Danny Walck- Hempfield HS interview
Written by: Dell Jackson on September 19, 2019
It took us awhile to pin down Coach Walck for some Q and A llhoops style, but the info was worth waiting for 🙂 Coach Walck has been involved with HS hoops for a long time. He has had stops at Lancaster Catholic, Reading HS, Warwick and Hempfield (and a jn. hi. stop with Donegal). Coach Walck spends some of his summer coaching at the Duke University Camp.
He is a great supporter of LLhoops.com, and the stories he can tell 🙂 Enjoy!
1) In general, what are your thoughts on building a team throughout the season?
Program culture is built on the following pillars: Play hard, play smart, play together
Our Team: Every team is different. Therefore, we must identify the following
-Who are our leaders?
-Who is the best player?
-Who is the hardest worker?
-What will be this team’s strength?
-What will be this team’s weakness?
-Identify individual roles
-Communication methods/modes
Opponents: Identify the five toughest opponents on the schedule. Based on our talent level, develop a style of play within our systems to compete with those five opponents
2) Do you approach the postseason differently than the regular season? Why or why not?
Yes, I do approach the postseason differently. Technically, I approach the entire season as two seasons — Regular season & postseason (Leagues, districts and states) —- I think you have to look at your situation and answer the following questions: Are you in leagues? Are you in districts? Are you in states? From there, based on the specific playoff schedule, determine a practice schedule, scrimmage schedule, along with rest days. Regardless of the playoff schedule, I shorten everything. You have to stay fresh physically, mentally & emotionally. In addition, I rely on our communication system of identifying styles of play we have prepared for in the top five opponents. This helps shorten and familiarize our team’s approach. We use video extensively as a means of preparation.
3) What are your thoughts about the new L-L realignment?
I understand what the league is trying to do in supporting all schools and trying to come up with the most equitable situation for all the schools involved. However, I am not in favor of the crossover games. I am more in favor of a league schedule that gives teams a home & away game with the same team.
4) What’s next for Hempfield and Danny Walck?
Stay present. Continue to teach and coach.
5) How do you deal with the highs and lows during the season as a coach and leader of your team?
I have been fortunate to have strong support from my family, special friends, coaches, some administrators, parents and players. Also, I have been coaching long enough to know the following: You are never as bad as you think you are after a loss and you are never as good as you think you are after a win. Therefore, do your best to keep things in perspective. It’s hard because you care and most coach are their own worst critics. I try and watch game tape ASAP to help stay focused on improvement regardless of the result.
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