Episode 52: Coach John Lamanna on Virtue in Sport
/“Virtue is kind of that common denominator that is part of all our lives.”
Coach John Lamanna is entering his third year as Director of Athletics at Ave Maria University and fourth as the head men's basketball coach. Coach Lamanna is no stranger to working with a transitioning program. Prior to Ave Maria, Lamanna lead the men’s basketball program at NCAA Division III program Franciscan University as its first Head Men’s Basketball Coach at the NCAA level. Prior to his four-year stint at Franciscan, Coach assisted the University of California, Davis in the transition from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I. With the renewed focus of athletics at Ave Maria, Lamanna is excited about the rare opportunity that coaching basketball presents. Coach Lamanna received his start in college basketball at Washington State University, where he was a Student Assistant from 2000-2004. During his time at Washington State, he had the opportunity to work under Dick Bennett and current Head Coach at the University of Virginia, Tony Bennett. It was also at Washington State where he worked with Gary Stewart, who was the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at UC Davis. Outside of coaching, he is a published author with an article published by Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director Magazine entitled “How to Establish an Academic Philosophy as a Coach” and an article published by Winning Hoops Magazine which was a comparative analysis of two different man-to-man defensives. Additionally, he was featured in American Basketball Quarterly Magazine in an article about how scouting and technology can lead to success. A Spokane, WA native, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Washington State University and a master’s degree in Counseling from Loyola Marymount University. He lives with his wife, Sara, and has three children, Gabi, Tony and Louis. Kathy and John dig into decision making, handling adversity and failure, goal setting, and deconstruct the four virtues he uses to guide his coaching; prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. His passion for mentorship should not be missed! If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and rate us in your favorite place to listen. Kathy would love to hear from you! Connect with her on social media @sportpsychworks and through https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.
