St. Thomas men’s basketball coach and psychology professor John Tauer spoke at the Nike Basketball Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio last weekend.

Tauer spoke mainly to local high school and college coaches from Ohio and surrounding states about ways to motivate their teams. He specifically discussed how individual differences affect motivation and said coaches and educators should try to create environments that tailor to the needs of individual athletes and students.

“This is no easy task because each student and athlete is different,” Tauer said. “As a result, a big part of our job is empowering each of them to take control of their own life as they strive to grow, learn and develop in the classroom and on the court.”

Tauer has spoken on this topic at many academic conferences, clinics, high schools and corporate events, but this was his first time speaking at the Nike Basketball Clinic. Tauer said he felt honored when clinic director Ed Janka asked him to speak and was excited to share his ideas with people who also have a passion for basketball and coaching.

St. Thomas senior forward Ryan Saarela thinks it’s a great honor that Tauer was invited to speak at the event; Tauer was the only Division-III coach at the clinic, which featured many Division-I coaches and even former NBA coach Mike Fratello.

“It was awesome that coach Tauer had the opportunity to speak about intrinsic motivation at such a big event,” Saarela said. “He deserves it.”

Tauer also said it was great to attend this event near the start of the basketball season because he was able to hear other coaches teach their own concepts and terminology.

“Each season, we try to improve the way we function in every aspect of our program, and this clinic was a great way to spend an entire weekend focused on that objective,” Tauer said. “Much of our success over the last decade stems from our players’ and coaches’ thirst for knowledge and a quest for excellence that is a daily process.”

Tauer enters his fifth season at the helm for St. Thomas with a record of 98-19, including 11-5 in the postseason.

Tauer explained that he likes to blend teaching and coaching because many people forget the importance of teaching when it comes to athletics.

“Mental skills often mitigate differences in physical ability. Helping our players learn to excel in the physical and mental facets of sport – and life – helps us promote a well-rounded experience for them at St. Thomas,” Tauer said.

Saarela said Tauer knows how to motivate each player to work to the best of his ability, adding that Tauer’s background in psychology and intrinsic motivation definitely shows in his coaching.

“He relates (psychology) to basketball. He always knows what people are thinking and oftentimes can predict the next play because of it,” Saarela said. “He is one of the smartest guys I know and everyone can learn from him.”
Tauer enjoys the teaching side of coaching and seeing how it contributes to his players.

“Helping young men grow and develop is an honor and makes coaching and teaching inspiring and rewarding work,” Tauer said.

Tauer will also speak at the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association clinic this month, where he can continue his discussion with other coaches in the area.

“There are so many outstanding high school and college coaches around the state, so to have the chance to share my thoughts with high school coaches from around Minnesota is both gratifying and humbling,” Tauer said.

Emily Coon can be reached at coon8192@stthomas.edu.