Double Goal Coach Awards

Coach Marty Moga, 5th Grade Girls – He always wants us to work hard. He explains to us how to do things and where we can improve without making us feel bad. He encourages us. He is the best. This is the first year my daughter has ever played basketball and he has been absolutely wonderful to her. He is so patient and works with the girls to build skills on and off the court. Anna has not only improved as a basketball player, but has also become more confident and self-aware as a person. He genuinely seems to enjoy watching the girls interact and grow. This was very evident when we took the entire team to watch the MSU vs. U of M women’s basketball game. It was such a powerful event for my daughter to witness. I am so glad that my daughter decided to take a leap and join this team. Marty and Tiff Burns are an amazing duo!Marty is a great coach. Every week he taught the 5th grade girls a MJR value. He relentlessly taught the girls that making mistakes are ok which made them fearless to try new things in games like give and go and transition passing. He had 12 girls on his team and played them all. He encouraged the girls to respect the rules of the game. While at one game a ref incorrectly gave the ball to our team after a timeout so he talked with the ref and reminded him that it was the other team’s ball. He was always respectful to refs. Marty arranged to take the team to a UofM vs MSU game which was pretty awesome for the girls to experience. He has a true coach’s heart. I am so happy he agreed to coach the 5th grade girls this year!

Coach Sean Kelly, 3rd Grade Boys – Sean is dedicated to developing his players and focusing on respect more than outcomes. Taught boys fundamentals. Positive attitude. Helped the boys stay calm in pressure situations. Coached great during the league tournament. He teaches and develops fundamentals with drills every practice.

Coach Jason Cox, 4th Grade Girls – Jason is so encouraging and always routing for our Girls no matter the outcome of the game! He’s a great Coach! We went above and beyond in the beginning of the season to make sure all 4th grade girls had a team to play in and has taught these girls the fundamentals of basketball. It’s not about winning and losing, it’s about learning from the first game to the last! He’s constantly encouraging the kids to give their all, and to have fun. It’s never about winning or losing. He’s a great example. These girls were almost all cut from other teams participating. In spite of the odds against them, Jason and his assistant coaches turned them into a pretty competitive team and more importantly, made them realize that with effort, practice and teamwork they could succeed in life despite some physical hardships and perceived shortcomings by others. It was more than a pleasure to watch them grow and develop under their coaches’ guidance. The team, coaches and parents would also occasionally meet (win or lose) for lunch after their games to celebrate their child’s development and successes. I can’t think of anybody more deserving of this award than Jason Cox and his team and assistant coaches. He brings the true meaning of “life coach” to all who were and are influenced by him.