Opposite gender coaching, that is, a male coaching a female team or vice versa, has developed at University for two reasons. One reason is that there is a shortage of staff or teachers to coach and the other reason being that some of the teachers have knowledge of a sport that happens to be played by the opposite sex. A few teachers that happen to be coaching the opposite gender are Jason Barnard, geometry teacher, who coaches the girls’ varsity basketball team and Keri Heedum, Algebra 1, who coaches the boys’ varsity soccer team.

There are no indications of awkwardness on the girls’ team. "Coaching girls does not feel any different than coaching boys because girls can be taught the game of basketball just like boys," said Coach Barnard.

Some may think that boys may not want to listen to a female coach or girls may not want to listen to a male coach or think that it would feel weird to have the opposite gender coaching, but Coach Barnard thinks differently: "It all depends on the relationship you have with your team and how you run the program around them."

Coach Barnard says he does not run the practice or coach a game much different than he would boys. "All I do a little different are some stretches because, girls tend to get more knee injuries than boys," stated Coach Barnard.

On the female side, Coach Heedum agrees with Coach Barnard that coaching the opposite gender is not all that complicated. "Soccer is a sport; in fact, it may be the only sport, where the rules and regulations are exactly the same for both men and women. In men’s and women’s basketball, softball, golf, the ball sizes are different and field dimensions are changed," said Coach Heedum. She also agrees with Coach Barnard that coaching the opposite gender doesn’t feel weird, but like all coaching jobs, it has its ups and downs. "I train the boys exactly as I would train girls. At times though it can be very discouraging but at other times, very rewarding," stated Coach Heedum.

Opposite gender coaching is not foreign to high level teams either. The University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team is coached by a male named Geno Auriemma, who has won seven national championships. In the National Basketball Associations Developmental League, there is a female head coach and many believe she will become the first female head coach of the N.B.A. in the future. Opposite gender coaching has been shown to be successful in many cases.

The girls’ basketball team has seen more good than bad. The team won the district title last year, so Coach Barnard’s formula has paid off. "As long as you have a good relationship with your team and do not do anything out of character, I believe your players will listen and respond to you no matter what gender you are," said Coach Barnard.

Coach Heedum has seen some sexism while she has been coaching and finds some of the reactions from outsiders to be quite humorous, "90% of the referees and opposing coaches approach my assistants, who are both males, asking about why I’m coaching the boys’ varsity team."