In my first week at a new high school, an announcement came over the PA: the Senior Girls’ Basketball team didn’t have a head coach. If no staff member volunteered, the season would be cancelled.
I had coached middle school boys before. I had never coached girls.
I volunteered anyway.
That first season was 2004. The WNBA was in its young prime. Sue Bird. Diana Taurasi. The women’s game was growing. But in our gym, we were just trying to score.
We went 0–10.
Our closest shot at a win? We led 4–2 after the first quarter against the second-worst team in our conference.
And yet, it remains one of my favorite coaching seasons.
Coaching girls was different.