Coach Jay Muchortow, a familiar face, is the new girls varsity basketball coach this year. He is a 37-year-old with kids ages 10 to seven days old. Most people recognize him from previously coaching the freshmen and JV for 7 years.
“This will be my eighth-year coaching,” Muchortow said, “I was the head coach of the JV boys for three years, I was the freshmen head coach for one year, and I was a JV assistant coach for three years before that.”
Muchortow has always wanted to coach a varsity team and make a difference.
“I’m super excited about this,” Muchortow said, “so hopefully everyone that is in the program this year is excited too.”
Muchotow is an alumni. He played varsity boys basketball and was captain of his team 20 years ago.
“I played basketball here, so I know the program. I like being able to come back and coach at the school that I played at,” Muchortow said.
This new coach has made a huge impact even though he has just gotten started.
“Coach Jay is definitely one of the best coaches I’ve ever had,” senior Bella Lulgjuraj said. “He is just so patient and he always gives the extra effort. He’s the type of coach that would give us a state championship. State champs O.T.C.”
Muchortow is known to be easy-going and approachable which is exactly what the girls team needed.
“I like to make it so the people who are playing for me feel comfortable talking to me and asking questions,” Muchortow said. “That hopefully facilitates a really good learning environment. When you are approachable and you are open for people to ask you questions you can be much more successful as a team and a lot of team building stuff you do throughout your life. You’ll start on the basketball court, but when your in your career you end up working in teams all the time.”
Muchortow is participative during practice and leads by example.
“When someone doesn’t have a partner, he’s their partner,” senior Sarah Fromm said.
“He works with us and he’s inclusive and he really wants the best for us. He will stay after practice if we want. He just puts in the extra effort that we need, and he is really nice and encouraging.”
Muchortow has a different style of coaching then previous coaches.
“When I am coaching, I am constantly moving and am vocal and into the game,” Muchortow said. “Whether it’s the action on the floor, or on the bench I am constantly talking to everyone. I am a big build up and don’t break down person, so I am going to be yelling stuff in next play mentality. On the bench you are going to hear me clapping and saying, ‘energy on the bench, energy on the bench’,” Muchortow said.
Defensively the Lady Chiefs are planning on building up a lot of pressure this year.
“There might be a little more designed pressure on defense than there was before,” Muchortow said, “and our terminology is different.
Muchortow hopes to draw attention to our talented Lady Chiefs this season.
“One thing I want to see, is I want to have the girl’s basketball games be attended as well as the boy’s basketball games,” Muchortow said. “We are going to have a good season one way or the other. We’re going to have fun, we’re going to enjoy each other’s company, and were going to have a good time playing because if it’s not fun it’s
not worth doing.”
The Lady Chiefs are going to have a lot more success this season given the new and fresh plays and ideas that are to come. Come and support the girls basketball games, and their new coach Jay Muchortow.
