Jerry Krause

[Angelo Roncalli]

Excellent comprehensive article in the Bulletin. Some interesting stuff on Rob and Kelly.

http://www.gonzagabulletin.com/sports/the-mind-behind-the-game-1.2860300?pagereq=1#.T5jG1quJeSo

[cggonzaga]

He has been involved with an eight-year study, helmed by a group of individuals who were also inspired by the teachings of John Wooden. Hence, the organization’s moniker ‘Be Like Coach.’

Their plan is to ‘evolutionize’ youth sports — to reverse the negative direction youth level sports in America are currently taking. Krause cites memories of watching AAU teams during summer tournaments, sometimes even during Gonzaga camps. The team plays a game, then scatters immediately after the final whistle without gathering to go over what they did right and wrong. That baffles Krause. There’s no technical instruction, there’s no sign of ‘ownership,’ no one actively seeking improvement. Instead, everything is geared toward the result.

It’s no small feat changing all that, but just as he’d been upon seeing the Quonset hut at Eastern he’d have to call a gym, Krause is motivated by the challenge.

“We’re starting with basketball, but we’ll apply it to other sports, too,” Krause said. “Sports are over-organized, and under-taught. Kids have no ownership whatsoever. You might learn plays, but you don’t learn how to ‘play.’ You don’t get to learn all the positions.

“Sports can be the greatest experience in a young person’s life, but it depends on the quality of the coaches. Kids are voluntarily dropping out of sports at the highest rates in history. So how do we bring the joy back into them? It’s through letting kids learn the games for themselves, and providing them with excellent coaching and instruction. There’s no telling how much a coach can change a kid’s life.”

This is great. Look forward to reading about it when it comes out.

[MDABE80]

Amazing man. Works tirelessly with the kids. Late at night with Pangos, Bell and Dranginis. I doubt we could ask for a better man. Contributes much for his 7 decades.
Throw back to the discipline years. I'd expect nothing better in the Jesuit tradition. Highest praise from me. He has made a difference...quietly.

[CDC84]

Gonzaga is truly fortunate to have this man on its staff.

[Zag79]

Gonzaga is truly fortunate to have this man on its staff.

[Radbooks]

Wow. What an amazing man and the GU community is blessed to have him!

[bballbeachbum]

Gonzaga is truly fortunate to have this man on its staff.

wow that's for sure.

great morning read Angelo, thanks for posting. well written

[gamagin]

Excellent article

Jerry Krause has become the soul of the GU basketball program.

He is a constant reminder of what is right about sports in general, backed up with statistics that prove what is right in the world of competition always & necessarily involves the moral high ground.

That highly personal, life sustaining, life lesson fits anywhere, any time, for those brave enough to refuse to abandon it.

[hondo]

Jerry Krause has become the soul of the GU basketball program.

He is a constant reminder of what is right about sports in general

+1
He is the rock as all about us we witness the things we love about the game crumbling apart.

[Reborn]

Great article. I only met Dr. Krause once and it was a great time. He came here to put on a one day workshop for the high school basketball players that I was coaching at the time. We were together for about 8 hours. And I will confess that he made me feel that I was a pretty special person, and I will always remember that. And in that 8 hours he gave me a pretty good idea of the spirit of Gonzaga U basketball, and so for me to read this article helped to put that feeling into words.

Jerry had a GU grad with him, Kyle Bankhead who also carried the Zag flame with wonder and enlightenment. Kyle was a walk-on for 3 years before starting his senior season. He was a great outside shooter. I sure wish we had someone like that now. His story is somewhat similar to Mike Hart's. He talked to my players about what it meant to him to be a Zag, and it was so awesome.

My girls had a a summer league game that night and I let Kyle coach them (they wanted him to), and they beat a team by 20 points that night that we had lost to the previous year. I think Kyle will eventually be a great NCAA coach someplace.