The bond of sports teams is like no other. Athletes spend countless hours together between practices, games, and team bonding activities. Students who participate in extracurricular activities often see their teammates as family, no matter what grade they're in. Most importantly, they see their coaches as role models and people they can go to during hardship or for advice.
Basketball head coaches Jeff Haun and Tyler Weatherholt want nothing more than for their players to enjoy their time during their high school career, while also learning important life lessons. Coach Haun, who is the newly-appointed head coach for girls' basketball, is a huge advocate for a positive team culture.
"The bond of a team makes or breaks their success," he said.
Coach Haun has been a part of girls' basketball at Louisville for nine years. He was formerly an assistant coach, but in 2023 he announced his new role as head coach, which many of his players were happy to hear.
"He's such a fun person to be around... There's never a dull moment when we're at basketball," said junior WyLeigh Bateman.
Coach Weatherholt is a newer name around Louisville. Last year he coached the boys' reserve basketball team. At the start of 2023, it was announced that there would be an opening for the head position, which Coach Weatherholt was determined to fill.
“I’m focusing on intensifying our bench energy… this energy makes our guys work harder,” Weatherholt said.
He also wants to improve the defensive side of games, which is why he has the team spend 45 minutes of every practice on defensive drills.
"He's a good coach... He pushes us, which sucks sometimes, but it makes us in shape and better for intense games," said senior Cash Biesterfeld.
The impact of these coaches shows how much they care about their program and, more importantly, their players.