Coach Jim McGannon

I Am A Coach

Mental Strength Champions

  • 6’9″, 250 lbs
  • All State, Fairfield (CT) Prep School
  • D-1 at Dartmouth College (2 sports–basketball and GOLF)
  • European player (France), L’Equippe de Blois
  • Played professional golf 1991-96, based in North Carolina.  Info here
  • Founded Basics Sports in 2006
  • Coaching Seminars run by Coach McGannon here
  • Mental Strength Training service developed in 2018.
  • Using an online assessment, players learn to improve their confidence, their ability to handle failure and to honestly address their level of commitment and attitude.
  • See Basics Three-Legged Stool here (SKILL, CONDITIONING and MENTAL STRENGTH)

CONTACT INFORMATION

  • 616.402.1600
  • Jim@BasicsSports.com

PHILOSOPHY/APPROACH

Coach John Wooden led UCLA to 10 NCAA Men’s D-1 basketball championships, including 7 consecutively.  He is considered by many to be the greatest basketball coach of all time, at any level.  To the best of our ability, we pattern our coaching techniques and philosophy after Coach Wooden.

This begins and ends with Coach Wooden’s anthem of helping develop the players to their full potential ON and OFF the court.   The players who attend our instruction receive strong reinforcement with many issues that apply whether they are engaged in play or not.  A few examples would be: school is always first, respect for one another, hard work, showing up on time, making eye contact, learning from mistakes, handling disappointment, frustration and defeat, winning and losing with dignity, developing poise and composure, improving listening skills.  These are just a few of the traits that apply to competitive players on and off ANY playing surface.

Coach Wooden’s father, Joshua Wooden, was a huge influence on his life.  The elder Wooden gave his son John a card called “Two Sets of 3’s” that Coach carried all his life.  Basics does our best to follow these time tested truths.

  1. Never Lie. Never Cheat. Never Steal.
  2. Don’t Whine.  Don’t Complain. Don’t Make Excuses.

TECHNICAL APPROACH

Coach McGannon’s coach at Dartmouth College was Gary Walters, the recently retired athletic director at Princeton.  Coach Walters played at Princeton in the 1960’s with Bill Bradley.  Our technical approach to the game mirrors the discipline, work ethic, precise nature of skill development and execution of these skills as taught by Coach Walters.  Sharp skills, great conditioning and then competing with YOUR HEAD are all hallmarks of Basics.

NOTE:  Basics has helped developed now 126 players who have made it to the college level.  14 D-1  (as of 2021)  There is no more competitive training anywhere.  We know what it takes to help players reach their potential. If you are new to Basics, this DOES NOT INCLUDE travel, leagues, games, officials, hotel rooms, uniforms or any of the other trappings so many confuse with competitive growth.  Competition in fact has almost nothing to do with competitive growth.   I highly encourage you to tune into our podcast channel or our Candid Shots video logs below.

 

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

 

MEDIA 

 

Coach McGannon also played golf at Dartmouth, winning the college golf championship his senior year (The Thomas Keene Cup).  He went on to play for 5 years professionally based in Pinehurst, North Carolina.  He attempted the PGA Tour qualifying event twice (then called the Q-School)  Golf lessons are available when the grass is green.

GOLF page here.

Coach McGannon’s home in Spring Lake below.  This home may be for sale now that the kids are all gone! What a special place!!  Please inquire.