By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Franklin High School has a rich history in athletics. One of the reasons behind the success of Franklin’s athletic programs is a talented coaching staff dedicated to the health and well-being of their student-athletes.
Craig Jackson, head coach of the varsity boys’ basketball team at Franklin, has been a mainstay in the athletic department for more than 20 years. His tenure has produced some of Seattle’s best basketball talents and great citizens.
“I have been with Franklin a total of 23 years,” says Jackson. “I did one year coaching girls’ basketball at Garfield, but 24 years all together in high school basketball.”
This year, Franklin’s team is young in experience with a stable of freshmen and sophomores on the junior varsity team waiting in the wings for an opportunity. With a record so far of 7-13 overall and 5-8 in the division, the Quakers are still searching for themselves.
“We are young experience-wise,” says Jackson. “We have some guys that have played for three years, but we have a lot of guys who play hit and miss. Some might have played their freshman year, but missed their sophomore year, had some problems their junior year, and now they’re back their senior year.”
“We have a lot of good youngsters in the program,” added Jackson. “Actually, our best team is our junior varsity team. They have won 13-14 games, averaging a point margin of 15 and 20 points a game. They play hard, and they are a joy to watch, and they understand that they are there to get better to get a spot up top when it’s their time.”
The inconsistencies of older players coming out to play show in the cohesiveness of the team as they work to discover who they are. Working on fundamentals has been the priority of Jackson and his fellow coaches in getting their athletes in the right frame of mind.
“The varsity team has spurts, but they always play hard,” says Jackson. “Our problem is putting the ball in the basket. We also have a tendency to turn the ball over. We force a lot of turnovers, but then we’ll give the ball right back, which can be frustrating. There is a saying that the cook is only as good as the ingredients. Our ingredients (our players) are good, but they’re just not seasoned yet.”
Like most coaches, Jackson has a philosophy he lives by and sets by example. On the court, strategies like fast pace, pressure defense, and the game being a game of runs all play into what Jackson tries to teach his players.
“On the court, pressure defense, get the ball up the floor, fast pace, but first we have to defend,” advises Jackson. “My philosophy is every three plays is a stop, score, and another stop. If you can get a stop, score, stop, you have a great chance of winning that quarter.”
“Basketball is a game of runs, so you have to be able to answer runs,” continued Jackson. “Teams are going to be able to make adjustments and combat what we are doing, and we have to be able to make adjustments and combat what our opponents are doing. We try to do as much as we can to prepare our team. We run stuff that can be run against a man or a zone. Our IQ is growing, so we don’t try to convolute it. We make our defense our offense, giving us a better chance to win.”
According to Jackson, you have to give it your all. You have to prepare harder than you actually play in the game. Games should be easy, and practice should be hard. Outside of everything else, Jackson truly believes that you can learn life lessons through the game of basketball because he did it himself.
“It’s a game that we all love to play. Everybody wants to play at the highest level while they were playing, and some know that it’s not going to happen,” says Jackson. “You have to figure out how to use your love for the game to teach others to be a person, a better young man, a better young lady, and that’s the biggest thing.”
Jackson’s athletes always know that they are students first and then athletes. According to Jackson, there is no way that you can take your game to the college level, at least at Franklin, without being a student first.
Jackson received his bachelor’s degree in early childhood learning, and he received his master’s degree in the same discipline, and he expresses his appreciation of the support he received from the school and the community while he studied for his master’s. So, through his example, Jackson not only teaches his basketball acumen but his personal continued academic pursuits serve as an example as well.
“I’m speaking of this from my own experience,” says Jackson. “Not doing what I was supposed to do in the classroom cost me a chance to play at a Division 1 school. But I think everything happens for a reason. I got a chance to play for an NAIA school and found a home. I was around a bunch of people that I still care for to this day.”
“So, I learned that lesson through the game of basketball,” continued Jackson. “Apply yourself in the classroom just as you apply yourself on the basketball court. And use that in life for the rest of your life to make a better way for you, your family, and your community.”
For student-athletes, finding what you are good at and becoming better at it is one of the key tenets to achieving in both sports and academics. Jackson makes it a priority to teach his student-athletes to hone in on what they do best and become better while at the same time strengthening their weaknesses to help build themselves into a complete baller.
“I always tell my kids to find your niche,” says Jackson. “If you are a good scorer, work on being the best scorer. If you are a good defender, colleges always are looking for good defenders. You can be the best rebounder, hustle guy, best teammate, and there will always be a place for you on some team in the country.”