G-A graduate embraces opportunity to
lead Lady Ram varsity basketball team
lead Lady Ram varsity basketball team
By Bruce Rolfe
A 2008 graduate of Galesburg-Augusta High School and member of the 2007-2008 state finals runnerup Ram girls basketball team, is looking forward to being the head varsity girls basketball coach at her alma mater.
Katlyn (Born) Dunithan, who was named the G-A girls varsity basketball coach recently, will be embarking on her first opportunity as a varsity head coach.
While she is especially happy the opportunity will come at the school she graduated from, as a former player, she’s also eager to pass along her knowledge and love for the sport to her players.
“G-A basketball has been integrated into my life since I could walk. I come from a family of coaches and have learned from each and every one of them. Because of them, I was able to coach in one way or another since I was 17. I am so proud to be a part of this community and Ram family. Which is truely what we are, family. Once a Ram, always a Ram and I am so honored they chose a G-A alumni that understands that small town love,” points out Dunithan.
While her focus will be at the high school level, Dunithan feels it is also important to look at the entire program, kindergarten through high school.
“I think it is important that we keep the young girls interested in the sport and when they are young it is about keeping it fun while achieving great skill. This is not able to be achieved without parents. I need the parents to get their daughters excited and involved in the sport,” points out the new Lady Ram coach.
Dunithan said G-A offers many opportunities for students to get involved at a young age. There are kids camps, a speed and agility program for 6th-12th graders, after school skills camp for 1st-8th grade, and a sharpshooters program.
“My staff and I will be active in all things basketball from youth on up. I want those little ones to know the varsity and JV coaches want them to be a part of what we are trying to build. It will take time and effort but we are up for the challenge and I feel we are starting strong. I want basketball to get back to something every girl wants to play and everyone wants to watch,” adds Dunithan.
Dunithan said she was very happy to start her varsity coaching tenure by participating in an off season tradition she believes has reached 20 years at G-A by attending the Hope College basketball camp. She recalls her sophomore year was the first year G-A started attending the camp. She felt the camp offered an opportunity to bond as a team as well as improve skills.
“It was so fun to go back as a coach. I took 9 girls, mostly underclassmen. So that was a challenge,” said the new Ram coach.
G-A played in the JV division against mostly Class A and B schools, “but we competed well.”
“I relied on my three seniors to lead and they did it so well. I cannot wait to see how they continue to lead during season,” said Dunithan.
While the turn out wasn’t what she was accustomed to seeing when she played at G-A with both a JV and varsity team attending, she has a vision of “taking that many girls again.”
She feels the cost to attend the camp may be a factor with the smaller numbers. She plans to hold fundraisers to help reduce the cost of the camp, which she hopes will boost participation numbers.
As a senior member of the 2008 Lady Ram team that made an incredible run to the state championship game when G-A fell short to Saginaw Nouvel 73-42, Dunithan understands what it takes to have success and enjoy an extended post season run. She hopes her insight will inspire both players and their parents, because she feels success is realized when players and their parents “buy in” to what the coaching staff is building.
“When I say ‘buy in,’ what I mean is I need all my teams to genuinely believe in our team goals, support each other in their efforts and be committed to working together towards all goals, big and small.
Then putting in an investment to the sport, by attending speed and agility, open gyms and by just coming in the gym each practice and putting in the work to get better everyday,” explained Dunithan, who helped the Rams to a 22-6 finish that magical 2007-2008 season.
She adds parents play an important role because they are typically who the student-athlete confides in. When a parent hears about a coaches plan to help a player and team get better, those ideas may then be reinforced at home, making it easier for the coaching staff.
“I have a great high school group of parents that I feel will support me and will buy in. And, I feel I have girls that will do the same,” observed Dunithan.
“In my experience, that is what carried us to that big stage. My 2007/08 teammates had the ‘buy in’ to want to get better every day and get to that big stage. My 2008 grads made that goal in 7th grade to win state and we had girls older and younger believe in those same dreams and we worked hard everyday to make it a reality. But most important, we had our parents, grandparents, teachers and the whole community of G-A backing us, cheering us on. We needed that to make it successful, but most importantly fun,” continued the new Lady Ram coach, who emphasized she is thankful her own parents supported her in success and failures in basketball and life.
While this will be Dunithan’s first varsity head coaching job, she does have plenty of coaching experience.
She started coaching when she was 17 with the G-A Rising Stars, now called the Sharpshooters. She has been coaching the Sharpshooters on and off for about 10 years with several girls and boys age groups.
A 2008 graduate of Galesburg-Augusta High School and member of the 2007-2008 state finals runnerup Ram girls basketball team, is looking forward to being the head varsity girls basketball coach at her alma mater.
Katlyn (Born) Dunithan, who was named the G-A girls varsity basketball coach recently, will be embarking on her first opportunity as a varsity head coach.
While she is especially happy the opportunity will come at the school she graduated from, as a former player, she’s also eager to pass along her knowledge and love for the sport to her players.
“G-A basketball has been integrated into my life since I could walk. I come from a family of coaches and have learned from each and every one of them. Because of them, I was able to coach in one way or another since I was 17. I am so proud to be a part of this community and Ram family. Which is truely what we are, family. Once a Ram, always a Ram and I am so honored they chose a G-A alumni that understands that small town love,” points out Dunithan.
While her focus will be at the high school level, Dunithan feels it is also important to look at the entire program, kindergarten through high school.
“I think it is important that we keep the young girls interested in the sport and when they are young it is about keeping it fun while achieving great skill. This is not able to be achieved without parents. I need the parents to get their daughters excited and involved in the sport,” points out the new Lady Ram coach.
Dunithan said G-A offers many opportunities for students to get involved at a young age. There are kids camps, a speed and agility program for 6th-12th graders, after school skills camp for 1st-8th grade, and a sharpshooters program.
“My staff and I will be active in all things basketball from youth on up. I want those little ones to know the varsity and JV coaches want them to be a part of what we are trying to build. It will take time and effort but we are up for the challenge and I feel we are starting strong. I want basketball to get back to something every girl wants to play and everyone wants to watch,” adds Dunithan.
Dunithan said she was very happy to start her varsity coaching tenure by participating in an off season tradition she believes has reached 20 years at G-A by attending the Hope College basketball camp. She recalls her sophomore year was the first year G-A started attending the camp. She felt the camp offered an opportunity to bond as a team as well as improve skills.
“It was so fun to go back as a coach. I took 9 girls, mostly underclassmen. So that was a challenge,” said the new Ram coach.
G-A played in the JV division against mostly Class A and B schools, “but we competed well.”
“I relied on my three seniors to lead and they did it so well. I cannot wait to see how they continue to lead during season,” said Dunithan.
While the turn out wasn’t what she was accustomed to seeing when she played at G-A with both a JV and varsity team attending, she has a vision of “taking that many girls again.”
She feels the cost to attend the camp may be a factor with the smaller numbers. She plans to hold fundraisers to help reduce the cost of the camp, which she hopes will boost participation numbers.
As a senior member of the 2008 Lady Ram team that made an incredible run to the state championship game when G-A fell short to Saginaw Nouvel 73-42, Dunithan understands what it takes to have success and enjoy an extended post season run. She hopes her insight will inspire both players and their parents, because she feels success is realized when players and their parents “buy in” to what the coaching staff is building.
“When I say ‘buy in,’ what I mean is I need all my teams to genuinely believe in our team goals, support each other in their efforts and be committed to working together towards all goals, big and small.
Then putting in an investment to the sport, by attending speed and agility, open gyms and by just coming in the gym each practice and putting in the work to get better everyday,” explained Dunithan, who helped the Rams to a 22-6 finish that magical 2007-2008 season.
She adds parents play an important role because they are typically who the student-athlete confides in. When a parent hears about a coaches plan to help a player and team get better, those ideas may then be reinforced at home, making it easier for the coaching staff.
“I have a great high school group of parents that I feel will support me and will buy in. And, I feel I have girls that will do the same,” observed Dunithan.
“In my experience, that is what carried us to that big stage. My 2007/08 teammates had the ‘buy in’ to want to get better every day and get to that big stage. My 2008 grads made that goal in 7th grade to win state and we had girls older and younger believe in those same dreams and we worked hard everyday to make it a reality. But most important, we had our parents, grandparents, teachers and the whole community of G-A backing us, cheering us on. We needed that to make it successful, but most importantly fun,” continued the new Lady Ram coach, who emphasized she is thankful her own parents supported her in success and failures in basketball and life.
While this will be Dunithan’s first varsity head coaching job, she does have plenty of coaching experience.
She started coaching when she was 17 with the G-A Rising Stars, now called the Sharpshooters. She has been coaching the Sharpshooters on and off for about 10 years with several girls and boys age groups.
Katlyn Dunithan (center with the headband) is pictured in 2008 with her G-A senior teammates.
(Photo courtesy of Katlyn Dunithan)
She was a G-A JV girls basketball assistant coach under varsity coaches Vickie DeLeon, Mark and Brett Stephenson, which she said was a great learning experience.
Dunithan said the last four years she has been coaching boys youth basketball with her brother, Travis Born. She said the experience coaching with her brother and coaching her boys and her brother’s kids was a great experience as well.
The last three years she has been an assistant varsity volleyball coach under Ram varsity volleyball coach Jonica Klimp, “which helped me learn a lot on running a varsity program.”
“I may not come with that varsity experience everyone wants but I am so glad they have the confidence in me to learn this very important role and all these coaches have given me the support and confidence to do this,” said Dunithan, who said another big supporter has been her uncle Tim Born, who coached her when she was a player including the 2007-2008 season and will be available to help if needed in any way on her next journey as the girls varsity coach.
Dunithan said she feels fortunate she had the opportunity to learn from some great coaches over the years.
As far as her own coaching style goes, she said she’s intense and emphasizes defense.
“I believe defense will win or lose a game. I also need to coach with what I have and I as a coach need to be constantly evolving and learning with what I have and what is going to be best for that year’s varsity team, while keeping consistency so those coming up each year will know the expectations,” points out Dunithan.
She feels this year’s squad will be very quick, which means learning how to transition to defense and offense quickly will be important.
However she admits there will be a period for growing and learning for her, just as there will be for the players.
Dunithan, who was hired after Jake Wortinger stepped down, is the fourth head coach in four years at G-A. She hopes to create some long term stability in the position. She feels her younger age, motivation and husband and family that back her, will allow her to put the time into the program that’s necessary to be successful.
“I plan to be there as long as G-A will have me, which I hope is a long time. I have a great staff that has been there for years, my JV coach and my middle school coaches have been there the last three years plus and coach other sports at G-A,” said Dunithan.
She adds her assistant coach is G-A graduate Zach Eberstein, who has been assisting the boys varsity basketball team and also plans to be a part of G-A basketball for a long time.
“I want to thank all those who have supported me and helped me grow. I would not be the coach I am today without them,” emphasized the new Lady Ram coach.
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