“For the flag it was the competitive spirit and connection that the athletes had. It was an extremely driven team and to see them go out and compete every day was fun. For basketball, the leadership that our seniors have taken on in helping to guide a young team has been special. They have sacrificed a lot and I appreciate them so much.” -Coach Phelan.
Background
The Lakes Girls Basketball team is proud to be led by three experienced coaches: Grant Murray, Brian Phelan, and Greg Lyons. These coaches are quick-thinking and savvy instructors of the game. One of the rare similarities that this group of coaches has is that they have all coached both girls basketball and flag football. The benefit of having coaches who have worked together for multiple seasons, is that it allows for great continuity and seamless transition between seasons. So let’s look ahead and unpack how they have learned to effectively work together.
Chemistry
Coach Murray has had the honor of being the head coach for the Varsity Girls Basketball team for the past two years. Coach Phelan has been coaching since 1998, which has allowed his athletes to learn from his years of experience. Coach Lyons has also been coaching sports for 13 years. Phelan said “Coaching several sports together has definitely improved our chemistry. You learn how the other person thinks in real time—how they communicate, how they adjust, and how they handle pressure. That familiarity carries over from sport to sport and allows us to be on the same page quickly, especially in games”. The coach’s chemistry ties into the success of players on the court. Gianna Gray and Ryan Horvath have had a huge impact on the girls team, with both of them averaging 10 points per game. Underclassmen Natalie Floren and senior leader Olivia Lamb also have been contributing in a huge way, both working hard to have 100+ rebounds on the year.
Mentoring in the Moment: These coaches have all shown how they can collaborate together, improving themselves and the team at the same time. Each coach has a responsibility in the game to strategize what is best for the team at the moment. They bounce ideas off each other to make the game more competitive, which can lead to a victory.
“As a head coach, there are a million different things that I am analyzing. That’s why there are times when I turn to my assistants and ask them what they think because they are able to focus on one or two things going on in a game. I don’t hesitate to give Coach Phelan a “hot board” during a game because he has a ton of in-game coaching experience that I rely on pretty heavily. He has a couple of things each game that he locks in on and if I feel the timing is right, he gets the marker. No hesitation. We have plays that we use that were designed by Coach Lyons. I trust them in those situations.” -Coach Murray
Murray shows that he really puts trust in coach Phelan who is an accomplished coach at the varsity level. Having these minds come together improves how the girls play. Coach Lyons also describes how he strategizes during game play.
“So we each kind of have our own way with what we want to break down. Phelan’s more X’s and O’s, I’m looking for more energy on the floor, and on the bench, and how I’m seeing the players play.” -Coach Lyons
