Coach feature: For the love of the game

Coach+feature%3A+For+the+love+of+the+game

I believe the love of coaching developed while I was playing the sport of basketball,” said Coach Lawrence Trigg, who is responsible for the girls on the Badminton team.I found myself analyzing what I would do in certain game situations. I was the ‘player coach’ when our teams played city league basketball.”

His love for coaching took him in a direction that was a bit unexpected when he started helping the badminton coach several years ago “so I could learn more of the game,” he said. When that coach retired, and since Coach Trigg had the knowledge, he became the team’s coach for that season. He was a little hesitant, but after the former coaches offered to mentor him, he accepted the position.

He has coached the team almost every year for the 17 years he’s been at Armijo. He didn’t coach badminton in 2002. He also has spent many years coaching basketball: nine for the boys’ team and five for the girls. He’s also been offered to unofficially coach basketball at Napa Valley College.

Although he hasn’t had to worry about missing a game in the past, he does recognize that the training he has provided will be beneficial to the team. He would simply call on the administration to help and the players would take it from there.

To give the players confidence, he constantly gives feedback, encouraging them on how to improve. The team also spends a lot of time together in their team room, hanging out and helping each other with work.

Coach Trigg makes sure that his team members attend every practice and, if they don’t commit themselves to the team, they will not earn a letter and they don’t get a badminton emblem.

Does he like coaching at Armijo? “The answer to that is, ‘no!’ I LOVE coaching here at Armijo,” he said.