Iowa High School Boys Basketball Coach: Society Moving From Team First To Me First

Clear Lake’s Jeremy Ainley has helped turn program into contender in Iowa.

Ballard guard Jackson Brown (21) drives to the basket between Clear Lake forward Max Larson (53) and guard Titan Schmitt (25) during the third quarter in the class 3A boys sub-state final on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, in Clarion, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar\Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

An Iowa high school boys basketball coach has taken to social media to make a plea for change among the sport that he passionately loves and has devoted years and years to.

Jeremy Ainley, the head boys basketball coach at Clear Lake High School, remarked on X (formerly known as Twitter) that “our society is moving from a team first approach to a me first approach.

“This is fueled in large part by parents who are only concerned about their own child’s playing time,” Ainley wrote. “Good coaches and programs hold players accountable and encourage each player to maximize their abilities and play their role on the team.”

A note from Coach Ainley—
🦁🏀💪🐍 #iahsbkb @globegazette @kglonews @PrepHoopsIA @tonysroe pic.twitter.com/5xMABTmhKL

— Clear Lake Basketball (@BasketballCLHS) April 13, 2026

Jeremy Ainley Helped Build Clear Lake Boys Basketball In Contender Both In North Central Conference, State

Ainley and the Lions have become top contenders in both the North Central Conference and Class 3A boys basketball in Iowa over the pas 12 seasons, winning 228 games including nine league championships with state tournament appearances.

Clear Lake finished second and fourth in two of those three state tournament appearances, recording seven seasons with at least 20 wins. The Lions have had 11 all-state players over the past dozen seasons.

“12 years ago we started a mission to make Clear Lake Basketball a premier program in the state,” Ainley wrote. “We built a culture based on hard work, accountability and teamwork that resulted in success that had not previously been accomplished in school history.

“All of this could not be done without the trust of players, parents and coaches and buying into the goal of playing for more than the individual.”

'The Brotherhood' Was Created By Jeremy Ainley At Clear Lake Boys Basketball

Ainley and his coaching staff used “The Brotherhood” to define the program.

“Records will be broken, coaches and players will change - but the true bond of what Clear Lake Basketball has accomplished in the last 12 years can never be undone,” Ainley wrote. “‘The Brotherhood’ will live on and the championships will never be erased.

The veteran head coach believes those in his profession “need the support of administration.”

“When parents’ sense of entitlement is allowed to prevail over accountability, we all lose,” he posted. “We have left the uniform in a better place than we found it, which is what a team first approach looks like…and we can be proud of that.”

Clear Lake shared for the NCC title this past season, finishing 20-3 overall.