Social media is a peculiar thing, especially for young student-athletes that have always had Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like as a part of their lives. But sometimes posting every thought for the world to read isn't a great idea, especially when a) you should be focused on something else, and b) you play for a high-profile program like UConn.
Which explains why coach Geno Auriemma prohibits his players from using Twitter during the season. In fact, it's been that way for four years now and the no-Twitter rule hasn't had much of an effect on the court; the Huskies have won two straight national titles and are favored for a third.
“I put it to them this way: I’m saving them from themselves because there are adults and actors and athletes who at an emotional moment tweet something, and you can never get that back,” the associate head coach Chris Dailey said, via the New York Times. “It’s one less distraction they have to worry about.”
Breanna Stewart, arguably the best player in the country, is fine with the ban.
“It’s something we don’t need,” Stewart said. “Twitter is just another form of social media. It’s not going to make or break you. Yeah, I guess it’s fun to tweet, but we can do that after the season’s over, after we’re done focusing on winning a national championship.”
The coaching staff also want players to -- get this -- talk to each other. It promotes communication, obviously a good thing for a basketball team, but it also means that during team meals, for instance, people aren't staring at their phones.
“You’re so used to texting people, you forget to communicate,” Dailey said. “You’re so busy talking to people away from you that you don’t deal with the people in front of you. ...
"The people that really care about you are your family and the people in this room. Other than that, it’s for fun. You can enjoy that as entertainment, but don’t mistake it as reality.”
The Huskies' reality is winning championships, and clearly they don't need Twitter to do it.
