There are heroes living among us. They’re hard to recognize because they are otherwise common folks who do very little to draw attention to themselves.
But they are people who sacrifice their time and efforts, put others ahead of themselves and their families, and seek out their own interpretations of a greater good. They are coaches like Nolan Sellers: community members toiling behind the scenes without much fanfare, influencing young people not for money or personal gain but for the kids’ benefit.
Yet, there must be something in it for them. There has to be some sort of motivation involved.
“I just want to give back to the community, the city, the coaches who gave me opportunities,” said Sellers. “When you understand the position of a coach, you understand the hours they put in. I love the game. I want to teach them (his players) and pass on the things I’ve learned. Our city is a basketball city. We’ve had so many players here, and a lot of them have turned into coaches. I was taught to be proud to be a player for the Lebanon basketball program. That is my biggest motivation, to continue building the game of basketball.”
Sellers is the Lebanon Junior High School’s head girls’ basketball coach. He’s special, but not unique. There are dozens of coaches like him in the Lebanon School District, just like there are dozens of similar types of mentors, teachers, and kid advocates toiling in anonymity in every school district in Lebanon County.
“Our city is a collective community,” said Sellers, who is assisted by Kerrigan Klopp and Alicia Haitos. “There are so many people who are willing to be positive role models. We have so many motivators who are willing to put the time in to be mentors. I feel like that’s the biggest success in our city. A lot of people are giving their lives to the school district. It’s our jobs as adults to step up and step in. When you’re in the Lebanon School District, you’re more than a coach.”
“It starts here, but at this level, it’s (coaching) kind of forgotten about,” he continued. “At this level, you’re kind of flying under the radar. The focus is always on the end. But the work is still being done on all levels. We’re the bridge, the gateway to get kids excited about the commitment.”
There are currently 22 city residents involved with the Lebanon junior high girls’ basketball program, 11 eighth-graders and 11 seventh-graders. Some had never picked up a basketball before, some had never competed in an organized sport before, and others will go on to play for the Cedars’ varsity and junior varsity teams at the high school.
But every single one of them will be influenced by the experience.
“We have leaders in our group,” said Sellers. “We have student council members. We have kids who play all sports. We have kind, committed, and loyal student-athletes. We have kids who are role models for our school and the school community.”
At the junior high level, Sellers’ focus is fundamentals, making good decisions and processing information. But there is also some organic learning that occurs, in the areas of work ethic, teamwork, and understanding new ideas and concepts, all principles that can be applied later in life.
“I think the biggest thing is to get them to fall in love with the game of basketball,” he said. “I want them to understand the commitment that it takes. The goal is to buy in. We do that by providing opportunities. We want to keep the girls involved.
“For our group, their maturity level has been consistent. We have a full complete set of 50 to 60 plays and multiple defenses. We study it, we watch film, and we’re trying to build a foundation for Coach Walborn (Lebanon high school head coach, Jaime). We’re trying to teach them basketball is more than about going out and playing another team. It’s about becoming a student of the game.”
Seventh- and eighth-grade girls are in unique places in their development processes, more mature than when they were kids but not old enough to be considered young adults. But like almost every student-athlete, off-the-court issues also have a way of influencing their on-the-court performances.
“With this group, you’re all over the spectrum with development,” said Sellers. “You have to get students to trust you. Once you do, they’ll listen to you most of the time. It’s that relationship piece. The girls have got to understand that you’re coming from a place of experience and that you want to put them in positions to succeed.
“I think it’s both coaching and teaching, but mostly teaching. We’re continuously working on fundamentals. There’s no one on any level who’s uncoachable or unteachable. We have to make sure we’re teachers first and coaches second. It’s about building kids up and building positive people.”
Sellers said he is unsure of his future in the Lebanon girls’ basketball program and that he has considered different basketball opportunities, a proposition encouraged by the same family members whose support makes his coaching possible.
“My favorite part about the whole thing is the relationships and building connections,” he said. “Being an adult, the girls can count on me. I’m someone they can reach out to at any point. I try to be there for our players, even after they’ve moved on. There’s so much to learn, even as a coach. Every year, the group is different. I try to adapt to each group. You have to adapt, or you’re going to be stuck.”
Without coaches like Sellers, scholastic sports as we know it could neither thrive nor survive.
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