Basketball

Part 1, if you haven’t read it. As the basketball takes its final dribble, I print out my final rotation as head coach for my youth basketball team, the Aces. Looking back, I am not only proud of my achievements but also of what my team has accomplished collectively. Each individual has grown tremendously, whether it’s boxing out players, setting screens, or moving off the ball. Their basketball IQ has grown alongside their skills. Even for myself, I can say with certainty that the next time I decide to coach, I will be much better. ...

Due to privacy reasons, there will be no photos within this post For the past couple of months, I have been volunteering as a basketball coach for the city. When I decided to volunteer, my first choice was to coach volleyball because that’s where I felt most confident. However, the city administrator informed me that the volleyball season had already started, but they were in need of a basketball coach. Initially, I was hesitant; it had been years since I last played basketball or watched an NBA game. Though I played in high school, it had been a while. How hard could it be to coach 10-11-year-olds? The administrator informed me about several events: skill assessments, a draft, and a coaches meeting. I had no idea what to expect. I’ll preface this by saying I was in for a surprise. ...