“Bum to basket!” This was something I had repeated about fifty times in a five-minute span while coaching on Friday night. One of the teams that I coach is a 16 and under girls’ team called the Elks. They are a local team that has been around Belfast for several years. This game was my second one as a coach for this team. I enjoy coaching this group of girls because they present the biggest challenge to me. The team varies widely in skill level and experience and this is what makes them both difficult and exciting to coach. Every time I step in the gym with them, I need to come up with different ways to explain coaching points. I also need to be able to challenge everyone else daily.
“Bum to basket” is a term that I was constantly yelling during the game because it helps to emphasize the importance of the defender staying between their man and the basket. The reason I had to constantly yell this was because as younger players, I needed to help them create good habits. We ended up winning this game, making it my first win as their coach. It’s always a good feeling to get a win no matter what the level of play. I hope to keep it going throughout the rest of the year!
There is also something else that I am looking forward to and that is the challenges that come along with winning. They will help me build on my resilience as a coach, mentor, and person. I intend to embrace them. It isn’t always easy to get young people to buy into your coaching but I enjoy these types of challenges because it means the reward is well worth the work. #ChallengeAccepted
