Leadership by Jaque Gohlinghorst (Howard)

Jaque Gohlinghorst (Howard) was three year starting guard in 1998-2000. She was captain of the Streaks her junior and senior years. Presently she is 8^th grade coach in Galesburg.

How can a player be an effective leader for their team?

A player can be an effective leader on their team by being willing to do the “extras” that no one else wants to do.  For example, it could be asking the coach to come in on a Sunday to do some extra shooting or dribbling routines.   On the other hand, it could be someone who stays after away games to check the locker room to make sure no one leaves anything behind when everyone else is rushing out to get on the bus.  A leader is someone who isn’t afraid to communicate with the coach or a teammate even if it is not always a positive conversation.  A leader is someone who takes challenges head on and is willing to work through the obstacles. 

Here are just a few words that describe a leader to me. 

Someone who…

•      Is coachable

•      Always prepared

•      Very passionate

•      Has high energy

•      Good attitude

•      Good work ethic

Don’t be the cool kid who goes through the motions and is just there to wear the uniform.  Be the kid that wears the uniform with pride and is willing to leave everything they have on the floor!

What can a player do now during “stay at home,” as a leader to help their team as they work individually?

In today’s society there are so many ways you can communicate as a leader during our “stay at home.”  There seems to be everything from texting, Snapchat, Facebook, and now many students will become more familiar with the app called Zoom or Google Hangout because of the school closure.  A team leader could organize a team meeting on Zoom or Google Hangout to check in to see how everyone is doing with their basketball routines and/or life in general.  I know the quarantine is getting to everyone so it is always nice to see a familiar face and talk basketball like they would if they could hang out.  I feel once you know your teammates are doing their basketball workouts that it becomes contagious and others want to join in.  Communication is the key to success in many ways!