In Episode Eight, our guest was Coach Sam Douglas, former basketball star and current coach, who chose to move from the playing court to the deeper arena of influence: the locker room. His journey as a former player gave him a true understanding of what athletes need, so he entered coaching with the goal of bridging gaps and improving the sports environment, especially in Jordan.
Coach Sam benefited from every coach he encountered in his career—not only in terms of skills, but also in their different approaches to communication and the small details that made a big difference in his life as a player. When he transitioned into coaching national teams, he carried with him something more valuable than tactics: a genuine sense of players’ struggles and real needs.
Coach Sam believes that coaching does not start on the court but in the locker room. That is where values and principles are first shaped, and it is the coach’s role to instill team spirit while breaking down any sense of arrogance or selfishness. Even if a player’s role is not visible to the outside world, they must know how important they are within the team.
He believes that the best type of coach is not the “strict” or “critical” one, but the leader who turns his players into leaders themselves. Not every player aspires to be a star, but each has a role, and their diverse goals must be respected.
Some of the main challenges Coach Sam sees in Jordan include:
Therefore, he emphasizes that a coach must create a motivating environment built on commitment, encouragement, and uncovering hidden potential.
One of the key points Coach Sam stressed was mental health. Every athlete has a unique personality, and the coach must adapt to each accordingly. He strongly believes in the importance of mental preparation before big games, and in approaching them calmly without exaggeration, to avoid increasing anxiety.
Coach Sam believes that children between ages 4 and 12 are not seeking professionalism but fun. That’s why the first priority is to instill love for the game. His smart approach includes:
Through this progression, children begin to absorb sport as a value and lifestyle—not just a game.
An inspiring point from Coach Sam was his belief in supporting fellow coaches. Noticing a talent or strength in another coach and voicing it could be the spark that fuels a long career of confidence and success.
The coach is the link between athletes and the outside world. If he doesn’t continually develop himself, his influence quickly weakens—and athletes will notice this right away. For this reason, quality coaching requires:
Coach Sam Douglas ended by stressing that a true coach should not be driven by money, but by love for the game, the desire to make a difference, and the will to leave a long-lasting impact. A coach is someone who gives his all in every training session, invests in himself and his players, and sees his athletes from a distance before gradually moving closer to build them into a strong, confident, and ambitious team.
In short, coaching is a lifelong journey of giving, growth, and learning… a journey that never truly ends.
