Coach Steve Freeland with the youth at Fryshuset
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(all photos by Tony Friede)


Gswede Monday

"It is all about the youth”

One of my favorite poems by John Keats begins:

A thing of beauty is a joy forever:
Its loveliness increases;
It will never pass into nothingness.

Witnessing Coach Steve Freeland with the youth of Fryshuset from May 15-19 was very powerful and emotional. It was indeed A thing of beauty. I am convinced now more than ever that impacting, mentoring and caring about our youth is one of the most important contributions I will ever make.

The 2nd annual “American Basketball coach in Sweden” program began on the center court of Fryshuset with Steve and 17 young men ranging in age from 15-20. My good friend Kevin Ryan, General Manager of 08 Stockholm Human Rights (http://www.08basket.se/) and Jonte Karlsson, Head Coach of the Professional team, generously provided the platform for us to work with these aspiring players. This youth team is an important part of the organization. I sincerely appreciate the efforts of Fryshuset (www.fryshuset.se) in hosting my program and will make a donation to the organization. They will use the funds for initiatives that utilize sport as a tool for social positive change.

During the first hour, Steve was able to assess the team and he liked what he saw! He was impressed with the talent of the team which consisted of a diverse group of both native and immigrant youth. He knew almost instantly that he would really enjoy teaching and working with them. The team embraced Steve and the passion on both sides was infectious.

For two hours every day, Steve taught them a variety of elements from his unique and successful playbook on basketball. Throughout the week, he assessed their strengths and weakness with shooting, dribbling, passing, rebounding and made sure that they utilized that talent during the week by scrimmaging (5 against 5) on the full court.

By the 2nd and 3rd day, he was truly pleased with the progress of the team and how quickly they had absorbed his teaching. Many times they were running new offenses and defenses exactly the way he had taught them which often prompted him to tell me, “This is A Thing of Beauty”. His smile let me know how special he viewed these young men.

Before each session, he talked to the team about what was going to be covered that day. Similarly, after each practice he would let them know his thoughts on the progress and what to expect the next day. He had a game plan for the week and was totally prepared. On the final day, he talked them through the importance of team, being unselfish, life in USA basketball, getting a good education, and other keys points about life and how to be successful.

Steve’s zeal and enthusiasm for these kids was intoxicating! He always arrived at least an hour early every day to enjoy private moments with the kids and exchange experiences with the coaches.

Some poignant moments occurred off the court. One of the young men wanted to talk with Steve about playing high school basketball in the USA, so he spent 30 minutes telling him what to expect and answered his questions. Another time, I was talking with three players about their school work when I asked one of them what he thought of Steve. He said, “We love Steve”.

The purpose of my program is to touch the lives of youth here in Sweden by utilizing basketball as a tool. I hope that some of them can reach high levels in basketball but more importantly, I want them to soar to a high level as gentlemen and contribute positively to society.

One of my mentors and a big supporter of the program watched the team practice with Steve one day. He was nearly in tears seeing the love and care that was evident on the court. He looked at me and said, “It is all about the youth”. I looked back and said, “Yes, it is all about the youth”.

George

The American Coach in Sweden, Steve Freeland
(Tony Friede - photographer)

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The coaches of Södertälje at Steve's basketball clinic

Gswede Monday - "Did you see the way I changed defenses"?

The 2nd annual "American Basketball Coach in Sweden" program began on May 10 with a welcome gathering for Coach Steve Freeland in Stockholm. It was a lovely Spring Day (finally!) and many of my friends and supporters came out to great him in the early evening. Steve was at ease right away!

Steve's impact would be felt the very next day as we journeyed to Södertälje (http://www.sbbk.se). They run a terrific youth basketball program and their elite team, Södertälje Kings, is one of the 11 professional teams in Sweden. My friend and assistant coach of the pro team, JD Sanders (solo photo above) generously gave Steve the opportunity to run a 2 hour coach's clinic.

I introduced Steve to the 20-25 coaches in attendance and he showed them a variety of the unique and creative basketball strategies that have made him a success. He covered man to man, zone, situation plays, unique offensive and defensive strategies and many other important elements of the game. The coaches listened attentively and many were writing in their notebooks.

The youth team of 13 year old boys that Steve demonstrated with learned zone defense and how to attack a zone, something they had never played before. The kids quickly absorbed what Steve was teaching them despite it all being new!

At the end of the session, the coaches asked questions and Steve warmly answered them all. He also spent private time with a few coaches. If not for a prior commitment that night, Steve would have easily been there for several more hours. I literally had to pull him away!

The weekend of May 13, I took Steve to see a couple of boys and girls youth championship basketball games in Lidingö, outside of Stockholm. We had a nice surprise when we saw a coach from Steve's clinic coaching one of the girl's teams. At halftime, he came up to Steve and said, "Did you see the way I changed defenses"? At that point, I knew the clinic was a success. Steve smiled and gave the coach some positive feedback. He was happy that one of his many themes "Never be afraid to change" was utilized in the game.

Change along with being totally prepared is one of the reasons that Steve has been successful as a basketball coach. Even when things are going well in a game, he might suddenly press a an opposing team or use a different offense which often adds an element of surprise or makes opposing coaches think. When his team is not doing well, he always changes so that his team has a chance to gain the momentum back.

Coach Steve Freeland thrives on facing difficult strategies by opposing coaches and is always ready for whatever situation he might face in a game. If one of his plays is not working, he will change to something that is better. One of the best lessons taught in the clinic was to always embrace change especially when things on the basketball court are not working.

When I was 11 years old, Steve was my coach. In some of the games our guards had trouble dribbling the ball up court. What did Steve do? He changed. I often would bring the ball up court at those times because I could dribble very well. He wasn't afraid to make that change despite me being the center and tallest boy on the team. His lesson of change made me a better basketball player and helped prepare me for the many changes that we all inevitably deal with in life.

It was a successful first 5 days! More photos are below.

The week of the 15-19 would prove to be as one of my favorite poets, John Keats says, "A Thing of Beauty". The impact of Steve with the team of youth at Fryshuset nearly brought one of my supporters to tears. That story will have to wait until next weeks Gswede Monday.

George

Välkommen (Welcome) to the first of many Gswede Monday's!

Gswede Monday

Steve Freeland has impacted many lives during his 35 years of teaching and coaching basketball to youth. I was one of the first.

Steve was my first coach and taught me the game of basketball. I can vividly remember the awkward way I use to hold and shoot a basketball. It was not a pretty sight to watch! Steve corrected that shot immediately and taught me the proper way to hold and release a basketball. That shot would take me a long ................way in life.

I was taught how to play the game properly and his consistent enthusiasm always inspired me. I was fortunate to have two wonderful parents and a superb mentor in Coach Freeland.

The 2nd annual "American Basketball Coach in Sweden" program (see below) is a vehicle for Steve and I to impact youth in Sweden to care for and learn about the game we love so dearly. We are grateful for the opportunity and it is only possible because of the kind donations of so many Americans and Swedes. That generosity warms our hearts.

Basketball has defined many aspects in my life and the lessons learned have been invaluable.

We hope that one day many youth in Sweden and around the world will soar to those same heights utilizing basketball as their tool.

George