Hi!

My name is Annie Schaffer and I am one of the 6 fellows in Sports Leadership at the JCC in San Francisco. This past winter, each of the 6 fellows was assigned either a team to coach or a coach to observe at the JCC. The group was divided and I was chosen to work with the Cheetahs. The Cheetahs were a first grade girls basketball team. Initially, the team started out with 8 players and by the end of the season, had grown to 10. As a runner, equestrian and volleyball player, basketball was completely new to me. Although I was nervous to coach basketball, (a sport I had rarely watched or played), the first day of practice with Coach Didi and the team erased any fears or hesitation I once had. Each week, I got to watch the girls become better players and friends. Not only did they learn a lot about the technicality of the sport and the importance of team work, they taught me a lot about coaching as well. I was fortunate to have a great group of girls - they were receptive to new concepts, were engaged during practice, and best of all, they had patience and respect for me even though I lacked the formal training that many other coaches had. During games, the Cheetahs were by far the most competitive team. They were focused and constantly wanted to show off the skills they had learned in practice. While I sat on the bench with them, I got to see how the work that I had put in to teach them basic skills was actually working. Throughout the season, I learned how to work with a new sport and younger girls. Overall, the season was a rewarding experience and I can't wait to continue coaching!