Being A Coach’s Daughter

Whether you play sports or not, you have a coach in your life. Your coach can be a parent, grandparent, sibling, best friend, stranger or maybe even your dog who wants you to succeed in life. The coach in my life is humble, gracious and hard-working; the best qualities to have in a coach. The coach in my life is my Dad, Brian Jonker. My name is Calley Jonker, I am a coach’s daughter (among other things).

Dad’s life for the last 19 years has been centered on coaching basketball in Brantford and Hamilton, Ontario. That’s longer than I’ve been alive! His dedication is outstanding; he spends his day at work then drives off to Hamilton (35 minutes) for practices or a game at least four days a week. It’s the best of both worlds for him.

From Assumption College High School coach to Mohawk College and a national championship, his track record is quite impressive. What makes him an amazing coach is not the amount of victories he leads his players to but the relationships he develops with them.

Dad is best known for his coaching on the basketball court but his work on the baseball diamond should not go unnoticed. I am not the basketball player my little sister Sydney has grown up to be. I took an interest in softball. When I played House League in Brantford he coached my team for three seasons. This was my very first introduction to Dad, the coach.

I was 11 years old when he and my Mom coached the team and I thought it was the coolest experience ever. Both parents played in their youth and had a lot to offer me right away. My pitching improved as the years went on, I was hitting line drives that zoomed past fielders to the green and had a few home runs under my belt. My confidence was at an all-time high. Accomplishments like these don’t come naturally.

My mattress / umpire.

Both Sydney and I had extra work to do on nights we didn’t have ball; extra pitching in the garage, hitting off tees at the park and the classic front yard game of playing catch with the family. By the way, pitching in the garage involved pitching into an old mattress with a spray-painted target that gave us an idea of what the batter’s box would look like. Pretty creative idea, right?

For the past seven years Dad has coached me on the diamond as he would on the court; with heart and hustle (or is it hustle and heart?). Either way, he has made great contributions to my house league and rep teams, pushing each and every one of us to do our best and excel in the sport we’ve all grown to love. On top of his hard-working attitude, he teaches us to have fun along the way; after all, that is the number one rule in any sport.

“Dad’s coaching in my everyday life reminds me of why I have so much admiration and respect for him; he lives by his own rules every day, inspiring me to do the same with my own life.”

I’d like to get serious for a minute.

As a teenager trying to solve life’s problems, I occasionally bounce ideas off Dad. He can be a great sounding board even though his advice can annoy me (queue teenagers everywhere nodding their heads).

He will say the same three sayings to me in any given problem I find myself in. The number one rule, above anything else… DON’T PANIC. Unless you’re at the disco, am I right? No? Okay, I’ll show myself out now.

The second saying is to treat others the way you want to be treated. I know this is technically the golden rule, but this comes second for Dad.

His third most important rule to live by is to be safe, be responsible, and above all, be in charge of your own person.

As annoying as it can be to recite these quotes over and over to drill them into my head for all eternity, these three rules are great to live by. In any situation you never want to panic, otherwise you are just digging the hole you fell into much deeper than it needs to be. Treating people with the same amount of respect you want gives both of you an equal amount of appreciation for each other. Being in charge of your own person makes you more conscious of any stupid decisions you are about to make. Dad’s coaching in my everyday life reminds me of why I have so much admiration and respect for him; he lives by his own rules every day, inspiring me to do the same with my own life.

“I’ve become invested in a game I never thought would pique my interest and that’s all because of the amazing people Dad has taken under his wing.”

That concludes our life chat. Let’s talk about some individuals who deserve recognition for their amazing abilities to grab hold of the opportunities they have gained from Dad. Actually, let’s talk about three people who I believe will strive to do great things like my Dad. I have witnessed many basketball players over the years. Some were kind and ginormous boys who saw Dad as their biggest hero, while some were witty little girls who saw Dad as the Papa Bear of the family he has created. As I’ve grown older, I’ve become invested in a game I never thought would pique my interest and that’s all because of the amazing people Dad has taken under his wing.

Sydney and I.

The three individuals I want to give recognition are incredible players and people who will become fantastic leaders one day. The first player is someone whom has only been on the team for a year but plays as though he’s been here for four years. He’s one of the most talented players I have ever seen; not to mention cool, calm and collected in high and low moments of a game. Who knows, maybe he will take Kobe Bryant’s position on the LA Lakers. This player’s name is Kareem Collins, or the infamous KK. This is someone you must keep an eye out for this season, guaranteed.

Player number two (or should I say #23) is someone who recently finished his playing career, and similar to Kobe, played his last game to the best of his ability. Next to his 3-pointers and slam dunks, Jeff Hunt is the definition of good sportsmanship and he’s also funny, kind and humble. There really is nothing he can’t do.

Related Article: ‘Being a Coach’s Wife’

Finally, I had to save the best for last… my very own sister, Sydney. Syd is a basketball and softball enthusiast – she holds basketball nearest to her heart. I know that one day she will be Athlete of the Year on her High School team and become a basketball superstar like KK and Jeff. Even though I don’t get to watch her as much as I’d like, it makes me feel proud to hear her recaps of every basket, foul shot or three-pointer. She gets better every day and strives to become the best player she can be.

As the coach’s favorite daughter (obviously), I have been part of Dad’s hectic schedule for as long as I can remember. Despite having little contact with him throughout the season, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I know he is doing something he loves so much, he’s coaching the game he has so much passion for and is an influential figure to dozens of young people every season. I support everything he does for his and Sydney’s team because no matter what he is the Coach of a Lifetime in my heart.

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