It seemed like it was only yesterday when I was running up and down the court playing in my final year in a St. Mary's uniform. I remember every big game we had, all the battles I went through with my teammates for a well deserved win, and the bitter taste of every defeat. These are the type of experiences that you can’t learn anywhere else. The day I agreed to coach these kids, I made it my job to give them the same great memories and life lessons that I had when I was a kid.
I remember the night I got a call from Bryan asking me if I wanted to coach the 6th grade boys. I was a little hesitant at first and even said no. Eventually Bryan convinced me to take the job. Little did I know it would be one of the best decisions I've ever made. I always knew these boys had the potential to be special. What they lacked in talent they made up with incredible heart and the willingness to learn.
From day one I told the boys that not everybody needs to score 20 point a night, asking them to try to learn and be something they're not just wouldn't be fair. Instead my assistant coaches Aaron, Thanh and I stressed to them to find a role they were comfortable being in and work hard to build upon that. Whether it was being the guy that plays shut down defense, or the guy that provides that spark coming off the bench for secondary scoring, or simply just the guy with the big body to clog the lanes and grab rebounds, everybody had a role to play. Four straight playoff appearances and three straight championship appearances later, I say they all did their part.
Coming into their final season expectations were pretty high. We lost 2 key pieces that was a vital part in our past success in Tom and Zack. I remember during the first practice asking everyone to take on the challenge of coming out of their comfort zone and expanding their role. I would say everybody took on that challenge with a full head of steam. Players like Elliot, Brandon, and Gary showed great hustle and emerged as a vital part in our secondary scoring while players like Kevin provided the toughness in the middle that was lacking after the departure of tom. I just wished everything would've come full circle by finishing the season with a championship.
Coaching the girls was a whole different experience. The first game we took over was something I remember vividly. It was a game played at epiphany. By the 4th quarter we had managed to score a measly 2 points and the girls were already asking to be taken out of the game. I remember thinking to myself why in the world would you join a basketball team and not want to play. After the game I couldn’t even look them in the eye. I knew we had a lot of work ahead of us and I was going to do everything in my power to change the attitude in that team.
Slowly I started seeing changes in their work ethic and demeanor. They actually looked like a team that wanted to learn and play hard. This change of attitude came full circle when we played Megan Furth. That game in all honesty was the greatest showing of grit and determination I have ever seen in a team. Megan Furth had players 3 times the size of our girls but we weren't intimidated one bit. We fought to the very end and ended up losing the game by 2 points. After the game during the post game huddle I saw how truly disappointed the girls were in themselves and I could hardly hold back tears of my own.
The following year the girls finished 4-4 and actually made the playoffs on the final day of the regular season, a far cry from how they looked when they first started.
Coaching the class of 2010 has been an eye opening experience for me. I am truly thankful to Bryan and the parents for putting their trust in me and letting me have this opportunity. I've practically watched them grow up in front of my eyes and I can honestly say I have an emotional attachment to these kids and want to see them succeed in every aspect of life. I wish these kids the best of luck going forward.
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