Jacque Dashner

February 14, 2021

Community Service Reflection Paper

Why did I choose a coaching a basketball team as my community service? That is easy, I coach

my son’s fourth grade basketball team. I have been coaching them for the last four years. As a parent, I

try to help out in our community and school as much as I can. I played basketball growing up and being

a coach is time I get to spend with my son and watch him grow as an athlete. This year has been difficult

dealing with COVID-19 and making sure I am doing what is best for my players and our families. The

safety and health of my players and our families will always be my number one priority.

In years past as a coach, I worked with the boys with basic basketball skills. Skills such as

dribbling, passing, and shooting. As the boys get older, we have been working on different offensive

plays and working on our defense. This year has been different for me. This year I have really tried to

focus on the boys. When I say that I mean I have been focusing on them as a person, player, and getting

to know them better. I am with the boys about 2-3 times a week. I have picked up on their

personalities and different feelings they might be having. It is weird me saying that because I feel like I

do know every boy on my team, because most of them have been going to school together since

kindergarten. But I guess in the years past, I just solely focused on the basketball aspect of our time

together. I am spending more one-on-one time with each player, picking up on their different social

ques or moods they might be having. It is something I have worked on as a coach to I know if they have

understood what I have taught or showed them, if I need to spend more time with them, or if I need to

show or say things in a different way for them to better understand the skill.

The reason why I think this year has been different for me as a coach is because I made the

decision last spring to become a teacher. Some of the education classes I have taken so far have helped
me better understand my players. I have ten boys on my team. They do not all learn the same way and

they all react to situations differently. As a coach, I adjust to each player and the situation. I have

noticed that some learn just from me showing them one time. Some learn from me going over the new

skill over and over until they can perform it on their own. Some learn from me writing the drill or play

on my dry erase board. These are all examples of different learning strategies I can use as an educator.

Another aspect of my coaching that I have tried to work harder on is positivity. It ties in with

knowing each player and how they learn best. If I see a player make a mistake, I absolutely do not yell at

them or call them out during practice or a game. That is one thing I will never do. Chances are, if a

player makes a mistake, they know they did. They will probably be harder on themselves than what I

would be. If they already know and feel bad, why would I do anything to make it worse? What I do is

turn the negative into a positive. If a player makes a pass that is stolen, I say “that’s a good look”, if a

player shoots and doesn’t make a basket I say, “that’s a nice shot.” When they are out on the court

during a game that is not the time to yell or embarrass them in front of everyone. I use time outs to talk

things through, explain plays, what we need to work on, and what we are doing well. Another time I

talk with the players is when they are sitting on the bench.

One of my biggest enjoyments of coaching is when a player makes a basket, or a good play and

you can see their face light up along with their teammates. To me, coaching is so much bigger than just

winning a game. I am there to teach, help, and to have fun. It brings me almost to tears at times when

a player makes a good play, and you can see that both they and their families are excited. That is when I

know I have made a difference. That reason is why I love coaching. That is why I want to become a

teacher. To help, teach, and guide students to achieve their innermost true potential.