-: My name is Thomas Robert Shirley Junior.
I'm an Economics graduate from DeSales University
and I'm a Temple graduate
with Campus Recreation and Student Services from 1984.
Currently employed at Jefferson University
as the assistant vice president for athletics
and the head women's basketball coach.
Well, basketball is pretty much a year round thing anymore.
I mean, the actual season can begin
the fourth day of classes, which this year was August 25th,
and it pretty much runs through Saint Patrick's Day
except for division two,
we get a week off between Christmas and New Year's.
So it's between conditioning, lifting, mini sessions,
scouting, recruiting, court time, it's pretty much non-stop.
But when the season hits which actually is this Saturday,
we go six days a week,
we're permitted to be together 20 hours,
which by the rules, translates to about 35 hours
and it's pretty much go, go, go.
And then in addition, working as director of athletics.
The rules of the NCA are set up now
as such that we can start recruiting juniors and seniors.
So between the four of us,
we're out three nights a week looking.
We try to look at fifty schools a piece every year.
So I'm just out doing a perusal,
or I'm out knowing that I'm looking at certain person
or I'm out kinda looking at someone
that has expressed interest.
So it depends, but you're out three nights a week
looking at high school games
in different parts of the tri-state area.
And then there's watching film of your next opponent
and then there's setting up a scout for your next opponent
in terms of the film translates into this behavior
that we're gonna try to put into the game.
Then there's the teaching part of practice.
Then there's the execution part of practice.
Then there's the game preparation the day of
with a shooter round and more video
and meals at the right time,
with the right meals, especially with the young ladies,
and then there's actually the game itself.
I mean, the game is actually somewhat of a relief sometimes,
because it's more, like, fun.
It's all the prep work to get to it.
At the end of the year, you can play 33, 34 games.
I often wonder when we finish around Saint Patrick's Day
how the NBA does it.
Because they're going to the middle of June.
My thing is, when we walk into the locker room,
if we can collectively agree that we lost to a better team,
then we have to accept that.
Because you're not going to win everything in life,
you're not going to win every game.
However, the next day,
what can we take away as to why they were better?
Now if they were more athletic, that's my fault.
If they made more foul shots, that's our fault.
So learning from losing,
but respecting that, in some cases,
you're going to lose to a better team.