LYNN — When the school year closed, some student-athletes took a break, went on vacation, or played video games. For the Lynn English basketball team, there is no offseason.
Head coach Alvin Abreu believes the offseason – no matter the sport – is an opportunity to grow.
“In any sport, the offseason is very important. It’s the time where you want your guys, individually, to work on their games and their bodies to get ready for their upcoming season, regardless of the sport,” he said. “They’re teenage boys and every year, their bodies are changing. They’re maturing, going through things socially and physically. As a coach, you get excited to see how they grow and develop by the time the season comes up.”
After the Bulldogs’ season came to a close – a tournament loss against Newton North – Abreu and his staff met with their players. The season, and offseason, were discussed.
“We usually have end-of-the-season meetings with our guys. We’ll talk to them about what worked, what didn’t, and what expectations as a staff we feel they can do better,” Abreu said. “We will give them things to work on during the summer and fall for them to come back as better players.”
That said, he believes playing other sports can improve one’s game.
“I encourage guys to play other sports. I think you can get a lot of stuff that can help you basketball-wise from other sports,” Abreu said. “I always tell them – as they’re focusing on their other sport – that their focus should always be on the sport they’re playing in. For those who are not in sports, I tell them they have to be working on their game. It’s their decision, but they can’t expect results without putting in the work.”
Shooting and weightlifting are key, but Abreu believes chemistry is just as important. He’s enjoyed that in his young returning players.
“Our guys have been sticking together all summer. That’s been just as important as their development. They’re building chemistry,” Abreu said. “We have a lot of returning guys as far as young guys who know each other, and a few of them are in the same grade. They’ve hung out all summer and that’s what I’m more excited about is them hanging out.”
He evaluates himself, too.
“Every year, you evaluate your players and the program, and with that, you have to evaluate yourself,” Abreu said. “I’m not perfect. No coach is. As a coach, I’m trying to be better. I’m always looking to implement new things or evaluate things. Personnel-wise, you have to look at what you got coming back and what may need to change to get the best out of your team.”
Character in mind, there are certain “pillars” Abreu believes cannot be altered.
“There are things that need to stay the same as far as the academic standards that we hold our student-athletes in our program,” Abreu said. “From having study hall multiple times a week year-round, and also, making sure our guys are great ambassadors of our school and the program. Our kids are held to a high standard socially and academically.”
“Those things stay the same. What you’re going to do basketball-wise, you won’t know until the season’s here to see how the team forms,” Abreu said. “We try to game plan early in the season and base it off the results from last season.”
