Rio Rancho High School girls basketball coach Bob McIntyre knows what he's getting when Earl Diddle comes here to conduct a basketball camp.

It encompasses 36 years of coaching experience as head coach or assistant coach in college and high school, a stint preparing the national Olympic team for the United Arab Emirates, and the last three seasons as head coach of the Howard College women's team in Big Spring, Texas.

Although there weren't enough youngsters in grades 3-6 to hold the morning sessions this week, there were about two-dozen boys and girls in grades 7-12 eager to learn in the three days worth of afternoon sessions. Diddle, whom McIntyre initially became aware of when Diddle was coaching the men's team at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, could be heard telling the kids Monday afternoon that "offense is not a democracy," trying to get them to understand that not everyone is a scorer.

There were other roles to be played, ultimately getting the ball to the players deemed scorers. Thus, there was a plethora of skills to be learned: dribbling, passing, screening, cutting, rebounding ... the list goes on and on.

"I just like to turn our kids, boys and girls, over to a guy who knows basketball," McIntyre said. "It's another opportunity for kids to have something to do. (Diddle) still has enthusiasm; I'm familiar with the things he's doing."

McIntyre said that when the two had time to talk, Diddle would sometimes ask him for advice, being a relative newcomer to coaching women. "Coach Mac" has been coaching girls for the past 20 years: 10 at Moriarty, the last 10 at Rio Rancho.

"There's a lot on X's and O's and skill development," he said, "but a lot is about the game and how it's changing. We just kind of talk basketball; there's more philosophy, player development. From this trip, he was talking about the older you get, the energy it takes to accomplish certain tasks; sometimes coaches spread themselves too thin. 'Don't be afraid to delegate to your assistants,' was a portion of Diddle's advice. We talk about kids and better ways to reach them. He's been coaching women for four years; he picked my brain on better ways to communicate."

McIntyre said one impressionable girl at this week's camp was junior-to-be Kandis Wright, whom he said "has been to the Texas Tech camp, played with us in the summertime - it was an opportunity (for her) to hear someone different.

"Diddle mentioned to me how coachable she is, not that she is doing everything right but she's trying to do everything right," McIntyre said. "The main reason why I started taking my kids from Moriarty there (to ENMU) was he spoke the truth about what it takes to be an athlete. He's someone who breaks it down; in some cases it might hurt.

"(Tuesday) I heard him talk to the girls; he said your emotions will get you in trouble, (and) I saw girls shaking their heads yes. The boys, he told them your attitude is you know it all and it will get you in trouble. He's got a special way of getting his message across.

"He doesn't want to waste his time but he certainly doesn't want to waste their parents' money," McIntyre concluded. "He's a different guy off the court. There's a certain way he wants the game to be played; he's old-fashioned. He deals with the fundamental skills - and he isn't going to change. He has a saying you can play the game too long, too wrong.