Adjusting to ‘the game’ - and life - without ‘Coach’
Clinton Chris Lockard prepares for first season after passing of his father
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A young Chris Lockard at his father’s side early in the coach’s career at Clinton High School.
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Chris Lockard, with his father by his side, early in Chris’ carreer at Clinton High School.
As the Clinton Dragons open their basketball season this week, Coach Chris Lockard is adjusting to life without his father providing valuable assistance in preparing for and evaluating each game on the schedule.
Chris Lockard became interim coach in 2000 due to his father’s health issues before being named permanent coach in 2001.
Don Lockard came to Clinton to coach the Dragons in 1971 and Chris joined him as an assistant in the mid-1990s.
Although there is no record available indicating the most coaching victories by a father-son team at the same school, the Lockards certainly have to rank at the very least within the top three in that category.
“It has been tough these past few months without Dad,” Chris said last week during a planning period at the high school.
“Dad and I had a very close relationship beyond basketball, but basketball is a passion we both have.
fter Dad got sick almost 20 years ago and had to regularly go to the doctor and the physical therapist, his life centered around basketball. If he wasn’t watching games on TV or watching videos, film or replays of other games, he and I would be going over game plans or talking basketball strategy. That kept him going all of these years and it helped me to develop as a coach. Now, however, Dad is no longer around to talk to and I really miss him – especially as this new season is getting underway.”
Don’s favorite word was “unbelievable” and Chris said rarely did a practice or game take place without his father uttering that word. Chris said “unbelievable” is a rallying word for the 2018-19 Dragons to follow.
“Dad and I believe in teaching kids to be not only good basketball players, but good people who can excel at whatever they end up doing in life,” Chris said.
“To Dad, it was not about him, but for the kids and the program. He had a countless number of kids play for him over these many years who always kept in touch with him. He was very proud of those players who were accomplishing so much as adults. This was especially the case when his health began to deteriorate and it meant a lot to Dad that he could keep up with everyone.”
Until late last season when Don’s health began to worsen, Chris said a Clinton game had not been played since 2000 that his father was not involved in the pregame planning and postgame analysis – even early last season when he could not attend a game and his health was rapidly deteriorating.
“He helped me get ready for every game and then we went over each game afterwards,” Chris said.
“We would watch videos together of our game and our upcoming opponent. He would help come up with a game plan and I have kept every game plan we ever worked on together. He also told me to keep a pen and paper by my bed to jot down an idea I get in the middle of the night. It was nothing for him to call me at 3 o’clock in the morning with something he came up with that he thought would help. I never got mad at him for calling me in the middle of the night with an idea.”
Chris said he helped guide his father into the technology age as it applies to basketball coaching and it improved Don’s capabilities to provide input.
“The use of video and film was not something basketball coaches did when Dad was in his prime years as a coach,” Chris said.
“Dad wrote down everything and he kept all of his game plans going back to the ‘60s when he started out as a coach. Dad still wrote things down, but I taught him how reviewing film and video could enhance the planning and evaluation process and he bought into it. That made him an even more valuable resource.”
Chris has kept his father’s game plans dating to the late ‘60s when the latter started his coaching career, as well as holding on to all of his game plans over the past 20-plus years.
“I have found some of those notes from as long as 50 years ago to be helpful in my game planning and I’m sure I will be relying more on those now that Dad is no longer here,” Chris said.
A Clinton coaching legend who was respected in the basketball coaching fraternity locally, statewide and nationally, Chris said Don loved Clinton and never seriously considered leaving.
“Dad had opportunities to go elsewhere, but he enjoyed living in Clinton,” Chris said. “He grew up in Jellico, which is a tight-knit community where everyone is like family. He found that same atmosphere in Clinton and that is why he spent almost the last 50 years of his life here.”
Chris said the Don Lockard Gymnasium – named in Don’s honor during the early 2000s -- has always been a special place for him since he came as a youngster with his family to Clinton in 1971.
Encouraging youth to play basketball was always a prime goal for Don and he took that part of his job as a high school coach seriously.
“Dad loved running the summer camps for kids and watching those kids grow up with many of them eventually playing important roles in the program,” Chris said.
“He also loved watching them develop into men and take responsibilities as husbands, fathers and in the real world. Dad believed as I do that you don’t have to be a star basketball player to become a success in the world. If you can grow to be a success and playing up to your level of talent in basketball helped you attain that success, then Dad was proud of helping to contribute to that process.
Chris hopes to continue to honor Don’s legacy as he begins the next chapter of his coaching career .
“I hope I can continue to help develop my players for their future roles in society just as Dad did for so many years,” Chris said.