After a prolonged tenure because the Eastside Woman eagles head basketball coach, Gladys King will likely be stepping down.
King began her Eastside teaching profession 10 seasons in the past in 2015, however her title has been concerned within the Newton-Rockdale basketball scene for many years.
“It has been actually nice, and I’ve been blessed with that,” King stated. “Lots of people know that I group up right here in Covington[and started at Newton]. We moved in my ninth grade 12 months of highschool and we went to Rockdale and I ended up graduating from Rockdale Excessive Faculty. To have the ability to contribute to the group in Rockdale and the group in Newton has been a blessing. I would not take it or change it for something.”
The choice to step down was not a straightforward one, nevertheless it got here all the way down to King eager to take a break after dedicating years to the sport.
“I’ve been within the health club for over 20 years,” King stated. “I coached volleyball and basketball after I was at Rockdale Excessive Faculty. I’ve been at Eastside for 10 years now and I’ve had 10 seasons. It has simply been so much, not taking a break or something like that. In my 24 years of educating, I’ve solely had about 4 years off, so it’s been ongoing and I wanted a while to only get myself to regroup. Simply me needing a while for myself and my household.”
Though she stepped down from her teaching position, King nonetheless plans to have a presence within the classroom. She is a particular training instructor at Eastside within the English Language Arts division for juniors.
Throughout King’s tenure with the Woman Eagles, this system has seen a gentle rise from her preliminary season in 2015-16.
After a 6-20 file in her first 12 months, King led the Woman Eagles to 9 wins in 2017-18 after which 11 wins in 2018-19.
In 2019-20, King led Eastside to a 14-9 season, this system’s finest win complete on the time since 2013-14.
After a number of setbacks in 2020 and 2021, the Woman Eagles have improved their win complete in nearly each season since.
Eastside’s 31 wins throughout their final two seasons are probably the most throughout any two-year stretch of King’s Woman Eagles’ tenure.
For King, the latest success for the Woman Eagles’ program has simply been consistency throughout the board in all aspects of the sport.
“The largest issue has been consistency by way of beginning with camp within the offseason,” King stated. “Doing issues within the offseason — the conditioning. The camps — going to camp every summer time annually. Being within the health club working towards — do not miss apply. You must be constant about apply, that’s the place you get higher. You possibly can’t take days off.
“That’s the factor. If anybody goes to get into teaching, they’ve to grasp that they will’t simply take days off. You must be within the health club, they must be working. Particularly when you’ve got ladies that aren’t used to all the time enjoying. I do know it may be laborious typically when issues come up, however in all my years of teaching, I don’t assume I’ve ever missed a apply. I’m simply massive on being constant, being within the health club and getting higher.”
King has seen nearly all the things there may be to see at the highschool degree, however she detailed that her final 10 seasons have helped her turn into a greater coach.
“It’s been a studying expertise,” King stated. “I’ve needed to study to adapt to develop and adapt with the hand that I used to be dealt, with some gamers not with the ability to play the sport, having to show them from floor zero. You could get some gamers which have slightly little bit of expertise, however not an entire lot of expertise. That has taught me so much, as a result of I’ve needed to begin from scratch with lots of them after which needed to construct them up.”
No matter the kind of participant she coaches, King’s love for her crew was one thing that by no means modified.
“I’m pleased with all of the gamers that I’ve had the chance to teach,” King stated. “Gamers which are serving our county and dwelling productive lives in the neighborhood. I’ll always remember any of them.”
King’s ‘why’ to wanting to teach ladies basketball is rather more than only a love for the sport.
In actual fact, she gave the credit score to the folks that coached her throughout her enjoying days and the way she simply wished to make use of that data to assist at the moment’s gamers.
“I had some nice coaches,” King stated. “I really like basketball, I’m a basketball junkie. That is really my time of 12 months because it’s March, it’s time for March Insanity and all the things that’s coming about. For me, I need to have the ability to train them what I discovered, and what I discovered from totally different coaches, enjoying experiences, journey and all of that. I simply wish to give that again.
“I believe lots of people take a look at it[coaching] and assume it’s straightforward, and it’s not straightforward. You must work out sure issues and if you cannot work out these issues, typically that may decide a win or a loss.”
After 237 profession video games of teaching the Woman Eagles, competing within the rivalry with Newton introduced again a few of King’s favourite moments.
“What stands out to me probably the most is once we have been being aggressive and enjoying our rivalry, and you recognize our rivalry is Newton,” King stated. “What stood out to me probably the most is once we performed Newton and there have been occasions once we beat Newton. Little Ol’ Eastside, who nobody has thought would beat Newton. That was factor for the women, it was good for the group and other people like seeing that. They need us to be aggressive. They don’t need us to return out and so they run the rating up on any individual and issues like that. I take pleasure in that, as a result of we weren’t a giant faculty, however we have been aggressive.”
Though she coached for the rival crew, King made certain to provide credit score to the Class AAAAAA Champion Woman Rams, the primary crew she performed for when she started highschool.
“I additionally wish to shout out Newton as a result of I’m very pleased with Newton County,” King stated. “That is the place I began as a participant in ninth grade. I performed for coach Wright and I wish to shout out Newton. I’m glad they gained the championship and congratulations to them as properly.”
King’s Eastside teaching profession could also be in its closing chapter, however King shared that the door shouldn’t be closed on her teaching profession for the time being.
“If the fitting alternative got here obtainable, and if it was one thing that was a match for me,” King stated. “Greater than possible, sure.”
