Dear Editor:

What an exciting year of basketball it was for me this past winter. I was lucky enough to coach two different teams, the fourth-sixth grade girls YMCA league and the eighth grade girls travel team. I love coaching. The delight in watching a green player get nothing but all net as she sails the ball through the air, the accomplished feeling of observing a seasoned player master a new skill and the thrill of bringing home a win.

But there is also another side to coaching that I love. Instilling characteristics in these kids that are positive and they can utilize whether they are on or off the court. Self-confidence, teamwork, commitment, respect, dedication, goal setting are characteristics that all coaches hope to introduce and develop within these young minds.

The YMCA has a core group of volunteer coaches that have been part of the program for many years, building and strengthening the girls’ basketball program. While I am only a small fish in the sea, it was a great pleasure to be part of the program once again.

I would like to say thank you to Lauren Brown for assisting me with the eighth grade travel team and Mr. Deetjen for juggling the gym schedule. Thank you to the YMCA staff and Ed Crocker for your support and efforts with the programs. But most importantly, thank you to all the players and parents that made the commitment to me and the programs. With the season being over, I look back and remember all the times the kids made me laugh, the progress that they made as individuals and as teams and say, volunteering is one of the most rewarding jobs anyone can ever have.

Heather O’Brien
Boothbay Harbor