Lexi Daniels- Back Teaching/Coaching in Galesburg

I am so excited that Lexi Daniels was hired to teach in District #205, and that we can get her involved coaching in the girls basketball program.

Lexi had a great career at GHS as a player. She continued to be a big part of our program throughout college. She has been instructor in Streaks Camps, coach/counselor at Purdue Camp, and coach of our JH and Frosh teams in Summer League. She has coached with our program actually since her sophomore year in high school.

Now that she is coming back to Galesburg, we are going to continue to have her involved coaching in our program. We are excited that we are going to have Lexi as an assistant with Coach Barshinger and myself with the varsity team.

Here is conversation with Lexi…

When growing up, did you have any Streak players you looked up to?

I looked up to Jessica Howard and Micaela Rodriguez. I remember going to summer camps and both of them teaching stations on shooting.

What are some of your best moments as a high school player?

A few of my favorite moments from high school came in winning regional championships, making it to the Sweet 16, and the Christmas tournament. All of these times allowed me to build better relationships with my teammates.

When did you decide you wanted to go into teaching and coaching?

I actually have always thought about being a teacher. When I was a little girl I would play school at daycare, where I was the teacher of course. When I was in high school I was really set on being a physical therapist. I then ended up  taking A&P the first part of my senior year and didn’t think I could handle a lifetime of that. The last quarter of my senior year I took the early childhood education class and that is really where I decided this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Coaching was always something I was interested in because we got to coach in summer camps and I knew at some point my playing career was going to end, but I still wanted to be a part of the game.

Why did you want to come back to Galesburg to teach? And to come back to coach?

I wanted to come back to Galesburg to teach because growing up in District #205 I still remember all the great teachers that I had. It only felt right that if I had the opportunity to continue that tradition for other students, I was going to take it. I wanted to come to Galesburg to coach because the program here really made me who I am today. Throughout all the years I played in Galesburg I not only grew as a player, but I grew as a person. One of the biggest areas that grew for me was my work ethic and being able to carry that with me now has helped me tremendously. I want to help younger athletes become successful on and off the court.

We have worked together in different roles for close to 10 years. I am so impressed with how you have grown during your college years. How do you feel you have grown?

Well first off thank you. I feel that I have grown a lot in the perseverance area. It was the ending of my freshman year and the beginning of my sophomore year of college when I lost my grandparents. Anyone that knows me knows that those two were a huge part of my life. At that point if someone would have told me halfway through my sophomore year of college I would be where I am right now I wouldn’t have believed them. There were many times in college that I was knocked down. It always seemed that right when I thought things were looking up, something else was coming to knock me down. I quickly learned that was how life worked and continued to keep working. Now sitting here and looking back I am so glad that I kept going.

You have coached in camps, leagues, and team camps for 6-7 years. What are some things you learned in those experiences that helped you grow as a coach?

Those coaching experiences helped me grow because I was able to see things from a different view. For many years I was only seeing the court from a player perspective. When you’re coaching you have to see it from both. I often found myself getting into the game like I was playing, but then quickly realized that the players were looking at me for what to do next. I also realized that communicating with players is a big part. When explaining something during a time out or at camp being as specific as possible can make a world of a difference, especially when working with younger players.

You were on the varsity at Galesburg for four years, and then you went on to play at U. of Dubuque. You have had a lot of different teammates, and you have been part of many teams. In terms of team culture, what are some of the messages you hope to be able to convey to players about culture, work ethic, and role as a teammate?

The message that I hope to convey to players about culture is it’s all about what you make it. If you want a positive championship team culture you have to be willing to do what it takes to get there. I find that work ethic fits right in with culture. It takes one teammate to have a consistent work ethic for other teammates to follow along. As a teammate on any team you have to play your role. Never stop working to improve your role, but be the best at whatever role you have.

What will you expect from players in practice? Having played college basketball, it is such a step up from high school. Are there things you learned about how to practice that you will want to impart to players?

In practice one thing I will always expect of players is to hustle. As I transitioned from high school to college ball the pace was a lot faster. I never realized how fast a 2 hour practice could go. The hustle in practice will also become effective in a game. I am sure many players have heard it time and time again, but the way you practice really shows the way you play.

What do you want to achieve in coaching?

When coaching I want to be able to help players improve their games, build habits that will help them in their daily lives, be supportive, and help them be successful as possible.

Do you have any messages for this year's varsity players?

Don’t take anything for granted, work hard even when nobody's watching, and every time you step on the court play like it’s the last time you’ll get to play.