Basketball has been a passion of Math teacher Stacy Eggers for over a decade. For the first time, she has taken a season off of coaching girls basketball to have her daughter, Brianna Theresa.
“I totally miss coaching,” said Eggers, “It’s really hard, like, I knew I was going to kind of miss it because I really love coaching. This is my first season off since I was 10. I’ve been playing or coaching basketball for literally my whole life. I played when I was a kid and then I played through high school and college. And then, as soon as I got a job here I started coaching. So my winter is in the gym. That’s how it’s always been. And I love the girls. It’s really hard to not be coaching. Brianna was born the first day of basketball practice – there was no way I could coach this year just because it wouldn’t have worked. But I’ll be back next year.”
Until then, Eggers remains involved with the team. She’s made packets with inspirational quotes to give to the team before some of the home games, and has attended every home game and two at St. Michael high school, now with her daughter alongside her. Although Brianna may have been introduced to basketball before the age most children are introduced to solid food, Eggers is unsure of whether or not her daughter will one day play, too.
“Everybody says she will. My husband and I met playing college basketball, so both of us are pretty big basketball fans, and play a lot. We’re both tall, so everybody says, ‘She’s going to be tall and play basketball.’ I mean, if she decides to, she will. But it’s not like I’m going to make her. If she likes it, she’ll play; if she doesn’t, she won’t. But, she’ll try it, and we’ll see what happens.”
For now, Eggers remains busy with teaching and motherhood, if not coaching.
“It’s a new ‘normal,’ but it’s good.”
By Kristin Jeske, Nicole Banke, and Caroline Persons
