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The biggest thrill McKinney North head basketball Darryll Craft gets from his job doesn’t come from winning games.
OK, maybe that’s a lie.
But the best feeling of professional satisfaction Craft gets also comes when he knows he’s made an impact on a young person’s life.
The hours of hard work and patience Craft puts in with each of his students and players doesn’t truly blossom during the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills or the results of a 9-4A contest. Instead, it comes when former students come back to Craft, long after graduation, and ask for his guidance.
And Craft’s sense of accomplishment is on full display this week as several former players have turned up during the North Boys Basketball Summer Camp to help their old mentor and get a hands-on experience with a career path they hope to emulate.
North graduates Blake Mooney and Eric Herbal, as well as McKinney High graduate Jake Hodges have returned to the familiar Bulldog gymnasium this week, assisting Craft with the camp and learning what it takes to become a head coach.
“I love kids and I want to be a coach one say, so it’s a good deal for me to be able to come in and help with the camp,” Mooney said.
This week’s camp is not only providing a chance for future Bulldog standouts to work on their game, but it gives Hodges and Mooney, both basketball coaching hopefuls the opportunity to improve their coaching skills. It is a cycle that fulfils Craft’s top priority as a professional educator.
“When you’ve grown close to a kid you’ll wonder what they’re up to or what they’re doing with their life,” Craft said. “As a coach, I have a lot of my ex-players numbers and I try to stay in contact with them. When you see them reach back to stay in touch it brings a smile to my face.”
Mooney is one of the best examples for Craft. The 2007 recipient of the McKinney Courier-Gazette’s Mr. McKinney-Basketball is constantly relying on his former coach for advice as he attends Midwestern State University in hopes of obtaining his teaching certificate.
“I talked to him a lot about how to become a coach and he’s taught me a lot as far as what steps to take,” Mooney said.
Mooney decided on majoring in kinesiology and minoring in composite history at the advice of Craft.
“You have to look long-term about marketing yourself for potential jobs,” Craft said. “There are a lot of coaches in the state of Texas, therefore the jobs aren’t as plentiful. When you go and select your major, you have to pick something that you would like to go and teach, but it better not be something that 85 percent of other coaches do because that makes it pretty hard to get a job. He’s doing a couple things to help that.”
While Herbel may be going after his business degree at Texas Christian University, and not his teaching certificate, his reason for helping out at the camp is quite similar.
“I remember when I was little and I came here during the summer,” Herbel said. “It’s awesome because I remember being little, coming to these camps and looking up to the guys that were helping out. I remember going to the camps and wanting to be like them. Hopefully, I can help share some of the knowledge I have from my time as a camper.”
The desire to become the strong role model, and emulate the camp coaches during his middle school days is just another reminder to Craft that this week’s camp is about more than helping a sixth-grader with his jump shot.
“It makes you feel good inside, there’s no doubt,” Craft said. “It makes you feel like you’ve done a good job, not just in coaching basketball, but teaching them about life and social skills.
“As a teacher, you have to love kids. You try to show these kids that you love them, but unfortunately they don’t always see that because of the playing time they get, or the situation that the team is put in,” he added. “When kids come back and ask you for guidance or when they call you and want to stay in touch, it makes you feel like you did your job.”
