In sport there are highs and lows, and for the most part the lows outweigh the highs.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
No one understands this better than Brendan Joyce.
He reinforces it to his players year after year, and he reinforced to Kuany Kuany this week after he was cut by the Sydney Kings to make way for Ballarat-born Xavier Cooks.
It was a heartbreaking blow for the guard, who earned an offer from the powerhouse club on the back of a stellar season with the Ballarat Miners.
Kuany told The Courier at the time it was a dream come true.
When news of the signing broke on Wednesday, it didn't take long for Joyce to realise what it meant for his former player.
"As soon as I saw it I rang Kuany, because having been in the NBL, I do understand how it works," he said.
"I've been recruited as a player and cut as a player and it's gut-wrenching.
"And then as a coach I've been the one that's had to recruit players and tell them it's over and that's gut-wrenching as well.
"He's obviously shattered and disappointed because he thought he was going to be part of the team going forward."
Kuany was a key contributor under Joyce in the 2019 NBL1 season, but struggled to make an impact with the Kings, who are headlined by a number of big-name players.
In a lengthy discussion with the guard, Joyce advised him on how to deal with the situation - one the Ballarat coach knew was always a possibility given the Kings' depth.
"It was a tough situation because of the amount of older players the Kings had in front of him, and in the back of my mind I knew that," Joyce said.
"It was important for me as someone who has coached him to reach out, because you can't just communicate with players when they are on a high - you've got to be there for the tough times as well.
"I said 'when you get home, get here to Ballarat, we'll work you out and we'll get you ready for the next one.' It's about getting him focused on what he needs to do to keep his career going."
Joyce, who plays an active role in his players' welfare, has held discussions with Kuany and South-East Melbourne Phoenix centre Deng Acuoth on returning to the Miners for 2020.
He said the plan is to continue their development so they can play professionally in Australia or overseas.
"In sport there is more lows than highs as players and as coaches," he said.
"You don't want to get too high when good things happen and you don't want to get too low if there is a low period.
"Kuany has gone from a high to a low, but there is still plenty of time to make sure he builds on what he's done to create another opportunity."
