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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cSome of the key moments that shaped my career were the teachers I was surrounded by,\u201d she said. \u201cTullahoma has one of the biggest support systems around, but also the girls that I played with \u2014 not only were we teammates, but we were best friends. I think that\u2019s what made the basketball team so good.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the opportunity arose for stand-in coaches to step in during the summer, Duncan and Buckner were eager to help. They had played high school basketball together and remained good friends throughout college, so the chance to coach alongside each other was a perfect fit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Duncan explained, \u201cWe\u2019re going into this with the mindset of helping Tullahoma however we can. Whether it\u2019s being at practice every day or giving a pep talk before a game, we\u2019re here to support the team and the community.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Buckner agreed, noting how her transition from player to coach has given her new perspectives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou see things from a new side, especially coming back to coach under someone like Coach Tinnon, who I played for in elementary school. It\u2019s exciting to come full circle and give back to the girls who look up to us \u2014 as their coaches but also as their role models.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n As they step into their new positions, Duncan and Buckner are focused on the more personal aspects of basketball. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to teach the love of basketball and the love for one another,\u201d Duncan said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMcKenna and I didn\u2019t always have the best games or the best circumstances when we played high school basketball, but we knew that we loved each other and the game of basketball. We\u2019re trying to teach our girls that it\u2019s not always going to be easy, but the reward is pushing through and getting to see the good outcome,\u201d she continued. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Buckner added that building trust among teammates is one of her biggest goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe want the girls to have fun, love their teammates, and learn to trust us as their coaches.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Coaching requires a great deal of time commitment and perseverance, especially when balancing other responsibilities. Both Duncan and Buckner are juggling full-time jobs, with Buckner still in school. Another one of their \u201cmountains\u201d is working on the fundamentals with the girls, many of whom are new to the game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMcKenna and I have the patience and the willingness to want to teach these girls how to work hard, love the game, and be good sports. It\u2019ll be difficult to start from square one, but we\u2019re both willing to accept the challenge. We know how much we love the game, and we want to instill that love in our young girls,\u201d Duncan said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Both Duncan and Buckner see coaching as an experience that will benefit them from a personal and professional standpoint. Buckner, who is preparing for a career she expects will be stressful, believes that the balancing act of coaching will equip her with good time management skills and patience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Duncan, who recently graduated with an accounting degree and works as an auditor, credits basketball with teaching her important transferrable skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Duncan\u2019s and Buckner\u2019s paths have converged at this moment, leading them to give back to the town that shaped them in different ways. Through their leadership, they hope to inspire young female athletes to love the game, trust their teammates, and always push forward, no matter the challenge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of my most important goals as their coach is to truly help them believe that they can do anything in the world. If they leave us thinking that they\u2019re the most powerful women in the world, that\u2019s a good thing,\u201d Duncan said. GN <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" IN THE very gym where they once raced across the court, ponytails flying and coaches calling plays in sync with dribbling basketballs, Julia Duncan and McKenna Buckner now stride courtside with playbooks in hand. The same bleachers their parents once cheered from now seat a new group of fans. Each whistle they blow reminds them […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":23177,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/11\/1-1024x683.png\")
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