Today Raccoon Valley Radio continues our conversation with long time Perry basketball coach Mike Long.  In an era where kids feel they need to specialize in one sport rather than participating in a number of different ones, Long feels it is critical that Perry coaches encourage their athletes to play other sports and not just the one they coach.

“Sometimes I don’t think it’s as good as it should be in that area here at Perry.  I don’t feel that me as a coach or me as a parent can tell kids that they can’t practice another sport during the offseason.  As coaches, we can’t do that either.  I encourage all of my players and reinforce to them that I want them to play other sports and do other things.”

Long says this specializing mindset is starting to gain traction across the country and not just here in Iowa.

“I was listening to a show on ESPN the other day and they were talking with the Arizona Cardinals quarterback coach.  One of the last things he said was to make sure your kid plays as many sports as they can.  It will make them that much better in the sport they want to try and specialize in for college.  I think that is so true.”

Raccoon Valley Radio will continue over the next week with excerpts from Shawn Kenney’s interview with Coach Long.