St. Louis Cardinals coach Tina Plew Whitlock. (Photo by Matt Brodie/Brodie Media)

For most it might have felt like taking a baseball bat to the gut: the opportunity of a lifetime indefinitely postponed at the moment it had just been realized.

Here she was in Jupiter, Florida, at spring training. Shed hit the big time the biggest game of them all Major League Baseball. After months of back-and-forth negotiations, Tina Plew Whitlock had finally landed a contract as a coach for the St. Louis Cardinals.

It lasted two weeks.

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Just as she was stepping onto the perfectly manicured field, the gates closed and spring training was over cancelled because of the coronavirus.

Its not the first time Whitlock has faced disappointment; not the first time something has abruptly been taken away from her. In fact, what makes Whitlock so compelling is what she can teach you about losing.

She has so much to offer because she is the coach of the comeback. Shes your go-to when your perfect game plan gets torched and youre left with nothing but the choice to quit or start over.

Id assumed shed be disappointed that she lost her first spring training in her first couple weeks as a Major League Baseball coach. Id be wrong.

Ive trained my whole life for delays, she says, filled with peace. Were always at the mercy of weather. Now I have another chance to make a first impression.

Its the Whitlock Way, if you will. A faith and hope long ago forged and tested in fire.

***

Like all big decisions in her life, when the Cardinals came calling months ago and offered Whitlock a chance to come onto their coaching staff, taking that bat of hers and leaving another crack in the glass ceiling, Whitlock asked to first pray on it. She packed up her two teenaged boys and headed to a favorite outdoor retreat where she sought the Lords guidance.

He confirmed it to me: This is the door Im opening for you. And we all know what happens when He opens doors, she says with a quick laugh.

It was an answer to prayer and the realization of a dream that took decades to even develop.

As a little girl, Whitlock didnt grow up dreaming to be a coach in the big leagues. She was too busy being a player. She played baseball with the boys, never making a distinction between them and her a distinction thats still mostly lost on her. She appreciates that shes one of a few female coaches in Major League Baseball right now. But thats changing, she says, as the goal is simply to get the best minds in the game. For Whitlock, its never been about gender, but about greatness. So be it baseball or softball, playing or coaching, Whitlock just wants to be great.

The University of South Carolina was the biggest school to notice the outsized potential of this utility player from California who, though small for a catcher, punched well above her weight behind the plate, as well as in the outfield. And once you put a bat in her hand, she always smashed expectations.

A two-time collegiate All-American who set a number of batting records during her tenure, she helped her 1997 Gamecock squad win the SEC Tournament and book a trip to the Womens College World Series. She earned a berth on the U.S. national team and played in the pros.

She married her college sweetheart, Brian Whitlock. Back in the day, devoted Gamecock softball fans knew their team had dominated on the road with a quick glance behind the team bus, where the ever-faithful Brian would be trailing in his truck, two brooms sticking out from the back windows, signifying Tina and the girls had swept their series.

The Whitlocks would welcome a son, Aaron, and a couple years later another was on the way. They had the perfect game plan.

And it proved absolutely worthless. Only days before birthing their second baby, Tina buried her husband.

Her big, strong, healthy, young husband had an undiagnosed heart ailment. And just like that, Brian was gone, along with their game plan.

So with a potent mixture of profound joy and shattering sorrow, she welcomed his namesake, Brian Kelly Whitlock, into the world nine days after his dad left it.

***

St. Louis Cardinals coach Tina Plew Whitlock. (Photo by Matt Brodie/Brodie Media)

Tina is a woman of deep faith who leaned hard into God during her walk through the valley of darkness. She says intercessory prayer buoyed her and her boys in the immediate wake of her husbands death, and that she just kept walking through it. With God by her side.

Retired from professional softball, when she felt strong enough to coach, this 20-something packed up her little family and moved to New York, to a college coaching job, and with a deep desire she says the Lord put on her heart to live like the birds, trusting that He would take care of them and provide for their needs.

She made Matthew 6:26 their family mantra: Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

She laughs that God has a great sense of humor. In New York, her family moved into a renovated barn. It would be the first step of many professional opportunities nationally and internationally over the years.

Along the way, Tina would wrestle with her faith and her disappointment that, as a single mom, she was flying solo. But the thing is, when you wrestle with God, He always wins. But you win more.

And thats what happened with Tina. Eventually she flew back to the One who had been there all along.

At first she says she began seeking solace. And in that quiet time, God asked her to serve those whove traveled the same journey. So she started a ministry called Birds of Blessings that encourages other young women.

By now she had years of coaching experience under her belt, so when the idea was pitched that she would be a great fit for Major League Baseball looking to bring female talent into its rank, a dream was born.

Why not the big leagues, Lord? she asked. Is it time for me to swing for the fences?

His answer was a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.

***

They say a cardinal represents a loved one who has passed, that when you see one it means youre being visited. As the thinking goes, cardinals usually show up when you need that loved one or miss them most, to let you know youre never alone that they never really left you.

While Brian Whitlock was a Braves fan, Tina knows its no coincidence God has her coaching this team at this time. All those years ago when Brian died and that door was slammed shut, Tina made a choice a promise actually to live like the birds.

And God responded by throwing open a window and in His perfect time in flew the Cardinals.

Then, of course, came COVID-19. Another change to the game plan. For Tina, its just another opportunity to wait and see what God will do.

She trusts that the same God who closes doors and opens windows has a plan for what happens post-coronavirus. She remains excited and hopeful, because if theres two things Coach Tina Plew Whitlock knows about, its how to crush a ball and make a comeback.

Christy Mason Cox is a longtime speechwriter and former reporter who lives in Irmo, South Carolina. She loves softball and is her daughters biggest fan. Together they own BodyChekSports.com.

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Tina Plew Whitlock lives 'like the birds,' eager to begin coaching Cardinals - sportsspectrum.com

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

This season had already veered beyond recognition from that of any recent memory for the Golden State Warriors. For half a decade, the Warriors steamrolled through the regular season, spending each June vying for an NBA championship.

Steve Kerr didnt need any reminding of his good fortune. He always regarded himself as charmed for joining the Warriors at a beneficial juncture, during an ascent that only leveled off last fall. With few wins this season, he focused on his communication with his coaching staff and players, putting on blinders to building losses and prioritizing productivity. Small, consistent steps forward are difficult, yet paramount, during a down season.

The COVID-19 pandemic first brought the NBA and then much of the world to a standstill. The Warriors are like much of sports and the worldsearching, scratching for ways to stand still and move forward at the same time.

Kerr retired as an NBA player in 2003 before becoming a television analyst, a general manager in Phoenix and a coach. In retirement, he most missed the smaller, trivial moments the bus rides, the laughter, the joking. You just miss the interaction, Kerr said. Its what he misses most now, during a suspended NBA season, although he is currently giving his team space.

Were all just in a holding pattern, and so theres nothing we can really do, Kerr said during a recent telephone call. And especially our team, were in a situation where even if we are to get back to playing a few games, were not going anywhere. Weve already been eliminated from the playoffs, and so theres no sense of, Oh my gosh, I got to keep these guys motivated. For what?

"What are we motivating them for while were all sitting home during a pandemic? Id love to say were holding virtual practices and going through shell drills, but its all bulls--t. Its just, its fake hustle. The whole world has stopped. So, that means the NBA has stopped. And if you cant actually be together, theres not a whole lot you can do.

He takes comfort in small things like spending time with his family, making spaghetti Bolognese from scratch and finally watching Parasite. He is watching more tape of college games, taking notes on players the Warriors could choose with a high draft selection.

Otherwise, his job can wait.

The NBA is on hold.

The world is on pause.

Rick Welts, the Hall of Fame president of the Warriors, realized a dream in witnessing basketball played at the Chase Center last fall.

Its been the highest of highs in the beginning of our season, and definitely the lowest of lows with the deaths of David Stern, who was my mentor, and Kobe, and then to see how the worlds been turned upside down by this, Welts said over the phone.

The NBA, like all sports leagues, are exploring ways in how and when to resume their leagues.

The Warriors hosted the Clippers on March 10. The NBA had already started employing instances of social distancing. Locker rooms had been closed to all except essential personnel. Players and coaches conducted interviews in safe distances from the media. Kerr noticed pockets of empty seats against the Clippers at Chase Center.

That was the first night where you could just feel that something was happening, and so we all left the arena, Kerr said. We were all pretty quickly learning about what was happening, and it was our first real education on social distancing and what it would take to fight against this pandemic.

"And its surreal when you hear about it and when you really realize whats happening, right? Nobody can process it and nobody wants to take that step. But that game felt weird. The crowd was less than full, which is unusual. And the vibe was subdued, which is unusual. Even during this season, our crowd has been great.

Welts doesnt know if he will ever pen an autobiography. If he does, he believes the following day will figure heavily into the book.

He spent the morning in Mayor London Breeds office, discussing how to proceed with games inside a city that issued one of the country's earliest shelter-in-place mandates.

He left Breeds office and quickly phoned Commissioner Adam Silvers office. With your blessing, were going to be playing a game in San Francisco tomorrow night with no fans, he said.

Welts and general manager Bob Myers met with the team and relayed that they planned to host the Brooklyn Nets with no fans in attendance. I saw these quizzical looks on the players faces, like, How does that work? Welts said.

I made the joke that it will be like a college scrimmage, recalled Eric Paschall. Its kind of like in college when you have a secret scrimmage. No ones in the gym. So, I feel like everybodys been through that. You learn about that, and I felt like it wouldve been fine. It wouldve been weird, of course, because who plays a real game in front of nobody?

Utahs Rudy Gobert tested positive for the novel coronavirus, sparking the NBAs suspension of the season, and that caused other sports leagues to pause their seasons as well.

I dont think we had really recognized up until that point, as a country, how serious this was and how much it was going to impact each of our lives going forward, Welts said.

I still think the other leagues are looking to Adam and the NBA before they make a decision, to say, Whats the NBA going to do? Because I think its been that kind of leadership for a long while now. I think that Adam has really stepped up to the challenge and is proving again what a tremendous leader he is. He certainly has the support of our players and our teams in the way hes conducting himself.

I felt like for the whole country, the whole world, they got very serious when NBA shut down, Paschall said. All the sporting events shut down. Because I feel like sports is something that a lot of people, they get away from all their problems with sports. So I feel like when the sports shut down, its like, all right, like, this is very, very, very serious.

Goberts teammate and Paschalls best friend, Donovan Mitchell, tested positive for COVID-19.

Him getting it, it was a bit of a shocker, Paschall said. We would talk daily and well keep each other updated and just talk. We wouldnt even talk about corona. We would just talk about life and how we usually do. So it was nothing really crazy. But he was like, I feel fine. Im fine. Theres nothing going on. But yeah, thats my guy. We kept each other updated for sure.

The Warriors pledged $1 million to disaster relief in an effort to provide assistance to employees who work games at Chase Center. The organization employs more than 1,000 part-time employees at each game.

For Welts, days are now a series of video conferences and meetings. Some are meetings that would have occurred outside of the pandemic. Others are in direct response to this new world. He is astounded at the productivity of the meetings over video conferences, even if they are occasionally interrupted by a dog or a child in need of some attention. His own quarantine consists of two teenagers and two dogs and lots of walks.

In some sense, I think, were almost going to get a second chance to relaunch Chase Center, Welts said. Were talking about how we might do that in a way that is really significant. No details on that I can share at this point, but I think thats the way we have to look at it. Were going to get through this. Were going to get to the other side of it, and I think sports has an opportunity to shine again and rally how people feel and provide an environment thats going to be a big part of the healing.

Adam Silver has challenged every organization to use the suspension as a period of innovation. The NBAs presentation, Welts said, will be different when it returns, but it can also be better.

What an amazing opportunity to rethink every part of our business and the way weve historically done things, Welts said. Its a time to think about taking chances and how we come back and what we do and how we do it. If I was a 25-year-old at the Golden State Warriors right now, I could not think of a greater opportunity than having a chance to show my creativity, my innovation, and shine with ideas at the moment that might become the way we do business in the future. I really believe that. I really believe in the middle of all this mess theres an opportunity for people who want to make a mark and people who really want to distinguish themselves.

Welts concludes each day with an email to the organizations 500-something employees. The missives have evolved into a combination of updates and reflections.

For example, he recently sent an email relaying the FBIs concern over security vulnerabilities involving Zoom conferences. He ended the daily message with his reflections on the death of Bill Withers, the songwriter and musician who recorded hits like Ain't No Sunshine and Lean on Me. The two met several years ago at a dedication of Bill Russells statue in Boston. They became friends, with Welts texting Withers whenever he heard one of his songs and Withers texting Welts after each frequent playoff win.

Welts had thought of checking in on Withers the day before he had heard of his death.

I didnt get around to doing it, he said. It was just a way to talk to staff and say, Hey, take the time to do it, because you dont know when you wont have the chance.

About two years ago, Jordan Poole hit one of the most recent memorable buzzer-beaters in NCAA tournament history. His three-pointer lifted Michigan to a second-round win over Houston. Michigan went on to win three straight but then lost to Villanova, and Paschall, his eventual teammate in Golden State.

Kids dream of that all the time, Poole said. A lot of players, they make their livelihoods off of specific moments in the tournament like if you go for a run. We were able to go to the national championship my freshman year. I hit the shot, which put me on a big stage of the basketball world. And then you have seniors who this is their last go around and they had a really good chance or teams that are going to get a bid for the first time. Its the small things that you kind of forget about and being able to just to see that taken away from them. It wasnt a good feeling because you want everybody to succeed or everybody to go through those moments that you did.

Its differentI guess thats the best way you can describe it. Its different.

Poole, the Warriors first-round pick last June, says that he learned a lot about professionalism this season. The Warriors absorbed the loss of Kevin Durant through free agency and long-term injuries to Klay Thompson and Steph Curry. Then, the pandemic sidelined basketball and then the world.

For a lot of people, it just happened so fast and its so unusual, Poole said. Its not something that you can pinpoint or understand. And the uncertainty of it at the time was something that kind of left us in limbo. We didnt know how effective it was or how deadly or how it could impact so many people or how detrimental it was to the season. So, we were just kind of taking every, literally every moment by moment to see what was next or if we were going to be affected. Because once the NBA shut down, then it kind of seemed like everything else everywhere shut down.

NBA players across the country and globe are learning how to adapt to a suspended state. They could be called on to play soonor more realistically for someone like Poole, they wont be called on again until next season at the earliest.

For some people its a little bit of time off, Poole said. Some guys who have played 12 seasons in the NBA and had runs all the time, its kind of like a forced rest. Or its guys who have gyms or in-homes gyms who can continue to work out. So, you can use your resources and find ways to continue to keep getting better. But yeah, its, I dont know. Its pretty unusual. I think thats the best way to put it.

Poole checks up on his friends and teammates on a regular basis. FaceTime is probably being used more than it was before this entire quarantine too, he said.

Curry used this time to host a virtual Q&A on Instagram Live with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to educate more than 50,000 viewers on COVID-19.

Steph realizes his power, his influence in the world, not just as it relates to basketball or making money, Kerr said. I was very, very proud of that act. I thought that was great.

Curry also recently made a FaceTime call to a Bay Area nurse on the front line of facing COVID-19.

"Thank you so much, he said. I know you guys have some very important work to do. We have so many people praying for you, rooting for you, and I know as things continue to go, hopefully everybody takes their responsibility, a persons responsibility to try to end this thing quick, sooner rather than later, but, thank you so much for what youre doing.

The rest of the Warriors, like the NBA, are in suspension. Paschall is finding himself waking up earlier in the day only to languish with nothing to really accomplish. He plays a lot of video games. Call of Duty is a go-to. He checks in on his family and makes sure theyre good.

At the same time, you just got to adapt to it and learn, he said. He attempts to stay in shape with a bike and he uses weights.

I have a basketball in my house, Paschall said. But thats about it. I dont have any hoop or anything.

Neither does Poole, who is catching up on a lot of sleep missed over the last few years.

Waking up at 1 p.m. is about average for him. His two cats keep him entertained, and he lives with his longtime best friend. Theyve cycled through movies like Soul Plane and Final Destination.

One day, and hopefully soon, the NBA will be a part of this nations healing process. Maybe, players like Paschall and Poole and their teammates will play a role in that happening. Until then, they are quarantined and anxious like everyone else.

Of course, we stay in touch a good amount, Paschall said. We have to. We dont have nothing else to do. So, I mean, but at the same time, were going to take our space and worry about our families and know that this is a very serious thing.

Continued here:
From Players to Coaches to Execs, Here's What NBA Quarantine Life Is Really Like - Bleacher Report

By Kerensa Uyeta-Buckley

Sports Editor

In middle school, Justis Bowers (now Daigler) got pedicures with her friends to celebrate a birthday. Not only did her dad, Joe, take them to the salon, he sat right next to them and got a pedicure too.

When Joes son, J.C. Bowers, played basketball for Bradshaw Christian High School in his senior year, Joe was happy to coach his son.

Family meant everything to Joe, and when his wife, Melissa, coached Bradshaw Christians volleyball team to a Sac-Joaquin Section Championship in 2016, Joe, who was known to lead the fans in an occasional cheer during games, cried.

His playful, giving and loving nature defined Joe to those who spent time with him. That time he spent as a basketball coach, father, husband and friend was stunningly cut short on April 10, however, when he passed away after a lengthy battle with leukemia with Melissa by his side in San Francisco.

Joes re-emergence of cancer came out of nowhere, however. After a grim diagnosis over the summer, he had made nearly a complete turnaround and was on a careful but optimistic road to recovery.

In March, after three to four weeks of experiencing headaches, Joe went to the emergency room at UC Davis on March 28 after showing some numbness and not being able to talk fully.

Doctors discovered a bleed on his brain and he was released then went for a follow-up April 1 at University of California, San Francisco, where doctors discovered his cancer had returned full force and had spread into his brain and spinal fluid, Melissa Bowers said.

During his time in the hospital, the Bowers family Facetimed with Joe, with Justis in Fort Bragg, J.C. in Australia, and Melissa from home due to amped-up measures surrounding hospitals regarding COVID-19.

After three rounds of chemotherapy, on April 8, however, his doctor informed Melissa that the treatment wasnt working. Treatment was stopped, and Melissa drove from Sacramento to be with her husband immediately.

During a time where he could have focused on himself or thought negatively, instead the 67 former college basketball player and longtime high school coach turned his attention to something bigger, Melissa said.

At the end, Wednesday or Thursday night before he passed, I asked him, Joe, are you scared? Although he couldnt communicate very well, he had to struggle to talk, he said, No, Im not scared, I just want to make this about Christ, which was really huge for us. He wanted to encourage me, his students, (everyone); theres something bigger here and Gods up to something, Melissa said.

That faith, as well as his strength, were two traits that also had become familiar aspects of Joes nature to those who were in his life.

Joe could read me, and one of the best conversations Ive had with anybody was about a year and a half ago. He pulled me aside and just talked to me and gave me some words of encouragement. Next thing I know, we were talking for three hours till midnight, J.J. Mina, who played for Joe in high school and coached with him at Bradshaw Christian as well, said. He realized I was hurting.

Mina and current Pride varsity boys basketball head coach Alex Williams won the Sac-Joaquin Section Championship in 2009 as players at Bradshaw Christian under former head coach Mike Ruble, with Joe on the coaching staff as well.

The team went 12-1 in the Sac Metro League that year, and beat Forest Lake Christian for the Section Championship, 55-52.

This year, Mina, Williams and Bowers all coached another formidable Pride roster to the SJS title game as well as the semifinals of the CIF Nor Cal playoffs, which is further than any Pride team had reached in program history, Williams said.

It was equally hard for both of us, Williams said of himself and Mina when they found out Joe had passed away. I think what we were both saying was it was almost like God gave him another six months to have a victory lap, of sorts [after struggling in the summer of 2019 with both leukemia and a fungal infection before recovering]. I know Joe really enjoyed this past year of basketball.

Bowers was the Prides head coach before handing the team to Williams for the 2019-20 season so that the team could focus on basketball while he recovered. Last week, Williams informed the team through text and phone calls of his passing.

Ive had a lot of kids reach out to me and say he was a good man, Im going to miss him. Whether you really knew Joe that well or saw him in passing, he made an impact on people. Having him around, he taught me a lot as a coach. This was my first year as a head coach and having him be a part of that was pretty special.

Joe has always been the father type of coach and, of course, he knew the game of basketball like no other. He would do anything for anybody, Mina said. He was just a selfless person and when I say hed give you the shirt off his back, he would.

Never one to shy away from yelling while coaching a game if he had to, Joes experience with basketball was honed from his days playing in high school and at Sacramento City College, Cosumnes River College and Bethany College.

He coached at Capital Christian, which also turned out to be the site of the Prides last playoff game, from the late 90s to 2004 before moving on to other schools, including Bradshaw Christian.

He had a way of bringing out the best. Id say he brought out more, Melissa said of Joes coaching strategy.

One highlight in his personal life was walking Justis down the aisle at her April 2019 wedding three weeks after his stem cell transplant.

His impact on others families will be felt far beyond his own in the coming years, as Williams noted.

As I grow up, I just had a daughter, shes two months old, hes the kind of guy you look up to, Williams said of Joe. Those are the kinds of things you just look up to with a guy like that. He just possesses a lot of qualities that are hard to match.

Melissa said that, although the family cant hold the service it would have liked for Joe because of social distancing restrictions due to the novel coronavirus, shed like to hold one when she is able to, as soon as possible.

Our hope is that maybe in June or July we will have a celebration of life. In the meantime, were still making plans for family and how we want to do that. But I know that I want all these friends and family and also so many students to be able to say goodbye, said Melissa.

In that time, peers will be able to remember the man who once became a human ice cream sundae, had life-long friendships that reached as far back as second grade, and whod drop everything to be there for his family.

He never made excuses for anything. He didnt give you an excuse. He was always making people laugh, Mina said.

Continued here:
Devoted coach, father and husband remembered for 'bringing out the best' in people throughout life - Elk Grove Citizen

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Dallas, Texas, and I grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

What sports did you play in high school?

Basketball and softball

What were some of you and your teams accomplishments in high school?

Team accomplishments:

In softball, we made it to the state tournament four out of five years with our highest finish third place.

Individual accomplishments (softball):

Named first-team all-conference my junior and senior year.

Named first-team all-state my junior and senior year.

Named Valley Division Softball Player of the Year.

Selected to play in Iowa Girls Coaches Association All-Star Game.

Where did you go to college?

Iowa Central Community College and Indiana State University

Did you play sports in college? If so, which ones?

I played softball at both Iowa Central and Indiana State. After my senior year as a Sycamore, the track coach asked me to join the team for the conference meet and throw javelin I got about two weeks to practice before I competed on the track team.

What were some of you and your teams accomplishments in college?

Team accomplishments at Iowa Central:

Won the ICCAC Conference championship.

Highest ranking was No. 2 in the nation.

Finished the season with a record of 54-11 and ranked No. 7 in the nation.

Set 20 team/individual, season/career records.

Individual accomplishments at Iowa Central:

Second-highest batting average in the nation (.524).

Broke Iowa Centrals single-season batting average record by 52 points.

Set single-game record with six stolen bases.

Set single-season school records in batting average, hits, runs, triples and stolen bases.

Set career records in batting average, runs and hits.

Named National Player of the Week three times.

Named NJCAA D2 first team all-American, NFCA first team all-American, first team All-Region XI, all-Midwest Region NFCA, Region XI Defensive Player of the Year, NFCA Golden Shoe Award Winner, Female Athlete of the Year.

Team accomplishments at Indiana State:

Set eight team records.

Had first winning season in 22 years and the third most wins in school history.

Individual accomplishments at Indiana State:

Finished sixth in NCAA in stolen bases with 36, breaking previous Indiana State record of 28.

Led the team in runs scored with 36, which tied Indiana State school record.

Ranked top 10 in MVC history in stolen bases.

Ranked in the top 10 in Indiana State history with season and career records in batting average, highest slugging percentage, highest on base percentage, runs scored, hits, doubles, homeruns, total bases, walks, hit by pitch, stolen bases and putouts.

Named Missouri Valley Player of the Week.

Named Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year.

Named to first-team All-MVC.

What is the most memorable game you ever played in and why?

Thats hard to narrow it down to one game but the handful of games that were most memorable were all from high school. Four out of five years our team made it to the state tournament for softball. Three of those games we made the final out on defense and one year we made it on a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning. I can remember each celebration so vividly, like it was yesterday. There arent many better feelings in sports than celebrating a win that gets your team to the state tournament.

What did you learn from playing sports?

Playing sports played a huge role in molding me into the person I am today. One of the biggest things I learned through playing sports was to compete. You want something, you have to compete for it. It isnt just handed to you; you have to earn it. Along with competing, I learned what you put into something is what you are going to get out of it. The work you put in during the offseason is what sets you up to succeed during the season. You dont just work hard and give your best sometimes, but all of the time in everything you do it is a way of life.

What coach or coaches have had the biggest influence on your life and why?

My dad started coaching me when I was young and he was tough on me. He was instrumental in helping me become the player I was. I would have never succeeded without him. He taught me so much about the game and he invested so much time into helping me get better. Growing up, we lived right across the street from a softball field. I can remember taking the bat, bag of balls and our gloves to the field and waiting for him to get home from work. As soon as he would get home, he would come right over and we would start playing catch, working on fielding fundamentals and hitting. He did so much for me and I am forever grateful for all he invested into me. And it wasnt just my dad, but my entire family. My little brother also played a big role throughout my softball career. He was always playing catch with me and throwing me groundballs and flyballs. My mom, sister and brother were a huge part of my journey. For four years, they spent every weekend in the spring, summer and fall at a ballpark watching me play in a tournament. Our family vacations consisted of going to a different ballpark in a different city or state and staying in a hotel. Then came high school sports and they never missed a game. I am so incredibly thankful for their support and I could never repay them for everything they sacrificed for me. My grandparents, aunt and cousin also came to all of my high school games. I honestly couldnt have had a better support system.

Who was your favorite athlete growing up?

I have a three-way tie for favorite athlete growing up: Derek Jeter, Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant. As a shortstop, there was no one I admired more playing that position than Jeter. The guy was a competitor and never took a play off he lived for the big moments and knew how to win. Being born in Dallas, I was a huge Dirk fan. He wasnt the best guy in the league but he worked on his craft, his one-legged fadeaway it was a beauty! I was so happy for him when the Mavs won the NBA Championship in 2011. As a kid, I wore my Nowitzki jersey all the time. And Kobe Bryant was another athlete I admired. He was a huge competitor and played through some serious pain; he was gutsy! I loved how much he valued winning.

Who is your favorite athlete now?

Tom Brady! I love watching that guy compete. Back in 2013, I went to a Colts-Patriots game at Lucas Oil Stadium and when he came running out of the tunnel all of the Colts fans started booing him and I fell in love. You know you are elite when the other teams fans boo your presence. I love watching him play, compete and be clutch game after game.

What sports have you coached and where?

Softball at Indiana State (2014-2015)

Iowa Lakes Community College (2015-2016)

Graettinger-Terril-Ruthven-Ayrshire (2016-2018)

JCC Middle School (2016-2018)

JCC varsity softball (2019-Present)

Why did you get into coaching?

My passion for the game of softball. I have loved this sport ever since I first started playing it back when I was 7 years old. When I stepped off the field for the last time as a player, I knew I wasnt ready to be done. Softball is a huge part of my life and I wanted it to continue to be. Coaching gives me the opportunity to help positively mold the lives of these athletes and help them become confident, successful people for the rest of their lives. Coaching also allows me to give back to the sport that gave so much to me and to my life.

What are your favorite things about being a coach?

One of my favorite things about coaching is having the opportunity to impact lives in a positive way. Teaching your athletes to become better players of course, but more importantly, to help them become hard-working, driven, successful people for the rest of their lives.

The relationships you build with your players and the relationships you have with them after they graduate

Gameday! That feeling you get when you wake up on gameday knowing your team gets to compete against some other team, I love it!

How would you describe your coaching philosophy?

I expect my players best effort every single rep of every practice and every game. I expect them to give 100 percent in everything they do sports, school, life.

What has been the biggest highlight of your coaching career?

Besides COVID-19, the biggest highlight was when I was an undergrad assistant coach at Indiana State and we made it to the conference tournament and won it. There were 10 teams total in the Missouri Valley Conference and only eight of them made it to the conference tournament. We were the eighth seed. We ended up winning the tournament, knocking off the No. 5, 4, 2 and 1 seeds. It was the first time ever Indiana State Softball won the MVC conference title. We then headed to Columbia, Mo., to play in the NCAA Regional Tournament. In our region were the Missouri Tigers, Louisville Cardinals and Kansas Jayhawks. While there, we went 1-2 but we did become the first womens program to win an NCAA Tournament game at Indiana State. That entire experience, from the conference tournament to NCAA Regionals, was just unforgettable.

What is your favorite memory as a coach?

Back in June 2018, when I was coaching at GTRA (1A school), we played Alta Aurelia (Class 2A, third-ranked team in the state) on its home field. Prior to the game Alta Aurelia was the states lone undefeated team. We beat that team that night 3-1, a huge win for our program. To see the girls celebrate after our pitcher struck out the No. 4 batter with two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh inning was a surreal moment. I was just so incredibly proud of our kids and so unbelievably happy for them. What made the celebration even sweeter was knowing all of the work that our players put in during the offseason. Four days a week, our girls showed up at school at 6 a.m. Two days a week they hit and two days a week they did weights. So to win that game against Alta that night, it was the best thing ever to sit back and watch them celebrate, knowing the hard work they put in they were rewarded for. I will never forget that game!

What is the biggest thing youd like to accomplish in your coaching career?

Winning state championships! Id like to build a mindset where earning a trip to the state tournament is what we expect, not we hope for, but our expectations are that high every single season and we accomplish it.

What are your other hobbies outside of coaching?

Playing whiffle ball homerun derby with my fianc, Corey (In our three years of playing, Im winning 2-1!). I enjoy going to baseball/softball games and really to any sporting event. I love going to amateur baseball games in the summer. I enjoy going to Arnolds Park during the summer nights with Corey to walk around the park and get cotton candy. And lastly, I always enjoy a trip back home to Iowa to spend time with my family and friends.

Go here to read the rest:
Coaching helps keep Allee involved in the sport she loves - Lakefield Standard

Former Western Nebraska Community College womens basketball and volleyball player Chelsea Lyles is making some noise in the NCAA Division I coaching ranks.

Lyles, who is in her 10th year as an assistant coach at Florida Gulf Coast University, was recently picked by Silver Waves Media as one of the Top 50 womens basketball assistant coaches in the nation. Lyles said it is an honor to be recognized.

I am very grateful for the recognition. My purpose has always been to serve this university and program to the best of my ability, Lyles said. This recognition is a direct reflection of our program, though. I get to work a long side some of the best coaches and players in the country. They are the ones who made this possible.

Lyles has made Florida her home now. But the trip to Florida has been a long one as she came to WNCC from Harrison High in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she was a 3-sport athlete, competing in volleyball, basketball, and track and field. She was the Colorado state high jump champion.

Lyles played from 2006-08 at WNCC. She played basketball her freshman year, and then basketball and volleyball her sophomore year, helping the Cougar volleyball team to a NJCAA national title in 2007.

After WNCC, Lyles went to play at Florida Gulf Coast University where she played two years of basketball and then after her hoops career was over, she played a year of volleyball for the Eagles before becoming a student assistant for the basketball program in 2011.

Lyles said she has grown a lot over the years in her coaching at FGCU.

Ive grown a lot over the past 10 years, she said. Ive learned so much about the value in being a great assistant. My goal is to always be growing. Im constantly learning about more effective ways to coach, teach and relate to the generation Im recruiting.

Her time playing at WNCC and Florida Gulf Coast prepared her well for her coaching duties at the Division I level.

I enjoyed my time at both places. I learned and grew up so much at WNCC, Lyles said. I appreciate the lessons Coach [Dave] Harnish, Coach [Chris] Green, Coach Amy [Winters] and Coach Ped [Jennifer Pedersen] taught me; they prepared me for my time at FGCU. FGCU was an amazing experience, both when it came to basketball and lifestyle. I love the sunshine and beaches, which is why I havent left.

At Florida Gulf Coast, Lyles was instrumental in both basketball and volleyball over the next three years. Lyles was a two-time First Team All-ASUN selection and led the team to a 50-12 record overall and a 34-6 mark in ASUN play. As a senior, she produced double-digits in scoring 21 times and finished in the top 15 in eight different ASUN statistical categories. She was also the recipient of FGCUs Most Outstanding Female Student-Athlete Award.

After her basketball eligibility was finished, Lyles then spent a year as a graduate student on the volleyball team in 2010, where she started all 26 matches as a middle blocker, finishing the campaign as FGCUs leader in blocks (66), kills (205), and hitting percentage (.301).

After her playing days in volleyball, Lyles joined the FGCU basketball coaching staff after the volleyball season as a student assistant. She then was elevated to an assistant in charge of recruiting and then, most recently, has been promoted to associate head coach where her roles are pretty much anything.

I pretty much do anything and everything, she said. Even though Im not the recruiting coordinator, I still do a lot of recruiting because I love it. I do player development on and off the court. I think as an assistant, its so important that youre helping these young women grow as humans as well. We are the bridge in their life that takes them from living at home to living in the real world, so I just try to do my best mentoring them as they prepare for life after college. I also organize our alumni events and camps.

Ever since Lyles joined the FGCU family as a player and coach, the basketball team has always made the post-season, whether it was the WNIT or the NCAA tournament.

Last season, the Florida Gulf Coast was off to a tremendous season before the season was halted because of the corona virus pandemic.

We had an outstanding season, Lyles said. Before our season abruptly ended, we were 30-3, headed into the conference championship game. We had huge wins over Duke, USF, South Dakota State, and the defending national champion, Notre Dame. We were ranked 24th in the WBCA coaches poll.

Still, Lyles said you cant take anything away from what Florida Gulf Coast did this past season.

We had a great year. It was heartbreaking because we knew our ceiling was so high, and that we wanted to make some noise in the NCAA tournament, but unfortunately our season was cut short, she said. Everyone was heartbroken, but we also understood the bigger picture, and we just wanted everyone to be safe.

Lyles said that her time as a head coach gives her a greater appreciation of what her former coaches have gone through.

Now that Im a coach, I have a greater appreciation for my former coaches, she said. I had so many great coaches in my career, and thats why I became a coach, because of the impact they had on my life. I just try to give that back to the players I coach. I know the influence coaches have in young peoples lives.

That is why Lyles could be a good head coach. With 10 years of coaching experience under her belt, she gets the question a lot. For now, she is happy with being an assistant coach.

I get this question a lot, and I always say my one focus is to be the best assistant coach I can be for this university and program, she said. If the right opportunity came, where Im called to be a head coach, then Ill consider it when the time comes.

More here:
Former Cougar named as one of the top 50 assistant coaches - kneb.com

The Kingsport native was part of a national championship football team in college, played in the NFL and now is on the coaching staff at Dobyns-Bennett, his alma mater.

Gaines, 40, said being a football coach is something he dreamed of even as a teenager.

I always wanted to become a coach, even when I was a student at Dobyns-Bennett, he said. Thanks to coach Joey Christian for letting me come back. I appreciated it a lot. I definitely enjoy it. Coaching is a passion of mine. Theres no better place to do it than my hometown of Kingsport, Tennessee, with Dobyns-Bennett.

The Indians had a 2019 season to remember, piling up double- digit wins for the first time since 2012 and advancing to the TSSAA Class 6A quarterfinals before losing to eventual state champion Maryville.

Christian said Gaines means a great deal to the D-B program. Gaines has well over a decade of college coaching experience following stints at Chattanooga, Brevard, Maryville, Tusculum and East Tennessee State.

Gaines competed at the highest levels in his playing days.

After a standout high school career, he was a freshman defensive back on Tennessees 1998 national championship team.

Nearly 22 years later, he can recall the season like it was yesterday.

With the talent we had, even I as a true freshman could see we could compete with anyone, Gaines said. There were quite a few big games. The Florida game was big and obviously the Arkansas game, to pull out a win in that one. The national championship game (a 23-16 win over Florida State) was the biggest game Tennessee had and the biggest game theyve had since then.

My brother got to come out there (to the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona). It was just a great time for everyone, for the whole state of Tennessee.

His Vols career included a key interception of Alabama quarterback Andrew Zow that helped secure Tennessees 20-10 win, its sixth straight over the Crimson Tide at the time.

Gaines got to live out another dream when he was selected in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL draft. He was in camp with the San Francisco 49ers and played in the 2003 preseason with the Chicago Bears.

When I was first drafted, it was the dream come true, he said. I wish I could have had a longer career in the NFL. But I was able to go through the doors with two historic franchises and have such great experiences before some of my family became real pros in the NFL.

He was referring to cousins Gerald Sensabaugh and Coty Sensabaugh, who enjoyed long NFL careers.

Gerald Sensabaugh spent eight years with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Dallas Cowboys.

Coty Sensabaugh is a free agent after spending four years with the Tennessee Titans and time with the Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers. Last season, he played for the Denver Broncos before ending the season with the Washington Redskins.

Gaines time with the Bears led to a season as a starting cornerback for the German-based Rhein Fire in NFL Europe. The Fire went 6-4 during the regular season and met the Frankfurt Galaxy in the league championship at World Bowl XI in Scotland. The Fire fell 35-16.

On a personal level, Gaines got to experience Europe in a way he could have never dreamed of. His final experience as a player came in the 2004 preseason with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.

My time in those other countries was great, Gaines said. Soccer is the dominant sport in Europe, but their fans enjoy football and they enjoyed us. I got to travel to most of Europe and enjoy the time of my life. When I was in Montreal, I went through training camp with the Alouettes and it was another good experience in one of Canadas largest cities.

Football has been good to me.

Beyond football, Gaines has been a teacher in Cleveland, outside Chattanooga, and at John Sevier Middle School. His preferred subject is history, something that has always piqued his interest.

I like working with the youth and teaching history, Gaines said. Ive always been drawn to it, whether youre talking about regular history or sports history. With football, I always liked the history of the game and particularly the history of Dobyns-Bennett football.

I like U.S. history and learning more about individuals like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and all those people.

Originally posted here:
Gaines achieves another goal as part of D-B coaching staff - Kingsport Times News

Chauncey Billups is enjoying the slower pace of life.

Hes never really experienced that, at least not in the last 25 years. After two years at the University of Colorado, Billups spent 17 seasons in the NBA. For the last six years, Billups has worked in television, first with ESPN and now with Fox Sports in Los Angeles.

His days have always been planned from start to finish. But now, with the NBA season on pause, he has nothing but time.

Some players are taking the hiatus to learn new skills. Giannis Antetokounmpo started learning the guitar. Paul Millsap has become a TikTok king. Sure, Billups lightly prepared for the made-for-television NBA HORSE Challenge (where he defeated Hawks All-Star Trae Young and will be in Thursdays semifinals), but he is using his newfound time to just be.

Im just using this time to be with my family. I havent ever really had an opportunity to do that, Billups said. Unless...

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Life in the NBA: Chauncey Billups talks family, broadcasting and coaching - The Athletic

CLEMSON, S.C. The first thing Clemson fans should know about 72-year-old Danny Ford these days is that hes doing well.

Life on the 174-acre farm in Central, S.C., where the first coach to lead Clemson to a national title raises cattle and participates in South Carolinas legal hemp program, keeps him busy. And healthy. Hes happy.

Im just like a regular farmer, Ford said by phone. It keeps you a little bit younger than just sitting around and getting old, you know?

The second thing to know is that although Ford still gets to his fair share of fall tailgates at Death Valley, he does miss Clemson people.

That means the people that supported the football teams and didnt even go to Clemson, he said. Anybody that was associated with Clemson back then.

Hes referring, of course, to the late 1970s and 1980s, when Ford, at age 30, took over...

See the article here:
Why former Clemson coach Danny Ford still chooses life on the farm - The Athletic

KERNERSVILLE, N.C. High school football teams can't practice in the spring of 2020.

"Spring for every team is a big moment, so you can jell with the team and get going," said Jacob Fletcher, who is a rising senior on East Forsyth's Football Team. It's really weird. We're used to going year-round.

The coronavirus ripped spring practices away from teams, like East Forsyth.

"As a head coach, it's something that drives you nuts," said Todd Willert, who is the head football coach at East Forsyth. "As a head coach, you try to control so many things and if you can't control it, you try to find a way how to control it. Obviously, there's no way to control this monster we're against right now. We're telling kids and everybody to understand, everybody is doing it. It's not just used who's sidelined."

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The Eagles are coming off back-to-back 4A state titles. Even champions, don't get a chance to see the field together.

Willert is going into his 18th season coaching the football team.

"We did a drive-by with my daughter in there," said Willert. I said, 'No, baby we can't get out, we're just doing a drive-through. Daddy hasn't seen work in about 3-4 weeks. I need to come by and see it'."

Willert said he texts his team often while they're going through this time. His staff has helped provide workouts for each position. The team also watches film to get better. Willert said he's able to track how often each player is doing those things.

More:
'As a head coach, it's something that drives you nuts': East Forsyth tries to navigate life with no football - WFMYNews2.com

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Jerry Hargis learned a life lesson at age 28 that changed his perspective on things.(Photo: Zachary Holden/Telegraph-Forum)

BUCYRUS - Softball is just a game.

That's the mindset Bucyrus coach Jerry Hargis has during these unprecedented times of a stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now in his 10th season coaching the Lady Redmen, Hargis understands this is unlike anything his teams have ever seen before, but knows that as long as he and his team stay healthy, that's all that really matters.

"I worry about them more not taking care of themselves and being careful in public if they go out," Hargis said."Kids are kids and sometimes they think they're invincible and can do anything, but they just need to take care of themselves and the parents will do a good job of that, too."

Hargis has a unique perspective on this situation that others in his position do not. When he was 28 years old, he contracted Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a bacterial disease spread by ticks that begins with a fever and headache, then leads to the development of a rash made up of small spots of bleeding.

"I've been through this thing once, not knowing day-to-day what's going to happen," Hargis said."It was very uncommon this side of the Mississippi River, out west it was common, so right away they didn't know what it was. I was in the hospital for a while, then they sent my blood to Atlanta and found out what it was. The treatment was just antibiotics and they bombard your body with them. You go through that stuff and at the time you don't worry about it much, but when it's over, it it makes you think about what's really going on in this world.

"So you sort of get beyond that if you've experienced it once, and this will be great for the kids. If we get through this thing which I'm sure we will they'll experience it and realize it's a part of life."

When he met with his team on the final day before the stay-at-home order went into effect, he made the decision to have the girls clear out their lockers in the locker room.

"I had an inkling when I read something about this thing being a lot worse than it looked, and I had an inkling something big was coming," Hargis said."I directed the girls to take all their stuff, anything that belonged to them, out of the locker room. We have not been back to the locker room yet, but the girls have stayed in contact with each other. I told them if they want to throw the ball and hit, call someone and do it, but don't call me.

"This is an active group of girls we have and they're serious about this sport, so I'm sure they've gotten together some."

That's one thing Hargis hasn't had to worry about. This is a Lady Redmen team coming off sharing a Northern 10 title in 2018 and seeing one slip through their grasps last year due to an untimely injury to pitcher Caleigh Rister in the district semifinal that ultimately led to a district runner-up finish to rival Galion and a loss at Carey in the final league game a week later.

They're hungry for more.

Jerry Hargis is in his 10th year coaching the Lady Redmen.(Photo: Zachary Holden/Telegraph-Forum)

"I saw them on the practice field one day and I blew the horn, that's as close to contact with them I've been," Hargis said."This is somethingwhere the kids need to realize they're growing up, it's time to take care of yourselves for a bit and you figure it out. Don't have someone else come by and tell you how it ought to be, you figure it out for yourself."

It's more of a life lesson than a softball lesson.

He's approaching this as a learning lesson for his team. Hargis has been hands-off when it comes to coaching during the stay-at-home order,he wants them to focus on the bigger picture.

"It's more of a life lesson than a softball lesson," Hargis said."Softball will come and go, we'll have a season next year if we don't have one this year hopefully we get some games in, but I don't know if we will this has to be a life lesson you learn from and you're going to play softball more down the road."

As someone who usually has no free time from March to June, Hargis is making the most out of being at home.

"I keep myself busy," Hargis said."I've worked more on my house in the last four, five, six weeks than I have in a long time. I used to coach football and I coach softball, so I'm busy most of the time, but I'm piddling around doing things that need to be done and probably should've been done five or six years ago."

He also said it's somewhat of a blessing in disguise as it has helped his family as a whole become closer.

"I'm enjoying the family life a little more," Hargis said."My wife, who is an educator, is laid off, but we're as close as we've been in a long time ... It gives you more family time, the kids talk to you and worry about you a little more, they call us and want to visit more. We're a lot closer as a family, as I'm sure everyone else is."

At the end of the day, softball is just a game.

"That registered to me during this whole thing," Hargis said."People are scared to death, they really are, and I would be too if I hadn't lived so long. I've lived long enough that I know things like this are going to happen.

"It's part of the growing process."

zholden@gannett.com

419-617-6018

Twitter: @Zachary_Holden

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Coaches Check-up | Bucyrus' Jerry Hargis brings unique perspective to the pandemic - Bucyrus Telegraph Forum