“THE TRIPLE DOUBLE” #19 WITH ROB BROST, BOLINGBROOK (IL) HIGH SCHOOL BOYS’ BASKETBALL HEAD COACH – EPISODE 1102
Website – https://il.8to18.com/bolingbrook/athletics/basketball/b/v
Email – raidershoops@comcast.net
Twitter – @BrookHoops
If you listen to and love the Hoop Heads Podcast, please consider giving us a small tip that will help in our quest to become the #1 basketball coaching podcast.
The 19th episode of “The Triple Double” with Rob Brost, Bolingbrook (IL) High School Boys’ Basketball Head Coach. Rob, Mike, & Jason hit on three basketball topics in each episode of “The Triple Double”.
- Rob’s Induction into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame
- What Rob has learned from his son Trey’s recruitment
- What has Rob energized heading into the summer
On this episode Mike and Jason welcome back Rob Brost to discuss Rob’s Induction into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, what Rob has learned from his son Trey’s recruitment, and what has Rob energized heading into the summer.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram @hoopheadspod for the latest updates on episodes, guests, and events from the Hoop Heads Pod.
Be sure to have your notebook handy as you listen to “The Triple Double” with Rob Brost, Bolingbrook (IL) High School Boys’ Basketball Head Coach.
What We Discuss with Rob Brost
- Rob’s Induction into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame
- What Rob has learned from his son Trey’s recruitment
- What has Rob energized heading into the summer
Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!
We’re excited to partner with Dr. Dish, the world’s best shooting machine! Mention the Hoop Heads Podcast when you place your order and get $300 off a brand new state of the art Dr. Dish Shooting Machine!
Your first impression is everything when applying for a new coaching job. A professional coaching portfolio is the tool that highlights your coaching achievements and philosophies and, most of all, helps separate you and your abilities from the other applicants.
The key to landing a new coaching job is to demonstrate to the hiring committee your attention to detail, level of preparedness, and your professionalism. Not only does a coaching portfolio allow you to exhibit these qualities, it also allows you to present your personal philosophies on coaching, leadership, and program development in an organized manner.
The Coaching Portfolio Guide is an instructional, membership-based website that helps you develop a personalized portfolio. Each section of the portfolio guide provides detailed instructions on how to organize your portfolio in a professional manner. The guide also provides sample documents for each section of your portfolio that you can copy, modify, and add to your personal portfolio.
High school and middle school basketball program directors, listen closely. Coaches are expected to do far more than just coach. You know this. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing the coaching yourself, or you have a full staff of coaches with you. You know very well that coaches handle scheduling, academic issues, parent communication, leadership development, and even mental health concerns for athletes. A lot to deal with, and they haven’t even gone home yet to balance those responsibilities.
No matter the passion for the game, and burning desire to help athletes develop, this level of responsibility can lead to burnout, inefficiency, and less time spent on actual coaching. You know it’s true.
When coaches are stretched too thin, it impacts the development of athletes, team morale, and the overall success of the program. Now here comes the outsiders throwing their two cents in about what’s happening. Then come the parents complaining about how you’re running things, as if they know what they’re talking about. When’s the last time you went to their place of work chiming in from outside their window?
Before you let that fire fizzle out, know that it doesn’t have to be that complicated. There are several ways to prevent you or your coaches from feeling overwhelmed. However, I’ll tell you one of our favorite ways to keep coaches firing on all cylinders, and that’s athlete-driven accountability and organization.
Instead of coaches constantly reminding players about assignments, grades, and practice schedules, our programs at Playmaker Planner puts the responsibility back on the athletes. By tracking their own academics, goals, and commitments, student-athletes become more self-sufficient, which of course allows the coach to put their babysitter hat in the closet, and put their coaching hat back on, allowing them to focus on what they love doing.
Are we offering planners that you can get at the dollar store as a solution? Of course not, but we are starting a conversation with you to see if our programs can be a compliment to what you’re already doing. Let’s find out. To learn more visit https://playmakerplanner.com/stop-is-this-for-you
THANKS, ROB BROST
If you enjoyed this episode with Rob Brost let him know by clicking on the link below and sending him a quick shoutout on Twitter:
Click here to thank Rob Brost on Twitter
Click here to let Mike & Jason know about your number one takeaway from this episode!
And if you want us to answer your questions on one of our upcoming weekly NBA episodes, drop us a line at mike@hoopheadspod.com.
TRANSCRIPT FOR “THE TRIPLE DOUBLE” #19 WITH ROB BROST, BOLINGBROOK (IL) HIGH SCHOOL BOYS’ BASKETBALL HEAD COACH – EPISODE 1102
[00:00:00] Mike Klinzing: Hello and welcome to the Hoop Heads Podcast. It’s Mike Klinzing here with my co-host Jason Sunkle tonight. And we are pleased to welcome back in for Triple Double #19. Rob Brost, the boy’s head basketball coach at Bolingbrook High School in Bolingbrook, Illinois. Rob, welcome back.
[00:00:18] Rob Brost: Great to be back. Great to have Jason with us. Finally. I know we had an episode without him. We feel complete now, and we can really do some good work now.
[00:00:34] Jason Sunkle: I’m not complete. I’m shattered. Rob, I’m shattered by the Cavalier’s. Lack of fortitude we’re recording this record.
[00:00:44] Mike Klinzing: I feel like Rob was pretty generous to you with his choice of what do you call the word?
What’s the part of speech is the word and episode without Jason, I. Several or some. I think that is true.
[00:01:00] Rob Brost: I don’t know if he doesn’t like the triple double part or if it’s just me. I don’t know.
[00:01:05] Jason Sunkle: I missed the last episode, but I was here for several before that and then there was
[00:01:10] Rob Brost: Okay, well we’ll try to carry it again even though you’re here.
[00:01:14] Jason Sunkle: Yeah, I appreciate that.
[00:01:16] Jason Sunkle: I mean, I don’t know how much, what I’m going to add to this other than the last question anyway, so…
[00:01:22] Mike Klinzing: We’ll get to it. Topic number one for tonight, Rob is, and we talked about it on a previous episode of the Triple Double when you found out the news that you had been elected to the Illinois High School Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
But since we last spoke, you actually had the opportunity to experience the induction. So just kind of tell us a little bit about what that was like and. Sharing that moment with your family and some of your players and just you, what it meant to you and, and just kind of, and we get a mention the whole experience.
[00:01:54] Jason Sunkle: Did we get a mention? Did we get a mention? I’m scared. I hope not.
[00:01:58] Rob Brost: I hope not. You’re getting a mention right now, Jason. I just giving a hard time. I’m just giving a hard time. Just like you missed the last episode. You might have missed the mention that seriousness you. Really special night, I would say and a great event put on by the IBCA and they really do it right. And I, they have a a, a dinner and a, a banquet and it’s at Illinois State University, right in the arena there. They set it up very nicely. There’s a, there’s a dinner prior.
To the induction. And the banquet is really put together really well and, and done in a first class manner. And then, like you mentioned, the best part of the night and, and everything about it was the people that I got to share the night with. Of course, my entire family was there, my principal was there.
My athletic director is there. Several of my former assistants. Made the trip down, it’s about an hour and a half from where we are. And so I had kind of a whole collection of people there to share the night with. So it was just really special, especially in that way. And then obviously everything that comes with it as far as.
my former players, players them reaching out and let’s be honest, if it wasn’t for the players, this, this would not be, that would not be happening. And so it was really special. Especially know the fact I’m still doing this, I’m still going. And we would, we won, I don’t know, 29 or 30 games this past season.
And so we’re still. moving this thing in a positive direction. And so for you, or like for me to be recognized by my peers in that way is really special and, and to go through the whole ceremony and, and, and all of the. Circumstance, I guess you would say is a little bit overwhelming.
And it, and it’s a little bit uncomfortable to be quite honest, because I don’t that’s not my thing as far as like taking credit for or being in the limelight. And then even when we got back to school, the, the ceremony was on Saturday and then our principal made a, a big deal about it that.
Monday, on Monday, the morning announcements and they did a whole page in the program and then they did this thing that they’re going to put up on the wall at the right outside the gym. And all, all of these things that really are special. But it really makes me think of all the people that.
Helped along the way and how I was just a little spoken, this big wheel called Bolingbrook High School basketball. And without all of those people, certainly what happened a few Saturdays ago wouldn’t have been possible. Did you have to give a speech? Well, the good news and bad news was no speech. There was nine of, I think there was nine of us, maybe eight.
I got inducted that night and then they had several other awards and things that went before us, and then we kind of culminated the night. So I didn’t give a speech then, but since then I’ve been in several settings in front of people and they want, hear about it or they want to here kind of what I have to say about, about the whole thing. And so that’s been special as well. But again, I cannot reiterate enough. The best part of the entire thing was hearing from so many former players and current players, and. All the people that got to share it, that I got to share it with.
And that starts with my family, obviously. And it’s a probably a good thing they didn’t, lemme give a speech ’cause I probably would’ve broken down in some way, shape, or form. Just ’cause the first people I would recognize would be my family obviously. ’cause they have to put up with whatever that means, being a wife of a head coach.
A daughter and then son of, of somebody in my position. So those things are the most special of, of all of it. And in fact, tonight at dinner we, I was at a dinner with some of our booster club. A former player came in and the very first thing he said was, coach man, so great about the Hall of Fame.
I’m so proud of you, et cetera, et cetera. And this is a player I had probably almost 15 years ago. So that, that is really, really special. And whenever you can not be recognized, but at least. You, I trying find a better word. When people appreciate I. We’ve been able to do in more than the wins and losses, but how we go about our business and how our kids become better kids and hopefully better men and better dads and better husbands and better all of those things in part because of ’cause of our program.
So that, that’s the best part by far.
[00:07:44] Jason Sunkle: How many wins do you have as a coach? Do question. I do athletic
[00:07:51] Rob Brost: director. Got this entire page of the program and this color thing. I did not know it until then. And according to them, the page that they made for me 455, I think it is. So that’s where I’m at now.
What’s the, what’s state,
[00:08:07] Jason Sunkle: what’s the state
[00:08:08] Rob Brost: record in Illinois? Oh, I think coach Ping who has. Just passed away the, within the last year or two. I think he has right around a thousand. So you’re halfway there, buddy. Well, it goes like a thousand, and then there’s a big drop to like 700, and then there’s a few guys there, and then there’s a handful of guys in the 500 range, and then there’s handful between four and five.
So, but as you guys know, getting harder and harder. These days just because of the, the turnover and the demands and all of that. We just, in fact, here in Chicagoland area, two of the best coaches that I know from the best programs just resigned within the last 48 hours. So it’s, it’s hard. It’s hard to, the longevity part is probably the most difficult.
I. Part of the, of the whole thing.
[00:09:10] Mike Klinzing: I think the cool part for you, and you’ve said it a couple times, you said it when we did the previous pod, when you found out that you were going to receive the Honor, and then you said it again as we were talking, is that you’re kind of in this sweet spot, right, of where you are far enough along in your, your career, obviously, which you have to be in order to be elected to the Hall of Fame, but you’re also, because you’re still.
Actively involved in coaching that it’s kind of this sweet spot of appreciation for what the honor means, which I think when you look at it, and I, again, not in any way comparing me being elected to my high school Hall of Fame, but it happened for me like when I was, I think I was 23 or 24 when they put me in the the high School Hall of Fame, and I had no real.
Appreciation for, yeah, what it really meant. If I would’ve been, if it would’ve been 10 years later, I think I would’ve had a better ability to kind of look back and reflect on it. I think you’re kind of in that perfect spot, right? Where you’ve been at it long enough that what the honor means, and yet you’re still actively involved in coaching.
Then you looked at the news this week, right? For Pete Rose becomes eligible. Yeah. The Hall’s guy who. Spent his whole adult life where after being banned from baseball, and we can debate the semantics of that back and forth. But nonetheless, the fact that he’s obviously going to get into the Hall of Fame, where there’s no question that with him being eligible and being the all time hits leader, that that’s going to happen.
Yep. And in so many ways, it’s sad that he didn’t get the opportunity to be able to enjoy and experience that. As as he went along. So I guess my, my whole point here is that you’re in a really good position where you appreciate what the honor means, and yet you’re still also actively involved in coaching and it just feels like you’ve hit a sweet spot in terms of really being able to, for lack of a better way of saying it, enjoy, yeah.
The honor that you were given
[00:11:20] Rob Brost: I
Wheaton College. Years, but she has been retired for almost 20 years now and she’s much more my senior. I don’t want to call her old, but she’s old. Much older than I’m. And so I think you’re right about the sweet spots. It’s really I’m fortunate to be recognized like I was also that I.
go from there. And my daughter said she’s a sophomore in college. And then she said, dad, I’ve really been looking forward to this. And then after it was over, she said, well, what, what is next now? Like, what can you do? Like what, what is out there? You did the hoop summit like three weeks ago and now you did this.
And so what are supposed to, and I about.
With the people that I’m doing them with. And that’s, that’s the most important thing.
[00:12:28] Mike Klinzing: The naysmith halls next Rob, that’s where we’re heading next, right? Yeah, I thought that,
[00:12:32] Rob Brost: I mean, I wouldn’t put any bets down for Rob being elected to that one, so oh, it’s funny for everybody out there, that’s probably the longest of shots out.
[00:12:46] Mike Klinzing: We’ve had Daveon on from Amherst College, who was the first division three head coach elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, and just after having a conversation with him on the podcast and then kind of getting to know him a little bit after, and he’s been jumping in on some round tables and stuff and just, it’s fun.
It was funny to talk to him and he got elected the year he was, he was elected, I believe it was. I think Dwayne Wade was elected the same year as him and I believe Tony Park. Tony Parker. And he was just telling stories of how, again, he’s there at the reception and at the dinner and at the banquet, and he’s, Hey, he’s gotta go up and introduce himself and hey, I’m, I’m introduce himself to Dwayne Wade, like, I’m, I’m Dave Sson from Amherst College, and Dwayne Wade’s like.
I know who you are because again, obviously it’s been, they know who the class is for, right? A long time heading into it. But just again, you kind of think about those experiences and clearly yourself. You obviously didn’t get into high school coaching to eventually make it to the, the Illinois Basketball Coach’s Hall of Fame, and Daves didn’t go into becoming a college coach thinking that he would ever have an opportunity to be inducted into the kind special.
Throughout this beginning part of the pod in terms of having your family be a part of it and having your former players and current players and people who have been around your program reach out to you. That’s, that’s where the real meaning, that’s where the real meaning comes from and, and just you get to see that, hey, the reason why I’m a hall of famer, sure I won some games, and that’s what people on the outside see, but what people on the inside see is what you’ve done impact.
Using the game of basketball, and I mean, every time that you and I talk and we look at what, what it is that you’ve accomplished, it, it always comes back to, for you, it always comes back to the impact that you’re having on, on people and primarily the kids that you get an
[00:14:43] Rob Brost: opportunity to coach. No doubt.
That’s, that has been the most important thing and will continue the most important thing. fortunate to be the coach at Bolingbrook High School, and fortunate to have the support system that we have. And I, I said, I’ve said this I think on the pod several times, but I’m tell I’ve told a lot of people recently, I’m just a small spoke on this big wheel that that happens to be going around.
And so .
The coach here, coach, and we’ve had some things go our way, which I’m, I’m thankful for, but it’s all about the people and I’ll continue to be. So,
[00:15:28] Mike Klinzing: alright, so one more time. Congratulations. It’s a great honor for you, Rob. Really, again, thrilled for you to be able to have that opportunity.
And again, have your name be, how, how many hall of famers have we now had on the podcast, Mike? Ooh, I don’t know. I mean, it depends on what, probably a lot. It depends on how you, yeah, it probably depends on how you define. Hall, who’s in what hall? Who’s in what Hall of fame I, as far as the Naysmith Hall of Fame, I don’t know if we’ve had anybody besides Dave Hickson.
I could be wrong. I’d have to really go back and and really look at it, but well, Mark Price. Mark Price has unfortunately never made the Hall of Fame so Right. I don’t know if, I don’t know if Mark’s ever going to get there, but who knows? Anyway, we’ll maybe we’ll go back and double check that. So anyway, topic number two.
Rob, your son, Trey. Has been going through the recruiting process and so I thought it’d be interesting to sort of get your thoughts. You’ve obviously had players in the past that have been recruited to a variety of levels. You’ve had guys make it all the way to the NBA, so if you had some experience with guys being recruited at all different levels of college basketball, but now kind of in a position where not only is re a player on your team.
So I just want to get your take on what have you learned, experienced through Trey’s recruitment, both as a coach and as a parent? Clearly it’s also the landscape. Obviously, over the last two, three years in college basketball, recruiting has changed tremendously in terms of what it looks like for high school players.
So just kind of walk us through your experience with Trey. I,
[00:17:07] Rob Brost: I would say people ask me a lot, like, how is it coaching him and how is it he’s on the team and all of that. I would say the recruiting piece is the most awkward part of this whole circumstance, I guess you would say, because I’m his dad, obviously first, and I’m his coach and we’ve won.
60 games with him the last two years as our starting point card, but we’ve also had three or four high major players playing with him. So it’s easy to look at Trey and in Trey’s case and, and say, oh, well he is the coach’s kid, so that’s why X, Y, and Z. It’s also easy to look at the same exact situation and be like, dang, that kid never turns it over.
He shoots the ball really well averages whatever he averaged eight points a game, which doesn’t seem like a whole lot, but we’ve won 60 games with him as our point guard. So it’s, it’s just a little bit awkward in the sense that I’m trying to sell something that I really, really like and really, really.
On from day one because he just plays right? And it’s, it’s funny how many college coaches say, man, we just love a kid that just plays right and makes good decisions. We don’t even care, how much he scores it. Well now here is one. And he does do all of those things. And some people like it and some people don’t.
It’s just like anything. Some of it is because he is we list him at six foot, but he’s probably five 11. And so he is, he is a five 11 point guard and so that doesn’t score it at a really he is not averaging 20 points a game. So, and he is not ever going to do that because of the tools and other players we have at our school.
So. To be quite honest with you, the recruiting thing has been a little awkward from my perspective because I, it’s, it’s hard am I when I talk about just another player of ours, I have no problem just selling them and selling them and selling ’em and saying the good things and the bad things, not the bad things, but I’m honest with college coaches and so, but when I’m talking about Trey, it’s just.
I, I don’t know. I don’t feel exactly right. pumping him up. I guess you would say that that was,
[00:19:53] Jason Sunkle: that was going to be my question was like, is it hard be, and obviously I know you are honest with college coaches ’cause I know, I mean, the thing is you want to have your reputation is you’re not like, you don’t want to tell someone, oh, this guy’s a great, this guy’s a great player player.
And then he goes there and acts like a clown. And then you’re like, well now, but now it’s Trey and you have to, he’s your son, like you said son first, but like. You want to be honest, like, well, yeah, he could work on this, this, this. Do you have any problems with that or is that just the nature of the beast and you like
[00:20:25] Rob Brost: Yeah, I mean there’s, there’s some of that for sure.
And Trey’s situation is unique not only because I’m the coach, but because of how our team. Kind of was made up the last couple years because we had two high major wings on both sides of him. And so no one comes to our open gym or to our game, and the first person they say is, oh, well, geez, we could really use Trey, bro.
you see the dynamic score and you see the high major wings that we had, especially the last two years. And so. Those are the things that are going to jump off at you if you’re, if you’re a college coach. Now, I will tell you that there’s a slew of college coaches that appreciate what Trey does and what he brings to the table.
So there’s, there’s that side of it as well. So it’s just a unique situation that I’m quite frankly glad that I’m in
recruit, been the most awkward. His recruiting is so all over the board because NAI schools and D twos and even some D threes are like, Hey, we’ll take him tomorrow. Let’s go. Let’s have it. And then with the current landscape, well we’ll see where Roster Construction is next year at this time and see where he is at.
We know he can compete at this level, but we don’t know what we’ll need and he is not a jump off the page at. and so all those things play a part into it. And I have so many friends and close friends that are in the college game that it’s, it’s kind of awkward with some of them too.
Like I want to send him to a place where I know the coach, especially the head coach, well, but on the other hand, I don’t want it to be, Hey, you’re taking him, because he is just my kid either. So there’s a lot of aspects to it. But at the end of the day, I’m glad we’re here. And it’s, but to be quite honest, it’s been the most awkward thing that I’ve had to navigate with him because the guys love him.
I mean, there’s no. I don’t want to say there’s no other issues because obviously there are, but this one is that the recruiting thing is a, is a little awkward.
[00:22:53] Mike Klinzing: How about the A A U environment and him obviously not playing for you, not playing, and clearly he’s playing on a high level team, but just he’s in a different setting than he is when he’s being coached by his father.
With the success that you guys have had, so how has that impacted into. How people outside of you and the program see him and, and what feedback have you got during, I
[00:23:23] Rob Brost: think has helped him to be honest with the recruit, with the recruiting thing because he plays on a team that has, geez, three or four, maybe even five division one kids on it.
we’re going to Cincinnati in two days. And so they’re on the top under Armour circuit, so it’s, that’s been really good for him as a player. And so, but he is also doesn’t jump off the page with those guys either because he is the smallest he does all the little things that affect winning.
And I heard one college coach say it, and he, it’s pretty accurate. Trey needs to get in the margins, meaning that he is not going to you’re not going to walk into the gym and be like, oh man, we gotta have that kid. But then you watch, and then you watch a couple times, then you’re like, wow that that’s what we need out here.
And to a certain extent, the, the coaches that are coaching him now. Get used to what he brings to the table all the time. And so I think the AU thing has helped him as a player and as a person. And it’s, it’s helped his recruiting as well.
[00:24:46] Mike Klinzing: What’s been his mindset when you guys have conversations in terms of not to give away all of his secrets about what he’s thinking and whatever.
What’s just been his thoughts in terms of his goals and what he’s hoping to accomplish? Like you see a kid who’s saying, man, if I can get whatever X division one opera from, does, does he have a, does he have a dream school? Is he just, where’s he at mentally in terms of where he feels like he, he can fit in?
Is he a kid like, man, if I get division, is that’s where I be? Or is it whatever the best opportunity I
[00:25:23] Rob Brost: openminded. He’s been, overshadowed is not the right word, but he is been maybe overlooked compared to his peers on both teams, on his high school team and his AU team. And I think that’s I can’t speak for him, but just knowing how he, he is, he is looking forward to showing like, Hey, I can do other things.
I can bring other things to the table when I have the opportunity. It’s just that I’m going to play right and do what’s best for the team. And sometimes for him individually, that might set him back in his mind. But in my mind, that’s the exact opposite. You always gotta play right in my mind. And I know sometimes he thinks.
Well, if we didn’t have X player on the team, then I could do my thing. Like when he was a freshman on our sophomore team, he was our leading scorer. He went over 30 several times. Well, he hasn’t come close to 30 since he’s been on the varsity, but we have all of these other players that are high major players.
And so I think at the end of the day it will only help him even though sometimes he doesn’t realize it, but he’s a competitor underneath it all. And so but he would never say anything remotely close to what I just said to you, to a college coach or even to me, right? I just know how he is wired and how he and some, some of the things that he doesn’t share with me does share with his, with my wife.
So, so that part is good, but I, I think overall it’s good for him. There’s some disadvantages. To be in my kid in this situation, but I think the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages and I think he would probably tell you that as well. And so I’m not going to apologize for some of the advantages that he gets.
I don’t want to say because I’m who I am, but like that, that’s, I don’t know any other way. So he defers a lot, I would say. But that’s okay too. And sometimes that’s hard for a 16, 17-year-old to realize, but I, I think overall he does a really good job with it.
[00:27:49] Mike Klinzing: Yeah. I think when I think about just a kid who’s sort of in his shoes, right, who has the ability to.
Maybe score a little bit more, maybe do a little bit more, that would catch somebody’s eye who is just a fan sitting in the stands, as opposed to maybe a coach who has a more nuanced look. And I’m sure that just like any player when you’re on the floor, and he’s obviously competed at a high level in the high school game, he’s competed at a high level in the A a U game.
And I’m sure there are plenty of guys that. He’s gone up against that have big time reputations that when he walks off the floor, whether he says it to you, whether he says it to his teammate, whether he just says it in his own head that, Hey, I’m as good or better than Guy X, who maybe is averaging 26 a game and just is in a different set of circumstances.
I think that when, when I hear you talk about him. I think in many ways of myself as a player of guys that I played against, that signed for scholarships way before I did. And I’m like, how’s that kid going there? Yeah, I’m play against him all the time. Like I’m, I’m clearly as good, not better than him. And that’s something that, again, I, I shared mostly with no one.
That was mostly things that I, conversations that I had with me in my own head. And I’m guessing that. Tre probably has some of those similar thoughts in, in his mind. Not that you can read his mind, but I’m guessing that that’s kind of where his mentality would be.
[00:29:30] Rob Brost: I think that’s true. And a good example was we were at our conference meeting and we had three guys that were no brains for the all conference team, and then we have Trey who to me was a no-brainer.
And I just said to the other coaches that were voting. Who would you want as your point card? Just look who would you want? And then the coaches voted Trey on to the all conference team as well. So that’s not for me to decide, that’s for somebody else to decide, but of course we had the three that were most valuable player in the conference.
And then the two other guys that were no, we went 16.
For other coaches to recognize his value as well. Says a little something, and those guys obviously have to play against him. And so that’s, that’s a, a feather in his cap, I guess, as well. Yeah,
[00:30:37] Mike Klinzing: absolutely. All right. Topic number three. Rob, what has you energized heading into the summer? And I left this.
Open ended purposefully to kind of see what direction you would take it and just see where you are heading into the summer. What’s got you excited? What’s got you energized?
[00:30:57] Rob Brost: Well, I think we last summer at this time, I knew we were going to be, I shouldn’t say I knew we were going to be really good, but we were going to be an elite team because of what we had coming back and all of the things.
And so. Not to say I wasn’t concerned about the summer. I didn’t put importance on the summer, but I was more using it to see what else we had. This summer, I am energized by getting on the floor with our guys for our contact days, which we only get 20 of in Illinois. So I’m excited to get on the floor because people.
Don’t think we’re going to be an elite team and probably, I mean, they, they think we’ll be good obviously, but it’s not like what we had coming back last year. And so I’m really energized to get on the floor and just start working with some of our younger guys who I think are talented. Nobody really knows about and kids like Trey and we have a couple of them that kind of were deferring for a while now, can step up and, and do their thing.
And I’m really excited about that piece of it. And our season, last season didn’t really end on the greatest of notes with our last game, and so I’m just excited to get back on the floor. With guys any closer to a shot clock in Illinois. Well, this year, in fact, our conference is going to it.
If both teams agreed and every team in our conference has agreed, then you can use it. Next year it’s going to be for everybody. So this, this upcoming season, if both coaches agree, you can use it. And then the following season, 26, 27, it’s going to be mandatory. So we are close. So if there’s a shot clock, you win that game, right, Rob?
I mean, I don’t want to, yes. Yes. So and it’s, and I’m not blaming because they beat us and we did not play well and fault.
I’m just refreshed to get on back onto the floor and then kind of do what, I don’t want to say I’m what I’m good at, but like, it’s just like, that’s where I like to be. And so I’m energized by the challenge of it. I’m energized by the, I people think we’ll be solid, but they don’t think we’ll be an elite team and everybody last year.
I think agreed that we would be an elite team and, and we were for all of the season until the one playoff game. So I’m excited for that piece and I’m excited for guys to step into new roles and kind of step out of shadows a little bit and being able to, to reap some of the benefits of all the work that they’re putting in.
[00:34:08] Jason Sunkle: That makes sense. And those 20 contact days, you mentioned like are you limited to what you’re allowed to do in those days? Like could you theoretically have a like six hour, I mean, not that you would have a six hour open gym or you You could. You could. So like when a one contact day is whatever you deem it and you can have it for as long as you want.
Okay.
[00:34:28] Rob Brost: Yes. So we just run our camp during those days and then we run it kind of like a practice almost. Only there’s more kids there, obviously, because we’re not cutting kids and all of that. So we’re doing things with a bigger group and multiple courts, and then we’ll play on in different summer shootouts and things.
And then two of those are in the live, live periods now with, with their high, with our high school. And so that’s good as well. So. Know, we’ll play two events and I’m, we invited play in the.
And that’s in Honolulu, Hawaii. So we’re in the planning stages of that. Now that’ll, that won’t be until December, obviously, when we play. But there’s a lot of planning that goes into a trip like that with the logistics of everything and all of that and so we’re just excited about that.
How many games
[00:35:25] Jason Sunkle: is that?
[00:35:26] Rob Brost: Is that three games, two games? Well, four games, possibly five, depending on how you do. Last year, Utah Prep with AJ Desa won the, won the tournament. So that’s the kind of caliber of team they’re getting. So we’re, we’re excited about that piece and then obviously excited about the season too.
But as far as what I’m looking forward to this summer, I just am looking forward to getting court.
Some guys practice with their AU teams on Mondays and Wednesdays. Some guys go Tuesdays, Thursdays, some guys go Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and then they’re gone on Friday. So we don’t do a lot as a team in the spring. So when our camp starts and our 20 days kick off I’m just excited to get daily connection with our guys.
Are, are you, are
[00:36:19] Jason Sunkle: you allowed to have alumni come and open gyms and stuff or are you not allowed to do that?
[00:36:23] Rob Brost: No, we can’t. And I don’t want to say that we, I mean, we’ve had some come in the past. I don’t want to like but a lot of our guys come back in the summer and talk to our kids at camp and then work out at our place.
Whether they’re going back to college or they’re going like apprentices in England playing and those things, and then they’re getting ready to go back overseas. We have three or four of those. And for a while there we had two guys in the NBA role players, fringe players, but still in the NBA.
So the summer’s a great time for us just because you see almost everybody comes through, right. And a lot of our former players talk to our kids at camp and I’m energized just to, just to get back on the floor with them.
[00:37:15] Mike Klinzing: It’s a tinkering process look like in terms of making little tweaks and.
Person, how do you approach that piece of it in the summertime? Yeah.
[00:37:30] Rob Brost: My approach this summer is little different than it has some of reasons. Not near as much experience coming back. We have talent coming back, but there’s not as much experience coming back. So the teaching piece of it and how we want to play and how we want to share and all of those things, and playing fast and getting comfortable, playing in an uncomfortable pace, all of those things are critical this summer because.
I guess the program expectations on how hard you need to play and how fast we’re going to play, and those two things kind of go hand in hand. And if sometimes kids have a, have trouble with that right away and we don’t waste any time like June 2nd, our first day of camp. I mean, we’re right into like, there’s no time to get in shape.
There’s no time like, oh, this is summer. We’ll just go with somebody else if you’re not ready. And so. this summer’s going to be a little bit different than the, in particular last summer, but really the last two summers where the returning players are just a little bit different as far as experience.
The talent is still there. Maybe not the high, high, highest end talent that we’ve had the last two years, but we still have very, very talented expectation.
So that we can be as successful as possible.
[00:39:07] Mike Klinzing: Alright, I’m going to go back to your Hawaii trip. Gimme your best fundraising tips for coaches out there. How are you guys raising funds to make this happen? What, what are you, what are you doing? What, what are the tricks?
[00:39:15] Rob Brost: Well the, the biggest trick is to have a team or a program that’s good enough that.
Somebody, and I’m not going to say who the somebodies are, but could be a shoe company or something like that will help you offset some of those expenses. That’s my number one thing. But then number two our booster club does a really, really good job of helping us. And this is an experience that not a lot of high school kids are going to get.
And so, it becomes an easy sell to the and to the administration. Like, Hey, this is an opportunity here and a once in. Not only for our guys, but for our school. it’s not like we’re going every year. And you can see the field year after year, it changes over quite a bit. So it’s, it’s rarely the same teams year after year.
Now, though, some of the local teams remain constant that they have from Hawaii, but the, the teams from the states change. And so as far as the fundraising goes, . Send out 50 texts and ask for donations. We do that every year. And but our best fundraising arm is our booster club, and so that’s good.
And then we get paid to play in a few events some as much as a couple thousand dollars to, to play in a, in a couple events. So that helps that piece too. we, we try to do everything we can to be self-reliant, meaning the athletic department really doesn’t give us any money.
We try to just do it all. And when you do that for a long period of time, when you get in a situation like we’re in and now you need a little help, then people are willing to I would say go the extra mile to help. And so, that, that’s helpful as well. So as far as specific fundraisers we do our March Madness.
It’s called We Madness, madness. And that’s a great fundraiser for us. We have a DJ there, we have a dunk contest. The stands are packed. Usually we’ll have lower level scrimmages, maybe even some youth games. We have a DJ there. Concessions are open and people can make it just a whole night, a family fun and we give away a bunch of stuff.
And so that’s one of our better fundraisers as well. So I don’t have anything on the specifics. our Raider Madness event is probably our, our best thing. And then obviously our booster club, is it between Christmas and New Year’s? The tournament is yes, but we’re going to miss actually a couple days of school which we, we’ll, we’ll take we or two finals early so our our classwork will be done.
So we’re not technically missing any school but, that holiday break there
[00:42:29] Mike Klinzing: a fun trip, and obviously as you said, not every school gets an opportunity, especially to travel anywhere first of all. But secondly, to have the opportunity to go to Kauai and go to a as prestigious of an event as that one is with such high level teams.
It’s always interesting talked toman from flying to hoop. Had on Glen Smith who does the Hoop Fest that started in Dallas. And yeah, talked to both of them, kind of about just their process for how they got that started and then just inviting teams and, and how it all, how those events all come together.
And I know both of those guys talked about just how important it’s to make the entire event first class so that you have a high school team that’s coming in, the high school team coming in. may, maybe they’re used to being treated a certain way or not treated a certain way, or however you want to look at it.
Yeah. They both were like, we just, we make sure that, we make sure that every coach, every team, every kid that comes in there feels like they had a great experience and gets treated in, in a first class way. And that’s the reason why those two guys have been so successful. And clearly this event in Hawaii, I’m sure is exactly the same.
Probably be blown away by the hospitality and the organization and everything that go, everything that goes along with it. So you
[00:43:48] Rob Brost: can already just a tremendous, just from the logistics side of things that they know, they’ve already taken the most difficult pieces and taken care of that for us, like ground transportation, which is the high.
All of that and don’t have worry about that all. So one example of.
Possible for us to do because then we don’t have to get drivers and certified, make sure that all the drivers are certified, and then rent three vans, which is not only expensive, but really hard to do in Honolulu and all of those things. And if we got a charter bus, we’d need it 24 hours a day. So then that gets into the thousands upon thousands of dollars.
But the tournament knows that that’s going to be a difficult thing to do, which most people wouldn’t think of, but it’s having gone to Florida and Arizona and a bunch of other places, ground transportation, once you get off the plane, is the most difficult parts for a high school team. Just because of the costs and the certifications that the drivers need in our district and state has different.
For certification for drivers all of those things. So which people don’t really take into account, but this tournament obviously knows those, those, I think I know a topic on
[00:45:21] Jason Sunkle: the January triple, double round table. Mike, they would talk about your experience in Honolulu, Hawaii. That’s right.
Yeah, absolutely. Hopefully I’ll be
[00:45:30] Rob Brost: tan when I come back and all those, all those
[00:45:34] Mike Klinzing: logistic things, Rob, that all. Yeah, there you go. It just remind, just reminds me of the fact that when you talk to basketball coaches and everybody loves to coach basketball, but everybody sometimes forgets that there’s so many other things that go into, yeah.
Especially being a head coach in terms of running a program, and I’m sure you never thought you’d be on a podcast talking about basketball coaching and discussing the logistics of ground transportation. That’s no doubt. When you first got into the, that’s when you first got into the job. That’s were like.
[00:46:05] Rob Brost: And, and just one day I’m going to be talking certified drivers like meals and, and tho like, yeah, the tournament is taken care of, all of that. And so it’s, it makes it so much easier from my perspective, knowing that those things are taken care of. So we don’t need to worry about that. And that’s also for our team, which will have probably a party of 20.
Our team. Team and then probably 15 to 20 other people like parents and my family and all of those. So like we’re, our eating group is at least 20. And so that’s a, that’s logistically a tough thing to do. Well they understand that and they are doing all that and getting all that set up for it.
How, how do you get
[00:46:51] Jason Sunkle: invited
[00:46:52] Rob Brost: to this Rob? Like is process or, I think it’s a little of our. the connection we had with Nike, obviously, and then obviously we’re a good program, but we’re not a national powerhouse by any means. We’re not a prep school, we’re not any of those things. So I think our association with Nike helped obviously.
And then the fact that we’ve been able to be successful year in and year out helps as well. So, I don’t know the exact answer. Of how we got invited. But I think all of those things help. And, and the, the fact that we’ve been a solid program and we’ve shown we can compete with just about anybody that, that’s helpful as well.
And I’m just. Thankful for the opportunity and thankful that our guys get an opportunity to do this. And we just announced it probably two weeks ago because when we first got invited we were like, can we do this? Can we, is it, it’s acceptable? Will the board approve it? Will they let us travel?
Can we miss one final it early even more for you to do,
[00:48:02] Jason Sunkle: see all the, all the other stuff you gotta do, right? Make sure all the things
[00:48:06] Rob Brost: that people don’t. That there’s a lot of people that could say no to this thing, way easier than they could say yes to this thing.
[00:48:16] Jason Sunkle: So, it’s funny you talk about like, obviously on a much smaller scale, but like the amount of hoops you have to jump through, like for our, we’ve been the last few years like.
They play the, the high school girls teams have been playing in the middle of the school day and they do like a dual in the school situation. Mm-hmm. So like the amount of hoops that we have to simply jump through to get middle school team to go and watch the game at the high school. Yeah. It’s like 25.
And that’s just that like, I can’t even imagine how hoops you jump through to get, like to even get the ball rolling on that.
[00:48:51] Rob Brost: A stressor, but it’s one that I’m willing to take on and make sure that we get. today I’m on the phone with Southwest for an hour trying to figure out, okay, well what if we change this name three days before? And what if we say we need 30 and then we only need 25 tickets, or our party, what if we get five more?
all of those logistical things. I just want to know. What’s going to happen if something happens? Because something will inevitably happen. a kid’s going to get sick or a kid’s going to be injured and then he, his parents don’t want him to go for some reason. Or all of that stuff’s going to happen.
So I know that something’s going to happen, so I just want to be as prepared as I can when it does happen. And so having traveled to Florida overprepared than underprepared? No doubt, no doubt. We’ve been to Florida and Arizona, so we’ve done the flying thing. With that previous time, so that’s good. And it helps me prepare me at least mentally for all the stuff that could go wrong.
[00:49:56] Mike Klinzing: Bottom line is winning provides opportunities, and so there’s no doubt the success that you guys have had of obviously open some doors for you to be able to have some of these great experiences for yourself, your program, and obviously most importantly, your kids and your team. So really cool. All right.
That is our three topics for tonight. Rob, really thank you again for being willing to come on triple double number 19. I know we made you talk a little bit about yourself, a little bit more than you normally would want to, but I think there was some good insight and both of those first two topics and then obviously the last one getting back in the gym and, and being energized to, to do that with a whole new.
Set of guys and just a, a team that’s in a set of a new set of circumstances different from what you’ve maybe experienced the last couple years. No doubt. Doubt obviously. It’s fun. All that I think, I think a lot coaches can relate guys
[00:50:47] Rob Brost: me on. And I appreciate all the listeners. The fact that you had listen to a high school coach from Illinois is refreshing and I don’t take that for granted either.
[00:50:58] Jason Sunkle: And I appreciate you carrying the pod, even though I was back tonight, Rob. So thank you.
[00:51:02] Rob Brost: Thanks, I mean, my shoulders can take it, my shoulders can take it.
[00:51:09] Mike Klinzing: Rob always carries it. That’s why we’re here. Just to provide the framework, man. I’m just here to toss lollipops to Rob so he can bat ’em out of the park, man.
[00:51:22] Rob Brost: I need lollipops because that’s the only ones I can hit. But I appreciate both of you guys more than you know and I appreciate you guys having me on.
[00:51:29] Mike Klinzing: Once again, Rob, thanks for jumping out with us tonight. Really appreciate it. Jason, thanks for jumping in on this one.
Always good to have you a part of our Triple Double so it’s not a double double. And to our audience, thank you for listening tonight. Really appreciate it and we will catch you on our next episode. Thanks.