A good Coach can change a game, a great Coach can change a life

Posted By: MaevePapahus
Posted On: March 22nd, 2018
Attending: Institute of Technology Carlow

As I walked off the court at the MAAC tournament last year which I thought was my last basketball game ever. After all these years of hard work, it just ended. Every emotion hit me once. I will never put on a basketball Jersey again. I will never play in a game again. I will never wake up early in the morning for training. As an athlete it felt like a part of me was missing. Thankfully SCL gave me the opportunity to play the game I love for one more season.

There are a lot of athletes right now feeling the way I did at this time last year. If you are, I highly suggest applying to SCL. You get the opportunity to move abroad for a year to Ireland, inspire children through basketball, and play the game you love one last time! (What can be better than that)

My season in Ireland just came to an end last week and unlike last year I’m finally ready to hang up my sneakers as an athlete, but certainly not as a coach…

As I am coaching here I can’t help but to think of all the coaches who inspired me. Each coach has taught me something on the court, and more importantly in life. So here’s something I’ll take from a few coaches I got a chance to learn from along my basketball journey…

Coach Mcguinness- One of the best coaches I have ever had. He gave me confidence and believed in me from the first practice I had as a freshman on varsity. I was nervous being so young, but he made it known I was meant to be part of this team. Unfortunately he passed away last year but his spirit and passion for basketball lives on through all the athletes that got a chance to be coached by him. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be the basketball player I am today. I’m forever thankful I got a chance to be coached by coach Mcguinness

Thank you for giving me confidence in myself as a basketball player.

Coach Buckley- After my freshman year coach Mcguinness handed the head coaching job over to coach Buckley. At first I has hesitant and upset losing one of the best coaches I have ever had but coach Buckley made my next 3 high school years amazing. One thing I will take from coach Buckley is the importance of family. Even to this day he keeps in touch with players he has coached over the years. He came up with the term “fAMily” and I think this sums up who he is as a person and as a coach. He made our team a family and every athlete that joins the team, the fans, the coach’s will forever be part of this fAMily, and that’s something really special. To be apart of something greater than yourself.

Thank you for giving the coaches, fans of albertus, and the players a “fAMily”

Coach Vulin- She got the head coaching job my senior season at Manhattan college. Being a senior I was in a routine for 3 years and was hesitant about changing everything I was used to in my last college season. I quickly realized I had absolutely nothing to be worried about because coach vulin made my senior basketball season my favorite of them all. She made me co-captain which was a huge deal for me. She believed in me to keep a positive attitude and be a role model on and off the court to the team. She had confidence in my 3 point shot and for the first time in my college career did I really believe in myself on the court. She held me accountable and taught me the play green way.

Thank you for making my senior year at Manhattan college my favorite and teaching me the #PLAYGREEN way.

Coach Sahar- She was more than a coach to me. She was a friend, someone I could trust on and off the court. When I went through difficult times in my life Coach Sahar was right by my side to pick me up. She did whatever it took to keep a smile on my face; taking me to the nursing home, waking up at 7am every morning to do meditation. These acts of kindness will always be with me and I aspire to have half the warm heart Coach Sahar has. I promise to be JOY everyday for you.

Thanks for teaching me that basketball is more than a game

Coach Kojack- I couldn’t have picked a better coach to end my basketball career with. He made basketball fun for me again. He had full confidence in my abilities and really made me feel confident in all aspects of the game. His passion and love for basketball is something I will take with me.

Thanks for making basketball fun

Being a coach is a special job. You have a chance to touch peoples lives through sport. It is truly a special thing. I can’t wait to take everything I learned from each coach and apply it to the basketball players I will coach in the future.

“A good Coach can change a game, a great Coach can change a life”

Thank you SCL for this extra year of basketball!

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