Episode 109 Notes and Links to Ben Guest’s Work
On Episode 109 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ben Guest, and the two discuss shared teaching histories, a love of great literature, including sportswriting, and Ben’s early days of coaching and the lessons learned therein. The two also discuss, among other topics, the importance of zen and relationship building in Ben’s coaching life and everyday life, as well as his book that chronicles some amazing times and players from the Namibian high school basketball world and the KBA, its professional basketball league.
Ben Guest is a three-time champion and two-time Basketball Coach of the Year, with a PHD in Educational Leadership. He spent ten years in Namibia where he coached in the KBA, and he wrote the book Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball: Memoir of a Namibian Odyssey.
Buy Ben Guest's Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball: Memoir of a Namibian Odyssey
The Creativity, Education, and Leadership Podcast
Ben Guest's Substack
Article on Namibian Independence and Apartheid in the Country Imposed by South Africa
At about 2:20, Pete introduces Ben Guest, after an unusual start for the podcast, with Pete and Ben talking about the similarities between being a high school teacher and a traveling salesman
At about 3:20, Pete talks about a friend’s incredible devotion to leaving schoolwork at school
At about 4:10, Ben details his grading regimen from his high school teaching days
At about 5:15, Ben responds to Pete’s questions about his childhood love of reading and highlights inspirational teachers John Roemer and Howard Berkowitz)
At about 7:10, Ben talks about his early love for Stephen King and other fantasy and horror and comic books that drew his interest
At about 10:15, Pete posits that Ben’s relatively-late embrace of basketball is a large reason for his passion, and Ben responds and talks about his early days of shooting
At about 12:20, Ben gives his scouting report from his prime basketball-playing days
At about 14:20, Ben disabuses any notion of regular Joes like Pete and Ben getting a bucket in NBA “garbage time,” using the example of Perry Moss, and Pete shouts out Isaac Fontaine as a similar case
At about 17:10, Ben shouts out Brian Scalabrine being challenged for his skills-the video is classic; at about 18:00, Ben highlights a great quote from “Dre” Alvarez of Box Score Geeks Podcast
At about 19:20, Ben responds to Pete’s question about sportswriters who have inspired him-Gary Smith is one, and Best American Sportswriting, edited by Glenn Stout, is cited as a formative anthology, and Ben relates how he can to have Glenn Stout as the editor for his book
At about 22:30, Ben talks about Hakeem Olajuwon as an inspiration
At about 23:30, Pete and Ben discuss a short
At about 24:40, Ben describes his time coaching basketball in Mississippi, and Pete and Ben talk about coaching styles-specifically coaches known as yellers and Ben talks about his early understandings of “control”
At about 28:00, Ben discusses the importance of relationships and self-growth in coaching and life overall
At about 29:35, Ben outlines the background of and seeds for Zen and the Art of Coaching Basketball
At about 32:35, Ben shares meaningful feedback that he has received from readers, and he details the breakdown of the book’s format
At about 35:30, Pete and Ben break down the epigraph of the book and the book’s first chapter
At about 36:45, Ben provides background on his early coaching days, lessons learned, and how his first team in Namibia came together
At about 37:50, Ben quotes Mr. Berkowitz with some great coaching/teaching/life advice
At about 39:15, Ben gives historical background on Namibia and its “locations” (neighborhoods), as well as continuing traumas
At about 41:50, Ben highlights his education in Namibia of how Americans are seen abroad and the country’s horrendous past alliances with racist governments and power structures
At about 44:30, Pete highlights lessons learned by Ben in using a “less is more” approach in MS coaching, and why he didn’t continue using this approach after having a one game success
At about 46:30, Ben mentions his podcast, and how this helped him get in touch via email with Phil Jackson
At about 48:20, Ben details his journey with meditation and how it has helped him
At about 49:10, Ben teases an upcoming project with a retired NBA player
At about 51:00, Pete shouts out a coaching mentor, and compliments Ben’s even keel, leading to a description of a stunning Brad Stevens’ moment of zen
At about 51:50, Pete and Ben discuss the historic KBA victory
At about 53:40, Pete discusses the investment that the reader makes with the players in the book
At about 54:00, Ben shouts out his Substack, and where to buy the book
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The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.
Please tune in for Episode 110 with Bryce Hedstrom, El Padrino of Comprehensible Input in the foreign language classroom, and widely recognized as an outstanding world language teacher with more than 25 years of experience at all levels. A frequent regional, state and national presenter, he is known for helping world language teachers to enhance their existing programs by incorporating many strategies that emphasize social awareness, interpersonal communication and varied reading techniques in the classroom. The episode will air on March 15.
This episode is the first of five this week. On Monday, March 21, there will be a drawing for a $100 gift card to bookshop.org. In order to enter the drawing:
Episode 197 with Chloe Cooper Jones, Two-Time Pulitzer Prize Nominee, Master of Melding Seemingly-Disparate Ideas and Themes, and Author of the Masterful and Profound Easy Beauty
Episode 196 with Rachel Howzell Hall, Painter of Worlds Both Familiar and Unknown, Creator of Psychological Thrillers, Master Crime Writer, and Author of What Never Happened
Episode 195 with Jessica Cuello, Keen Observer of the Connections Between Classical and the Modern, and Painter of Resonant Imagery in the Poetry Collection Yours, Creature
Episode 194 with Ruth Madievsky, Brilliant Tactician of Plot, Humor, and Nuanced Profundity, and the Writer
Episode 193 with Ethan Chatagnier, Author of Singer Distance, and Standout Worldbuilder and Character Artist
Episode 192 with Donovan X. Ramsey, Author of When Crack Was King: A People’s History of a Misunderstood Era and Master Craftsman of a Historical Book that Shines Through Personal Stories
Episode 191 with Sarah Fawn Montgomery, Possessor of a Poetic Sensibility, Chronicler of Nature, the Psyche, and Love’s Many Iterations, and Author of Halfway from Home: Essays
Episode 190 with Ellen Birkett Morris, Renaissance Woman: Teacher, Dramatist, Prose Writer, and Author of the Precise, Affecting, and Chill-Inducing Lost Girls
Episode 189 with Andrés Reséndez, Researcher on The Spanish Conquest and Author of the Award-Winning and Rigorously-Researched The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America
Episode 188 with Kavita Das, Writer and Editor of Craft and Conscience: How to Write about Social Issues, and Reflective and Thoughtful Chronicler of Important and Compelling Stories
Episode 187 with V Castro, Author of The Haunting of Alejandra, Two-Time Bram Stoker Nominee, and Creator of Scary and Real Worlds and Characters That Resonate
Episode 186 with Stephanie Feldman, Author of Saturnalia, Master Worldbuilder, and Crafter of Intriguing and Engrossing Satire and Allegory
Episode 185 with Toni Ann Johnson, Renaissance Woman, Master Storyteller in Film and on the Page, and Author of the Award-Winning Light Skin Gone to Waste
Episode 184 with Robert Ottone, Bram Stocker-Nominated Creator of Worlds Familiar and Scary, Master of Allegory and Pure Terror, and The Author of The Vile Thing We Created
Episode 183 with Eli Cranor, Master of Dialogue, Suspense, and Profundity, and Author of Edgar Award-Nominated Don’t Know Tough and its Followup, the Standout Ozark Dogs
Episode 182 with Talia Lakshmi Kolluri, Gifted Storyteller, Stellar Translator of Animals’ Inner Lives, and Master of Thoughtful Prose
Episode 181 with Ramona Reeves, Author of It Falls Gently All Around, Keen Observer of the Banal and the Dramatic, and Skilled Craftswoman of the Space Between Scenes and Characters
Episode 180 with Jennifer Dawn Carlson, Thorough and Thoughtful Researcher, Sociologist, and Interviewer, and Author of Merchants of the Right: Gun Sellers and the Crisis of American Democracy
Episode 179 with Sarah Cypher, Skilled and Thorough and Thoughtful Chronicler of The Long Reaches of History, Identity, and ,What Constitutes Home
Episode 178 with Stephen Buoro, Master Craftsman of Satire, Humor, Mathematics, Philosophy Merging in His Instant Classic, The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa
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