A memoir from an 8th grade coach

By Matt Chung, 8th grade girls basketball coach

When we coached the 8th grade girls last year, I already thought the bench was too crowded. We had 10 players and 3 coaches with different backgrounds and ambitions. But when Bryan asked to coach with us this year, we welcomed the idea with open arms (plus you can’t say no to the AD). I’ve coached a few times in the past, had my say with three teams this school year, and what I’ve learned is that coaching isn’t easy.

I remember our first game of the season and how Bryan went through the game plan in the huddle. I couldn’t help but stand there thinking to myself, “Wow, this guy knows what he’s talking about.” I knew from then on that we were going to have a successful season.

I’ve always felt that this 8th grade girl’s team had the talent to make it to the playoffs and to win a championship. But after last year’s disappointing season I wasn’t sure what to expect this year. With a new experienced coach on board, one less player on the team and an overall different mentality coming from the players, it was hard not to see something special brewing.

Shari once told me early on in the season, before our first game, that this year she “felt it.” I think all the girls on the team knew that this was their last shot for ultimate glory. Not only did our top players come prepared but everyone else tried their best to fill out the roles. Shari was the leading scorer last year on a team that struggled putting points on the board, so it was amazing to see Olivia and Sophia help carry the scoring load. We went from scoring 15 points a game to 28 a game this year.

Although we finished the season with a very commendable record of 7-1, almost every game was stressful. Like most St. Mary’s teams, these girls always found a way to make the game more difficult than it needed to be. We would give up big leads to teams we should be dominating game after game. The main problems for these meltdowns throughout the season were turnovers, breaking the press, and making layups and free throws.

At times our team would play with poise and brilliance, while at other times we looked like a team of 3rd graders who never stepped onto a basketball court before. To the girls credit though, they were able to put together enough good moments while overcoming tough situations. Our toughest game was the playoff game where Sophia hit two clutch free throws to give us a shot at the 8-5 division championship. We ended up losing the championship convincingly to a team that probably did not belong in our division.

There are many words that could describe our season but “disappointing” is not one of them. I think a good word to use would be “bittersweet.” We didn’t win the championship but overall our season was a success. We played horribly in the first half of our most important game, but it was impressive to see our girls dig deep and compete in the second half of that same game. I’ve had such a great time coaching these girls and have so many great memories at practices, games and dinners. It will be difficult to say goodbye. Although I’m proud of every one of the girls and it’s gratifying seeing them grow up and move on, I would love to have them back for just one more year so we could make one more run at a championship.