Commentary

Thank you to the community and to the team

And good-bye
Mon, 03/06/2017 - 4:00pm

Another great basketball season in the books!  I’d like to take a moment to thank some folks who made it all possible.

First, many thanks to the parents. Thank you for your unconditional support of both the players and the coaches.

I’d like to thank the YMCA, and specifically, Logahn Walker and Andy Hamblett. They allowed our team to use the Y facility on numerous occasions throughout the season. It broke up the monotony of routine practices, and helped to better prepare us for the tournament. Thank you for that opportunity.

I’d like to thank my family, Merritt, Trish, Alyson and soon to be brother-in-law Dan, for all your support.  You have enabled me to live out my passion of coaching basketball. Your dedication to me and to this program has been overwhelming. Thank you and all my love.

I’d like to thank all the peripheral folks who make the season possible: administration, bus drivers, janitors, teachers, volunteers, other winter sports coaches, and friends. And the community at large; thank you for supporting us all season. We had great crowds all year; you helped to make Porter Memorial Gymnasium into a very formidable home court advantage.

A special thank you to Channel 7.  Merritt, Mike and Bill — nobody does it better. And Cody Mitchell, the future of BRCTV — your hard work and enthusiasm is astonishing.

Thank you to coaches Brian Blethen, Matt Brewer and Nate House. The time, energy, and effort that you have put into this season was appreciated.

Thank you to ReAnna Heino, our manager. Your dependability and commitment to this program has been exceptional.

And lastly, thank you to the players. You epitomize everything that is good about sports. It has been an honor and a privilege to be able to call myself your coach.  Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your lives.

This particular letter goes beyond just another thank you. This was my final season as the Lady Seahawks varsity girls coach. It’s with mixed emotions that I write this, and without question the feelings are difficult to articulate.

A lot of thought has gone into this. I have given it my all, but now I think Lady Seahawks basketball is set to begin a new chapter. We are graduating an amazing senior class, and we are also leaving an excellent group of talented underclassmen to carry on the tradition of Seahawk Pride. The next coach will be very lucky.

As for me personally, I am set to begin a new journey.  For those unaware, a treatment for my medical condition of SMA (spinal muscular atrophy) was approved by the FDA this past December. I have been in touch with my doctors and am pursuing treatment.

Coaching at BRHS has been a great experience for me. Basketball and participating in team sports have so much to offer. They teach us to be a part of something larger than ourselves. Forming relationships with others, and working towards a common goal. The game itself is fun, but so is the ride. I’ve had a blast, and it’s been such a privilege to do this at my alma mater. Boothbay is a great community and BRHS is a great school. Anyone who thinks otherwise is truly missing out. That pretty much sums it up for me.  To all the future Lady Seahawks out there, I only have one thing left to say — GO GET IT!

With Undeniable S.W.A.G.