Highly Successful Coach Dunning Brings Intensity, Work Ethic
Your assignment today is to think about the answer to the multiple choice question below.
Question: There are THOUSANDS of basketball coaches all over the world. So what makes Coach Tony Dunning stand above the median?
· Could it be his unbridled success in the CCJBC and as one of the most successful coaches in the history of the middle school program at Campbell?
· Could it be his longevity in the program, going on 19 years with a total of 11 with Varsity Coach Randy McClure, one of the top defensive coaches in the state?
· Is it his basketball philosophy?
· Is it his image?
· Is it all of the above?
Answer: All of the above. And here is why.
With 8 CCJBC championship appearances and 7 titles as a result, Coach Tony Dunning has found a proven system that works and gets results.
“My strategy revolves around teamwork and team defense and putting it on the line for each other. If we concern ourselves with ourselves, which is what a lot of players (who haven’t worked with me) or parents do coming in, we will not accomplish our goals as a team,” admits Coach Dunning. “I would like to see the athletes put it on the line for their teammates. I look for the kids to have a higher goal and a higher calling than just right now. The overall victory is to win a state championship in high school, going through all of the battles that you have to go through.”
So outside of the person on the sidelines who stands out in suits that you may only see one time per season while getting his point across to the officials, or the person who has the loudest, most recognizable voice during teaching sessions in practice, just who is Tony Dunning?
“(I spent) 6 years in the Marine Corps. I went after high school and then went on to college at Albany State. Nothing can prepare you for the Marine Corps. I have no regrets at all, (and for students that are considering going) just understand that you have to have a tough mindset. The biggest thing about my military background deals with the level of discipline that you have to have over your game, over your life and the things that you do to prepare yourself for battle so to speak. The preparation and the discipline and understanding the value of each battle as it relates to the overall war,” says the coach.
Coach Dunning however realizes that his attention to detail in his longtime career has served him purposefully in all phases of his life and in the lives of the kids that he coaches.
“I am a technologist by trade. I have worked in technology for over 30 years. I am currently an independent contractor who has worked for several companies. I love the details and the detail that it takes to get something to work.”
Coach Dunning coaches AAU track when the high school basketball season is over every year until it starts again in the fall. Dunning’s son Anthony Jr., played 3 years in the program and dad did not coach him during that time. “It was a good experience being as close to him as I was even though I wasn’t coaching him. My other son came through and played for Coach Foster for a year.” Coach Dunning was extremely humbled by his son’s highly successful track career during high school as a senior in the 110 Meter hurdles, the 300 meter hurdles, the Triple Jump and the 4x400 relay in 2010. Coach Dunning is currently the chairman of the coach’s advisory board of the USATF (United States Track and Field) and is an approved coach.
“I bring quite a bit of the track philosophy into basketball,” said Coach Dunning. “I believe that conditioning is one of the most important factors in having a good team. One of my best teams ran track in the spring and did not play 12 months of basketball that year. I (personally) think that year round basketball is not all it is cranked up to be.”
Coach Dunning is right. If you have bad habits (and without the proper coaching), you will continue to practice and play with your bad habits. However, in the Campbell program, there are many checkpoints in place for coaches to take advantage of learning opportunities that are presented to them and help them become better coaches throughout the year. One of them is Program Director and CCJBC Vice President Greg Foster.
“Coach Foster has been so valuable in terms of organization, in terms of promoting coaches education and putting us in position to become better coaches by providing materials and encouragement throughout. He has been a great asset to the program and to me and my coaching training. I am a better coach now that I was when I first came in because I take it up myself to improve every year. My IQ is better every year. I have a better mentality every year. I make myself better at detailing things and explaining things, strategizing and game planning and a much better practice coach every year.”
Despite his continuing basketball evolution, the coach realizes what the purpose of his time spent with the kids means.
“Education is the foremost factor here,” said Coach Dunning. “You have to always put the student ahead of the game. I would like for the parents to know that when there is an issue with education and academics that I hope they partner with the coaches in the program to insure that we are all doing the right thing for the athlete. When the child turns the corner, we are all on the same page at the same time.”
There are many schools of thought about whether the last chance 8th grade level or the beginning 6th grade is the most important teaching level in middle school basketball. After 19 years of coach them all, there are valuable lessons that have been seen from Coach Dunning.
“I have the most affinity for 6th grade,” states Coach Dunning. “You have a blank slate for a masterpiece. The most important message at 6th grade is the value of teamwork and camaraderie, being able to understand what it takes to work together, the importance of blood sweat and tears. It’s also important to develop good practice habits. By working with Coach McClure we discuss just bring in the beginning fundamentals of the varsity system at 6th grade and then eventually, almost everything from a defensive standpoint. I have worked with Coach McClure (11 years) to understand what the girls are missing when they get to high school and to try to instill those things at a very early age. It is understood by me that those skills need to be acquired before the girls get to high school.”
During games, Coach Dunning is the reverse of Coach McClure. During practices, Coach McClure is the opposite of Coach Dunning. When you watch a varsity game, Coach McClure is going to raise his level of intensity 100% like he is coaching in his last game. During practices, he searches and searches to find the answer to his suggestions and demands. He feels that if you are on the varsity you should be at a certain level. Coach Dunning however raises his level 100% during practices so that coach McClure won’t need to do it as much at that level in practice and overall. So for young kids’ parents, how do this method of intensity and this image appear?
“I don’t speculate and I don’t care about my image,” said Coach Dunning. “What I would like to convey to those that I am associated with is the fact that I will be tough minded, I will be hard and I will try to create a certain type of trust that comes with a mature mindset. This will create a team philosophy where everybody believes in everybody.”
The bottom line is when you have 8 finals appearances, 7 championships (one 7th grade boys, three 8th grade girls, one 6th grade girls, one 7th grade girls and a 7g finals appearance) something is clicking correctly with your philosophy and the message that you aim to deliver.
“It’s not enough to love the game … a lot of people love the game,” Coach Dunning laments. “Yes that helps but the question becomes, ‘what are you willing to give up for your love of the game?’ There are special people who are willing to give everything they have to dominate.
“Enjoy the journey. Enjoy what it takes to learn and how to do things by succeeding logically.”
And ultimately seeing the results of your dedication, development and hard work.