Tommy Amaker (@HarvardBBall), a PCA National Advisory Board Member, has been Harvard's head basketball coach since 2007 after serving as head coach at Michigan and at Seton Hall. His college basketball career began at Duke, where Amaker started at point guard for all four years, leading the team to four NCAA tournaments and the 1986 Championship game. He was the 1987 winner of the Henry Iba Corinthian Award as the nation’s top defensive player, and he was enshrined in the Duke Athletic Hall Of Fame in 2001. His playing career also includes a gold medal as part of the U.S. national team at the 1986 World Championships.

Amaker tells us why he thinks athletes should be supported by coaches and parents when they want to play multiple sports. At Harvard, he helps athletes play football and basketball, if they want to do both, and calls it an amazing accomplishment when they do. He says it’s a great opportunity to learn in different settings, and it really helps development for athletes to get out of the comfort zone afforded by their main sport.

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