Something that I feel has impacted me as the coach the most is being able to adjust to new and unfamiliar surroundings. I am originally from Tennessee and, at first, if you would have asked me I would not have wanted to leave. I like knowing where I and and how to navigate in order to get to a certain location. However my life had other plans for me. As I played college ball that involved me having to move to do something I love and have a passion for. Considering that basketball was something special to me, I would do anything to continue to be apart of it. So as I moved to Arkansas I had to learn about a new area and new people. That was an adjustment because I went somewhere where I knew nobody. Luckily I think I have an open personally where I’m easy to get along with. I was fortunate to meet lifelong friends, who I still keep in contact with. Then after my years of playing expired, I then moved to Texas to continue my education and passion of sports. I have always envisioned myself getting a masters degree and coaching, but I never expected it to be this life changing. I have had the chance to coach a good group of kids, as well as a difficult group. It is good that I have been through both so that I know how to treat and coach the different type of individuals I come across. Also being given the opportunity to coach boys as well as girls, allowed me to experience both sides of sports. I want the girl sporting side to be just as big as the boys, but in order to get that we have to work hard and be a team people want to watch and support. The people I have met the few years I’ve been here have impacted my life more than anyone has before. I can honestly say that I found a second family who “adopted” me in and treat me as their own. I also have the privilege to work under great coaches and life teachers. They have helped me mold my life and direct it in the direction I desire. Even though I hit a few speed bumps here and there it never made me afraid or hesitant to go after what I want. Me being the person I am, I am always ready to do whatever is necessary to get the things I desire for myself. I honestly can say that I’m glad I was skeptical about moving because it made me a humble person and never took family or home for granted. However I know realize and see that without the big move, I would not be where I am today or the coach I desire to be in the future. Do I feel like this is my forever spot, no, but I am going to stay here until another opportunity falls into place for me. The way they have been faking thus far, have yet to fail me. 

I have been a coach for the past three years now and I have enjoyed every moment of it. I have grown as a coach as well as a person who has learned how to listen before speaking. Something that I always found influential is those who have paved the way for young coaches such as myself. I have worked with many different coaches, however this year I will be experiencing a new head coach. The good thing about the situation is that I know the new coach from working at the school I have been employed at for the past few years, however, it will be a new adjustment working so closely to him. Also this will be an adjustment because he his a man and the coach before him was a woman that had been coaching there for many years. He is an older man that has had experience playing the game of basketball as well as coaching it. I, last year, was the coach for the junior varsity team at my school and I enjoyed every second of it. However, when some of my players heard that they would be moved up to varsity they were skeptical because that meant leaving me. I always encouraged my girls to strive to be on varsity but that did not stop me from creating and building relationships with each and every one of them. Ironically once the previous head coach stepped down and the new one stepped into place, I was promoted to the assistant head varsity coach position. This for sure humbled me, because he could have brought in anyone that he felt was capable, but he took the time to give me a chance and continue grooming and building up the girls I started with. This overall, I feel, made the girls even more excited and less nervous to return for the next season. However, this experience has taught me how I have to be tough on the girls through this new process. They have gotten comfortable and complacent with the way the old coach did things, but with this new coach stepping in, they needed to be warned that they would have to work hard and show how bad they wanted their spot. No matter the relationship I have built with each of them, I have to teach them to be passionate and driven because if not their dreams would not be met. Immediately they accepted the task at hand and did so ready to do whatever was asked of them. I am in the process of learning the ins and outs of what it takes to run a team, this year will be more than just showing up to games and practices for me. I overall am excited about the new coach as well as anxious to see how well the team will adjust and become stronger. I look forward to learning a lot being in this position and, hopefully, one day be able to be the head coach. 

Becoming a coach has been a dream of mine ever since I stop playing. Knowing how much I loved it and how much it meant to me, I knew I was not ready to give it all up. Going into the school and interacting with the youth, I knew I could see myself doing this for the long run. Seeing how my coaching skill and experience help others reach individual goals as well as achieve greatness, is more than I can ever imagine. Sports is more than just a ball, or the new uniforms, or even the wins, it’s about people coming together to do something they love. Growing as a person not only to adapt to the sport, but to adapt to the real world. Working on people skills and how to interact with them, learning that even though you may not like someone, you do what it takes to do the job. Being apart of a team shows individuals how to work under someone they may not always agree with, however understanding that they have to respect them whatsoever. If not they will be benched which is a term used in the sport world as well as the job. I learned all of these lessons and more just from playing through college and I know I would not be who I am today without the coaches and teammates I have experienced. Some showed me how to be a better me as well as challenged me to become the bestversion of myself. The one thing that I will always take away from my experience is what you receive is based on what you put out. If i work hard and push myself beyond my limits every time I step foot on the court then my stats and records will improve. As a coach the more I allow myself to be groomed by coaches that have been in the game for awhile, as well as take what I learn from mistakes and adapt, I will be a better coach not just for a check or for a record but my players. That overall is what it’sall about when you ask me what it means to be a coach

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton