March Madness!

My favorite time of the year! NCAA Tournament time! Men and Women’s Basketball games all day long! Buzzer beaters, upsets, Cinderella teams! I love it all! While I hope my team wins #6, I just hope for a great tourney!

Another season of coaching youth basketball has ended, and I now have three nights a week and my Saturdays back! It was a great season, teaching the game of basketball to 8-10-year-old girls. It was fun to see them grow, both on and off the court. There were some friendships created that probably would never have happened if it weren’t for basketball.

But coaching your own child is different. Coaching the mini was a fulfilling experience for both of us. Here are some things that I believe took place:

• Strengthening our relationship
  • Coaching the mini was a great way to build a stronger relationship with her. There are some things a mother and daughter have that a father would never understand. But with coaching the mini, I was able to spend quality time together, working towards a shared goal. The more time I spent around her on the court, the more I was able to recognize her strengths and weaknesses.
• Watching her grow
  • As a coach, I had a front-row seat to her growth and development as a player. I saw her learn new skills, overcome challenges, and grow in confidence. As a parent and coach, it was truly a blessing to see.
• Creating memories
  • I hope that by coaching the mini, I created some memories that will last a lifetime for her. I know they will for me; simply enjoying the process of learning and growing together.
• Being a positive role model
  • As a coach, I had the opportunity to be a positive role model, not only for my daughter but also for 9 other girls. By showing them how to handle success and failure with grace, and by modeling hard work and dedication, I hope I helped mold my daughter and her teammates’ character and future success.

So here’s to another great season. I’m pretty sure the girls are happy they don’t have to run sprints anymore, but I hope they continue to learn the game.

Much Love

Coach G