By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
PATTEN — Parents often serve as their child’s coach and mentor for sports teams when their children are young. But having your mother serve as your basketball coach can be both a daunting challenge and a highly rewarding experience for a student athlete.
Just ask Katahdin High School junior Delaney Fitzpatrick.
Photo courtesy of Jona Fitzpatrick
COACH MOM — Jona Fitzpatrick played dual roles for the Katahdin girls basketball team as both the Cougars’ head coach and mother to Delaney, a junior with the squad.
Fitzpatrick’s mother, Jona, took over the coaching duties of the Katahdin varsity girls basketball team this past winter, becoming the third coach in Delaney’s three years with the program. The Cougars had an up and down season, finishing with a 3-15 record, as coach Fitzpatrick tried to bring stability to the program.
Growing up, Delaney did not have much experience having her mother serve as her coach. Jona was an assistant for one of Delaney’s peewee teams as a child, and was the junior varsity coach her freshman year.
So when her mom took over the varsity program, Delaney wasn’t sure what to expect.
“At first I was a little nervous because I didn’t want to be given a hard time because my mom was the basketball coach, but I never doubted my mom in being a good coach,” Delaney said. “She always put her whole heart and mind into coaching and our team. Our team came together more than it ever had before and even though we didn’t win many games, I had a very enjoyable season with my mom and my wonderful team.”
Drawing the line between the coach and being mom was challenging for Jona in the early stages.
“I think at first I may have been a little harder on her,” Jona said. “I had to back off sometimes with what I would say to her. For example, if she committed a foul, I may have been quicker to say something to her (than other players.) I learned to balance it.”
Jona said there was no tension between her and her daughter, even when a younger player supplanted Delaney in the starting lineup.
“She was real good about it,” Jona said. “She knew the girl was a very good player and filled a role that we needed. My daughter is one who enjoys playing ball, but is fairly balanced in that it is not the only thing in her life.”
There were a few times the two clashed and sometimes those discussions followed them home after practice. For the most part, however, the two found themselves enjoying their time together on the hardwood.
“If there was one complaint I had, it was that my mom would read all these books to help her come up with plays and drills to run in practice,” Delaney said. “Almost every day, I would come home and before I put my backpack down I would hear, ‘Delaney, guess what? I think I found this amazing new drill we can run in practice!’ So I pretty much knew all the new drills and plays before everyone else because she would get so pumped up about a new one she ran it by me. By the end of the season, I was about ready to be done with new drills and plays, but other than that minor little thing, coach and mom always stayed separate. No matter what role my mom is playing in my life, coach or teacher, she is always in mom mode.”
Because her daughter is a Type I Diabetic, Jona said it was difficult at times to keep the mothering instinct in check when her daughter was on the court.
“It was hard for her on the court sometimes,” Jona said. “If her blood sugar dipped she would need to come out and get a drink or eat something. Sometimes I wouldn’t see her, because I was so focused in coach mode, but when I heard her call my name, I knew she needed a break.”
So was it easier having her mother as the coach?
“To me it didn’t really make a difference,” Delaney said. “If we had a team issue, she would of heard about it anyway because she was my mom and I tell her pretty much everything. My mom and I are very close also, and I never had a problem with the way she coached or ran our team. She and coach T (Lisa Timberlake) did a great job. Not everyone could see our improvement, but I could and I think we will improve even more under the coaching abilities of Coach T and my mom.”
