Drawing on his experience serving in the military, BCC Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach Andre Scott makes it a practice for his players to run around the track in cadence during summer conditioning. He recalls how he used to be required to do the same in the army; if one person lagged behind, everyone would need to stay back.

“It’s a way to build camaraderie,” Coach Scott said. “At the beginning of the year, our players didn’t know what they were going to talk about as they were running together. Now they’re talking about everything – They’re bonding through group texts, video games and life-impacting lessons learned through basketball.”

Both Scott and Head Men’s Basketball Coach Warren Thompson share the belief that assisting students in their journey to graduate is of primary importance, even over basketball. They treat their players like an extension of their own family, caring for them in the way they would their own children (Scott is the father of four). If there’s anything they can do to help a player (or any other student at BCC), they will. It is not uncommon for players to call them late in the evening looking for advice on a hurdle they need to get through. It also is not uncommon to see the coaches on campus helping students outside of the team find their classroom or inquire about a book they have ordered.

Scott has been coaching, along with Coach Thompson, for the past two years. Thompson is a former police detective; Thompson grew up in the neighborhood he used to patrol. The duo has become close friends, speaking on the phone regularly in the evenings, sometimes for 2-3 hours about topics beyond basketball. “He’s like a big brother,” Scott said with a grin.

Scott has worked in BCC’s mailroom for the past 18 years. Thompson got to know him when he would deliver mail around campus.

“I knew he wanted to get involved with athletics and coaching, so when I asked him to join our team as assistant coach, it was as if I had proposed to him. He said yes before I finished asking the question,” Coach Thompson said. “His support is so valuable to me. We’re like-minded, both fully devoted to our mission of helping every student we come across.”

Current player Taijay Good, now in his second year at BCC and on the team, said he has been working on his time management skills and improving. “Coach Scott calls me all the time to check in on me and make sure I’m staying on track,” said Good, who juggles commuting from Queens with classes, basketball practices and games.

Looking ahead, Good hopes to be able to move on to a four-year college. For now, he is studying psychology at BCC and enjoying his team. Good adds, “I came to BCC to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone. I’m gaining independence by being away from an area where I knew everyone, and I’m making my own decisions. We’d run through a wall for our coaches. They’re passionate about our success. They would sacrifice our team’s ability to win in order to make sure players’ head space is good. We feel their sense of care.”