Coach Antwann Anderson: You are NOT Alone

I just want my guys to know, at the end of the day, you are not in this alone.

Coach Antwann Anderson has grown up around coaches. For instance, his dad has been coaching Division 1 Men’s Basketball for over 20 years. Meanwhile, his older brother has been coaching Division 1 Women’s Basketball for 8 years. Just recently, he accepted a coaching job at SMU. 

For Coach Anderson, he played basketball at Central Connecticut State for a year and finished out playing football for the last three. He is only 5’ 9”, so what he lacked in height, he had to make up in skill and athleticism. After college, he knew that he wanted to be a coach. Shortly after graduating, he became the Assistant basketball coach for Fort Lauderdale’s Men’s Basketball Team. 

The very next season, he accepted the Head Coaching job for the Men’s Basketball Team at Atlantis University. Only being 24 years old, Coach Anderson would be the first to tell you that he has a lot to learn. However, being surrounded by a family of coaches, has helped him develop into the coach that he is today. 

Today’s All In Takeaway’s are about Coach Anderson’s focus on the details and how he helps athletes know that they are not alone. 

All In Takeaway #1: Focusing on the Details

One obstacle that Coach Anderson faced in his first two years of coaching, is figuring out what kind of coach he wanted to be. His brother and Dad have two different kinds of coaching styles, so he spent a lot of time figuring out how he should express himself on the court. Although he wants his coaching style to be distinct from his brother and dad, he has been able to notice and hopefully incorporate their strengths. 

For his brother, it is how he is able to separate the game from his personal life while still grinding. For his dad, it is the mentality and true grind that he puts into coaching, each and every day. Meanwhile, for Coach Anderson, he takes pride in being detail-oriented and helping his athletes get a better understanding of the game. 

All In Takeaway #2: Helping the Athletes Know that they are NOT Alone

As an athlete, one of the worst feelings is that you are alone and your coach is against you. Coach Anderson understands this feeling, which is why he desires help his athletes in any way that he can. 

I want my athletes to know that I have their back in the same way that they have mine.

Coach Anderson is intentional about meeting with his players off the court to help build up this trust and belief that they are not alone. Being so close in age, there is a clear mutual respect whenever he meets with any of his athletes. This is due to the athlete understanding that Coach Anderson knows what he is talking about, since he has been in their shoes not too long ago. During these meetings, the conversation will be more about just basketball. They will talk to the athlete about their grades, aspirations, at-home life, and so much more. Ultimately, Coach Anderson wants his athletes to know that they are not alone. 

Currently…

Coach Anderson is getting ready to enter his 2^nd season as the Men’s Head Basketball Coach at Atlantis University. Last season, Atlantis had a record of 18-2! As Coach Anderson looks to lead the team to even more success, it will be exciting to see how the team performs throughout the 2022-23 season. Go Atlantis!

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