Our Great Coach on this episode is basketball coach, and former All-American point guard Pokey Chatman.

Pokey started her coaching career as a student assistant in 1991 while finishing her degree at Louisiana state university. She then became an assistant coach, before becoming the teams head coach in 2004. As a head coach she had an immediate impact leading the team to 3 consecutive NCAA final fours.

In 2007 she moved to Russia to coach Spartak Moscow, and in 2010 led them to the Euroleague title.

In 2010 she moved back to the USA to coach the Chicago Sky in the WNBA, taking the team into the playoffs for the first time in their history.

She then went on to coach the Indiana Fever.

She has also coached the Slovakian National team, been an assistant for USA teams and won numerous coach of the year awards., including the Black Coaches Association's Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2005.

Pokey is a coach who epitomizes resilience. Her story is marked by second chances and the hard work needed to rise above the challenges you face.

She is humble and yet determined, and believes that you should never let your ego get in the way of what the moment needs.

The key parts of this interview that I reflected on afterwards were

• Her view that Great coaches are authentic leaders who are able to create, cultivate, maintain, and manage relationships in an emotionally intelligent way.
• Her advice on improving your team tomorrow by ensuring the that everyone on the organisation has a personal development plan and that the staff commit 20 minutes everyday to helping individuals with this plan.
• The power of asking questions of both yourself and the player in a bid to improve.

If you would like to send us any feedback or if you know a great coach, who has a unique story to share, then we would love to hear from you, please contact us at paul@thegreatcoachespodcast.com or contact us through our website thegreatcoachespodcast.com

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