Turning around an athletic program can take years. A couple of things have to happen in order to make it happen. One of them is player development, along with winning games. For Shelley girls’ basketball head coach Jessica Carlson, the opportunity to do both is something she looked forward to each day and it paid off this year.
Carlson, the Post Register All-Area Coach of the Year, spearheaded a big turnaround after finishing 13-12 last year to winning 22 games and leading the Russets to the 4A state final. Carlson also implemented a system that involved passing and finding the hole on the defense while also finding other ways other than isolation or one on one play.
“She (Carlson) is super willing to be patient with us,” forward Brinley Cannon said. “She coaches with positivity and she uplifts and I think that just helped us see that vision and buy in.”
“She has put an emphasis in team basketball and moving the ball and work together as a team that’s how we would be the most successful,” Cannon said.
With the turnaround, coaches in the area have noticed what Carlson has done with the program.
“This is the best campaign put together by a team,” Skyline head coach Ty Keck said. “She got more out of her players more than what we saw. What was done in the off-season and in-season put them in a position to win state.”
“They (Carlson and coaching staff) have done an incredible job in a couple of years. She has established an identity and culture. Those girls have bought in on what Jessica has been selling,” Blackfoot head coach Raimee Odum said.
“Jessica has brought kids a long way. I’ve been impressed how it has improved in the last years,” Sugar-Salem head coach Crystal Dayley added.
We welcome comments, however there are some guidelines:
Keep it Clean: Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexual language. Don't Threaten:
Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be
Truthful: Don't lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice: No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading. Be Proactive: Report abusive
posts and don’t engage with trolls. Share with Us:
Tell us your personal accounts and the history behind articles.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
We welcome comments, however there are some guidelines:
Keep it Clean: Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexual language. Don't Threaten: Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful: Don't lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice: No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading. Be Proactive: Report abusive posts and don’t engage with trolls. Share with Us: Tell us your personal accounts and the history behind articles.