but
there was my disability. A great mentor of
mine told me to figure out how teaching
baseball fits in with my situation. He said
all I had to do was slow it down for them
and teach them how to do it instead of
drilling it into them. He said the kids
would respect me and listen to me. He was totally right.
One thing I’ve learned over the years from coaching
the Phoenix Heat wheelchair rugby team at Ability360
Sports & Fitness Center and teams around the world, is
that coaching is leadership. If you come in and teach—
whether in wheelchair rugby, baseball or football—and
are confident in what you
do, people will follow you.
I just take a different
approach to the sport
with the kids. A lot of
able-bodied coaches
expect kids to know what
they’re doing already.
Many of the kids I’m working with have no idea.
When I started, a lot of the kids looked at me cross-
eyed and wondered why I’m in my situation.They ask
questions and I’m very upfront with them. It’s a cool
experience for them and so rewarding for me on so many
levels.They learn about disabilities and have a whole new
respect for it.
Sometimes when you’re coaching your own son,
kids tend to take it as a free pass. I keep Jacoby on an
equal level with everyone else and hold him to the same
expectations when it comes to competing with others in
any sport.
Outside of the mechanics of the sport, I push
hard about the importance of being nice to
everybody and the value of sportsmanship. It’s
important that he respects everyone around
him, players and coaches. I pound that into his
brain nonstop.
Some people may find that hard to believe.
A lot of guys I’ve played and coached against
in wheelchair rugby tend to look at me like I’m,
well, that I’m not very nice. When I’m on the court, I treat
athletes with respect. But, when you’re playing at a very
high level, you’re playing for one reason: to win.
When the game ends, I take nothing off the court
and treat everyone with the same level of respect.That’s a
lesson that I hope guides Jacoby in sports and in life.
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FALL 2017
PHOTOGRAPHY
Courtesy of Scott Hogsett
“Every dad dreams
about coaching his son.
I just happen to coach
from a wheelchair.”
