The Junior Girls Basketball team at Crowsnest Consolidated High School had doubts that there would be a season for them this year, as until recently, they did not have a coach for the team.
After the regular coach of the Junior Girls Basketball team had to step down from the position for personal reasons, the team was left without a coach and with a strong possibility of no season this year.
However, a week before the first game, a parent of one the players stepped up to the challenge and offered herself as coach.
“To be at the junior high level, you need to have to be extremely qualified for coach,” said Dakota Kuftinoff, Athletic Director at CCHS. The Girls Basketball team has players from grades seven, eight and nine.
“You have to have some basketball knowledge, but mainly, you have to be keen to work with the girls and the game itself,” she said.
Sasha Dodds was the woman who stepped up the plate- or hoop- and took on the team for the season, which started on to the week of December 4th. She is the parent of a player on the team.
“We are very thankful that someone stepped up,” said Kuftinoff. “It would have been terrible to have to cancel the season on the team.”
Kuftinoff explained that it is difficult to find coaches for the High School teams and the school has had this problem in the past.
“After a current coach steps away, it is hard to find people who can spare the time to go to practices and games,” she said. “It usually comes down to a time commitment issue.”
The Girls Junior Basketball team already has one game under their belts and they are off to a tournament this weekend.
