Ten Years Later

I was feeling nostalgic this weekend as I have been looking ahead to the girls state basketball tourrnament for the first time in a couple of years and look forward to the games in person as well as the amazing coverage the IGHSAU gives each game online during the week. There’s something about walking into that arena in March — the energy, the school spirit — the excitement everyone feels — that never gets old. But this year feels a little more nostalgic after getting back into coaching this year. It’s been ten years since our Mason City team won the 4A state championship.

Ten years.

I went back and found the game on YouTube this weekend (watch it here if you’d like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pa9rPOqj5I) and sat down to rewatch it. It’s funny how something that happened a decade ago can feel like it was yesterday. All of the amazing memories kept flooding back….upsetting the #1 seed in the first game, playing a near flawless semi final game, and then winning the championship in a back and forth game with Pella and coaching while being miked up and having every word be heard by a statewide audience (MEET YOUR PASS! 😀) But more than that, I remember the amazing people-players, assistant coaches, administrators, and families-that made the journey so memorable.

That team was special — not just because we won, but because of who they were and how they played together. We had strong leadership with EIGHT seniors who stayed together after starting to play in 3rd grade. We had the state player of the year in Makenzie Meyer but were known for unselfish play, great team chemistry, and had a true “fun factor” in competing together. They worked incredibly hard, but they also enjoyed the ride. They liked each other and they trusted each other. Upperclassmen who didn’t play much supported underclassmen (we had a freshman who started) and no one cared who got the credit. It was a perfect storm of talent, skill, positive attitude, and teamwork that led to achieving the ultimate prize.

And now, ten years later, every one of those young women has gone on to bigger and better things-careers, families, leadership roles, and mostly continued success. Watching the game again reminded me how proud I am — not just of what they accomplished on the court, but of who they have become. We are looking to bring the team together this summer to celebrate the anniversary and I can’t wait to see them all together again!

As I reflected this weekend, I realized something that time makes clearer: the championship was incredible, but it wasn’t the banner that mattered most. It was the process and the experience with the people involved that matters.

It was the summer open gyms and camps together working to get better and .
It was the two hour bus rides one way that allowed for numerous conversations (and sometimes poor singing!) and a building of the team.
It was the shared adversity—losing tough games against the biggest and best teams in the state and learning how to respond after a tough loss in January that helped us survive February and March.
It was choosing to practice with purpose when no one felt like it and buying into a system that may not have been perfect for every individual.

Ultimately, the title was the outcome that everyone remembers. However, the growth and the lifetime connections was the reward.

Winning at any level is hard. It definitely requires talent and especially skill. But it also demands togetherness. It demands leadership within the locker room. It demands role acceptance. It demands the ability to focus on the next possession instead of the last mistake. It demands preparation that builds confidence so that pressure feels like an opportunity, not a threat.

For the teams playing at state this week, my advice would be simple: soak it in! Compete with everything you have. Prepare thoroughly but don’t overdo the film watching. Trust each other fully and don’t get consumed by the largeness of the moment — lean into the habits that got you there. State games themselves don’t create pressure; they simply reveal preparation. A championship is never just built in March. It’s built in June workouts, in November practices, in how you treat each other in December, and In how you respond to adversity in January. The tournament is a celebration of what you’ve been becoming all along.

Reflecting on events from 10 years ago, the word I keep coming back to is grateful. Grateful I was given the opportunity to coach that group. Grateful for assistant coaches who poured into them and made the ride so enjoyable. Grateful for players who bought into something bigger than statistics. Grateful for families and administration who trusted the process. Grateful for relationships that still exist today.

The scoreboard on that March afternoon/night in Des Moines mattered. But it doesn’t define what made that experience meaningful.

What lasts are the relationships.
What lasts are the lessons about leadership and sacrifice.
What lasts is the understanding that having fun and being disciplined can coexist.
What lasts is the pride of doing something together that no one could have done alone.

I’m excited to head back to the state tournament this week-not just to watch great basketball — but to be reminded again that the real win isn’t the trophy.

It’s who you become, and who you become together, along the way.

Have a great week!

Coach K