Earlier this fall, after 4 years of playing TexAnn basketball, I accepted the position of Graduate Assistant Coach for the Tarleton State Women’s Basketball team. Many would think that transitioning from student-athlete, to coach would be easy. After all, I have played here for four years, I know the community and the players. But what some do not consider are all the challenges I face each and everyday. It is important that those who want to get into coaching must understand that there is a lot more to it than just directing players and managers, there's more backstory to it all. As a student-athlete, you may be used to being at a gym for two to three hours, but as a coach, you must do all of the preparations for practices and after practices, so you may be at the gym for close to five to eight hours. “One will not become a successful coach until one is able to put their playing days in the rearview mirror.”3
I know for myself that has been very important. I came from playing with more than half of the girls on the team, to having to be an authoritative figure to my players. This is important because the head coach is looking for you to “grow up” and be able to make the line of distinction of whether things would be ethically right. For example, when encountering your players at a party, is it okay for you to stay? Or should you leave? These decisions can be difficult, especially if you and your players have the same group of friends. It often can make things very difficult and strenuous on your mind and body. That being said, throughout the process, you will not only learn things about yourself, but you will push yourself to become the person you want to be.
This is why I have decided to start this blog. I think it is important to “find your why”, as it can help you determine the way in which you are going to reach your goal. My “why” started from a very young age. I have played basketball since the age of three. It was pretty much instilled in me that I would play basketball. My parents put in a full length basketball court in our backyard, and yes, I was out there everyday. Not that my parents forced me, but because I saw the backyard so much, I saw basketballs, I gravitated towards it. In highschool, I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I had what it took to make it the collegiate level of basketball. This was a very big deal to my family. In high school, I never would have thought that playing collegiately would open up many doors for me. It was important for me to realize that in order to effectively attend the right college for my education and athletically that I had to perform at a high level and make it into my daily life.2
I attended Tarleton State University, in Stephenville, Texas. I played all four of my collegiate years for Tarleton State and could not have asked for a better outcome. Although I just seemed like a typical player, I had the drive and commitment to totally withstand all hardships that came my way. I had the best coaching staff, who pushed me, not only to be the best basketball player I could be, but the best person I know I can be. Most people think you go to college to party, play basketball, and occasionally throw in some school work. In reality, you are learning life lessons and learning about yourself and others.1 You learn the things you like and don't like, you learn how to deal with bad times and how to celebrate the good times. I believe that the coaching staff that I had while playing, were the best representatives of what being an adult and a good person was all about.
Having such good role models has pushed me to want to be the same for other young women who love the game of basketball, and want to continue their education. Education is very important and not only can they learn classroom essentials, but education about the world around them and how to be productive in it as well. I believe that playing sports in college, no matter the sport, can help you develop qualities and habits that can help you become a great person once you are done. I want to be a women’s basketball college coach. In order to get there, I will be faced with hardships and it is up to me to use the techniques and trainings that I have received up to this point. As a young woman, I must understand that there are opportunities out there for me and there are very viable career options.1
“A lot of people notice when you succeed, but they don’t see what it takes to get there.”
-Dawn Staley
1Kerr, G., & Banwell, J. (2014). Striving for gender equity in coaching: female athletes’ perspectives on pursuing coaching as a career. Canadian Journal for Women in Coaching, 14(2). Retrieved from http://www.coach.ca/files/CJWC_JULY2014_EN.pdf
2Owen, C., & Kotrlik, J. (2016). The mentoring role of high school girls’ basketball coaches in the collegiate recruiting process. The Sport Journal, 19. Retrieved from http://thesportjournal.org/article/the-mentoring-role-of-high-school-girls-basketball-coaches-in-the-collegiate-recruiting-process/
3Reinhard, M. (2015, January 3). The Transition from Playing to Coaching. Retrieved October 5, 2017, from http://www.banishedtothepen.com/transition-from-playing-to-coaching/
Photo credits: Tarleton Sports
