Pat Kelsey details ‘shield’ exercise to promote team bonding

Pat Kelsey has only been the head men’s basketball coach at Louisville for a short time, but he knows the task of getting his transfer-laden team acclimated and on the same page is a key one. And he’s got a few methods up his sleeve to coax them along.

One of the main ones, Kelsey shared in a recent interview with WHAS in Louisville, is having players get up in front of the team and explain their “shield.” Kelsey explained how it’s an homage to some ancient warriors, who would have their life’s story told on their shield through a series of drawings or inscriptions.

So what Kelsey has his players do is get up and go through their “shield” — who they are, how they became the person they are, and so on.

“But we have our guys get up and we have a big screen, a powerpoint,” Kelsey said. “J’Vonne Hadley presented his shield and that’s his history, that’s his strengths, that’s his weaknesses, that’s his biggest heartbreak, that’s his hope. What are the three things that you can bring to the team every day that we can count on with everything we’ve got? And Javon was phenomenal. We’ve been doing this for years and years and it was the greatest shield presentation I’ve ever seen. It gets emotional. He’s a passionate young man. Really set the tone for the rest of the guys.”

And all this sharing is in an effort for his players to know each better, Kelsey said.

Because when the players start to know, learn and understand each other on a deeper level, what Kelsey really wants to happen can start to take root: They can love one another.

“I think before you can truly love your teammate, you’ve gotta know him,” Kelsey said. “You’ve gotta know what they do best. You’ve gotta know their ups, you’ve gotta know their downs. You’ve gotta know their weaknesses. You’ve gotta know their vulnerabilities. You’ve gotta know their strengths. And that’s one of the main team building things that we do that I think is pretty special.”

And as Kelsey sees it, that close bond between teammates is going to be necessary to get the Cardinals where they want to go.

“And it’s the uncommon commitment to the guy next to you,” Kelsey said. “It’s built on the most powerful force in the universe and that’s love. I’m asking Kobe Rodgers to turn to his right and see Chucky Hepburn, who he just met 48 hours ago, ‘Love that guy.’ Right? To love that guy, that is powerful. Now we go out on the floor, try to tear each others faces off. We are a compete program. But that bond and the connectivity off the floor is really important.”