September 29th, 2015 | Uncategorized
Although I do not have class on Mondays, my afternoons are jam-packed with basketball. Last Monday I went from coaching to physical therapy to practice to another coaching session. I started at 4 and by the time I finished at 9, I was starving!
When I got home ate a sandwich, I kept thinking about one instance that occurred during my hectic day. As I walked into the gym for my first coaching session, one of the girls gave an excited little Yelp! and said, “Katie is here!” Because the previous week had only been my first time in coaching this group, she had forgotten that I would be there every Monday from then on. She and a couple of her friends tried to suppress their smiles as I said hello to them before we began. Hearing and seeing how excited they were to realize that I would be coaching them again made my day.
It also helped to put into perspective why I am in the Sport Changes Life program. I am here not only to study and play basketball, but also to make a difference in the lives of young people. If I can make young girls excited to play basketball—like someone once did for me when I was young—I can impact their lives in a positive way. The hour and a half or so of coaching sessions I do with them per week might be the only time when they get to play basketball while having access to someone who’s sole focus is to make it enjoyable for them. It might not seem like a big deal for me to learn their names or to give them high-fives when they do something well, but to them it might be the best part of their day. As such, each time I coach, I hope to be able to make every child feel special, have fun, and learn a little something about basketball. And now, especially after noticing the excitement of those few girls about me being there, I am even more determined to make my coaching sessions fun, no matter how busy my days are or how my stress levels are doing or even if I am hungry and thinking about what’s for dinner. After all, coaching is really all about the kids. So my goal every time I walk into a gym is to make sure that—whether there is an outburst or not—each and every kid is excited to be there with me.
Victory Scholar: Katie Fox
Present University: Waterford IT
US League: NEC
Club/Community Partner: Waterford Wildcats
Alma Mater: St. Francis College
Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland
