Erik Johnson
Boston College
Head Coach Women’s Basketball
“When it comes to the goals of student-athletes’ off-court and academic development, one would be hard pressed to find anyone better.” BC Interruption
His son Davis (4), passed away unexpectedly on May 6, 2010.
“I just told them, it’s got to be OK when Coach cries,” Johnson said. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll never desert you. I’ll never not be able to be there for you. But I’m going to have days when I’m struggling, just like you’re going to have days when you’re struggling.” Boston Globe
Johnspn, who was an assistant coach at Boston College from 2006 through 2008, took over as head coach in 2012 when the Eagles came off one of their worst seasons (7-23) in recent memory. In his first season, he took a team that was formerly 7-23 and finished 12-19 in the 2012-13 season. Last season, the squad finished 12th in the ACC, with an overall record of 13-17.
My best advice to a girls youth coach is to focus on the culture of the team. If you emphasize and teach body language, eye contact, hustle, togetherness, energy, attitude, responsibility, communication, focus, etc. then EVERYTHING else you teach about your sport will be better. These are also the skills that your players will need in school and in life. Sports and “real life” mirror each other as they reward those who display those characteristics.
For Erik Johnson’s Team Building Exercise that involves food, please read How to Coach Girls coming out in 2018.
p.s. To learn more about How To Coach Girls, check out Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. It’s available for purchase here.
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