defeated...

When I took the job of girls’ basketball coach last year, I knew I had a lot to learn. I knew it would be a challenge. I knew I would make mistakes. I knew I wouldn’t make everyone happy.

One of the biggest mistakes I made was sitting down with my boosters club and making sure that is was run correctly and that we were all on the same page as far as goals and outcomes…meaning, making sure everyone understood the page I was on.

I was hired to do a job. The job I was hired to do was to establish a girls’ basketball program because I know how important it is to get kids interested early in the game so that they do come to high school fundamentally behind. I know that you cannot simply think that you coach year to year. You coach with every perspective year in mind. Although every team is special, a good coach never loses sight of the teams he/she will eventually get.

Fundraising to me is two-fold. It is to help the current team pay for apparel and such. It is also to help the future teams by purchasing new equipment, uniforms, tournaments, skills training clinics, etc. I negated to realize that the parents of student athletes who struggle with the concept of program would struggle with the concept themselves.

At the beginning of the season, I allowed too much to be done by my boosters club because I was about ready to give birth to Ellery. I came back to the court two weeks after her birth even though I did not return to the classroom because I had to fulfill a commitment. Parents stepped up and helped during this very difficult season. Emotionally, I don’t think I have recovered, although physically I have. It is very difficult for me that this is happening with my team and their parents right now because I sacrificed something more important than I think anyone, student or parent did. I sacrificed my health. I sacrificed time with my newborn baby. And, I am being called selfish.

We all worked hard. There should be no fingers being pointed at whose fault it is. I have my faults and I can admit them. I didn’t read my booster by-laws, and apparently neither did any of the parents who signed those by-laws. We are completely out of accordance with a non-profit organization. Communication. Simply, communication failed. I tried my hardest to put together a budget that I never hid from anyone. There were no surprises. And, because I miscalculated the cost of the t-shirts and basketballs which go along with the Little Hawks program, I did not bother to ask for the Vegas trip that I wanted to go back to this year because the information was so valuable last year.

Did I say things that I didn’t follow through with? I am sure I did. As do all people. But, I am not a “bad guy” in this situation. I am a first year coach who had a baby in the first week of the season and struggled to do the best she could to build a program.

Program.

Not 10 kids. 100 kids.