In sports it is often the case that the athletes are known as the deciding factor in winning or losing. Some teams or athletes, however, are known for their coaches and the value they bring. UFV men’s basketball coach Adam Friesen brings his own set of skills from the bench. Friesen’s style of no-nonsense coaching has come to be something of a fan favourite at UFV, with his passion on full display. He’s successfully led the Cascades to multiple playoff appearances and many memorable games.
For Friesen, growing up with a father that coached basketball was beneficial, as he was able to not only learn from him, but be surrounded by others who knew and appreciated the coaching side of the sport.
“My dad would take me around as a kid and bring me to dinners and different things that he’d have with his friends who were a lot of the times often also coaches. So the people I was around when I was growing up as a kid were basketball coaches,” Friesen said.
As he progressed through his journey as a basketball player, Friesen went on to play on provincial teams before spending his university career playing at both the University of British Columbia and Trinity Western University. He played for many different coaches, but while he learned from all of them, he also realized the significant aspect of understanding yourself so that you can lead others.
“I think a big part of coaching is just understanding who you are. You know? You can’t try to be somebody else. You have to be yourself, and that’s I think the most important thing with coaching. If you don’t understand that, then life gets hard.”
One skill in coaching that may go underlooked from time to time is the ability to successfully transition with new groups of athletes. All teams change, sometimes during the season, so in coaching, adapting and having new perspectives is key to any group’s ability to win and grow. Friesen sees a lot of positives with his current roster so far.
“I think it’s been really fun to watch. Almost everybody on the team has been here for multiple years, and I think it’s really been enjoyable to see the group just grow as a group in general, on and off the court. On the court, players have really taken on new roles this year.”
Specifically, there are many players that have impressed Friesen at this point in the season, but for him, watching the seniors grow as athletes and leaders has been a very special part of his time as a basketball coach at UFV.
“It’s been fun to watch Matt Cooley, Sukhjot [Bains], and Parm [Bains] take on that senior leadership role. That’s always enjoyable, to watch people in their senior year take another stride in their games, in their leadership.”
There is no doubt that Friesen has developed his own unique style of coaching the Cascades, as he can often be heard from the bench, enthralled with a fiery passion for the games that’s often not seen from other coaches. While Friesen is nowhere close to being done coaching, it’s evident that his wisdom, love, and passion for the role garners respect, as well as admiration for his obvious commitment to his players.
Come watch Friesen and the UFV Cascades when they take on the coach’s old team, the Trinity Western Spartans. The first game will be held in Langley at Trinity Western University at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 16. The second will be held at UFV on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.
Image: UFV Athletics
Photo: Adam Friesen
