Coach Kristi Perkins
So, just as you were able to play for your mother, you are having an opportunity to coach your daughter, how has this been?
Oh my goodness, I knew this question would come up. You are at every game you tell me how it’s going. To be honest, it has been the most difficult part of my job as a mother, coach and teacher. Kerrigan has a lot of potential, but just like other student-athletes, she is not always willing to put in the work needed to go from good to great. She definitely one of the best shooters I have seen in a while. However, she goes harder on offense then defense. One thing about her is that she will spend hours studying the game. I guess you can say, I am coaching a little mini me, and sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes it is not.
As you enter Jena High’s gymnasium, there are several state championships and runner-up championship banners that hang on the wall. What are you doing to re-build this program to that caliber of success?
It has been difficult to maintain a consistent group of young ladies. Since I have been here, this is the first year that I have had a senior that has played four years for me. I don’t have the pool to select from like a lot of teams in our district and definitely like other teams in the state. I refuse to make excuses though. I dedicate and focus on the ones that are willing to compete. I try to instill in them the same type of drive that it takes not only to compete in athletics but in life. Am I easy to deal with? No. However, I have learned over time to soften up a little and treat each player differently. What works for one, may not work for the other and vice versa. I love my players both on and off the court. I want and pray for only the best for each of them.
Coach Kristi Perkins
Continuing the Legacy
While most people’s blood runs red, some might say that Kristi Perkin’s blood runs orange. As a member of the Small family, she has been a gym-rat since before she was able to walk. In her fourth season as Jena High School Lady Giants girls’ basketball head coach, Coach Perkins has built not only a pre-eminent program in District 3-3A, but she has positioned herself to become arguably one of the elite coaches in girls’ basketball.
As a quintessential point guard in college, it comes as no surprise that she has transitioned from the court playing the game to the sideline coaching the game. She has taken the Lady Giants program that was struggling to win games to the second round of the playoffs during this year’s basketball season. This is a feat that had not been accomplished there in over 10 years.
What has been the most difficult part of your responsibility as head coach?
Trying to understand that most of the young ladies I coach are not as passionate about the game as I am. A large number of the ladies that I will coach have no desire to play at the next level. Therefore, they do not understand the importance of year round basketball to develop and build their skills. A large majority of high school student-athletes believe that hard –work should only be displayed between pre-season to the end of the season for their respective sport. However, in order to compete at a higher level or build a successful program, they have to be willing to go hard year round.
So, just as you were able to play for your mother, you are having an opportunity to coach your daughter, how has this been?
Oh my goodness, I knew this question would come up. You (interviewer) are at every game you tell me how it’s going. To be honest, it has been the most difficult part of my job as a mother, coach and teacher. Kerrigan has a lot of potential, but just like other student-athletes, she is not always willing to put in the work needed to go from good to great. She definitely one of the best shooters I have seen in a while. However, she goes harder on offense then defense. One thing about her is that she will spend hours studying the game. I guess you can say, I am coaching a little mini me, and sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes it is not.
As you enter Jena High’s gymnasium, there are several state championships and runner-up championship banners that hang on the wall. What are you doing to re-build this program to that caliber of success?
It has been difficult to maintain a consistent group of young ladies. Since I have been here, this is the first year that I have had a senior that has played four years for me. I don’t have the pool to select from like a lot of teams in our district and definitely like other teams in the state. I refuse to make excuses though. I dedicate and focus on the ones that are willing to compete. I try to instill in them the same type of drive that it takes not only to compete in athletics but in life. Am I easy to deal with? No. However, I have learned over time to soften up a little and treat each player differently. What works for one, may not work for the other and vice versa. I love my players both on and off the court. I want and pray for only the best for each of them.
What type of success to do you envision for your program?
I want the young ladies that I coach to become productive and success citizens in our society. However, I put in work to create a state championship team. I know that achieving this feat will be difficult especially since we have been unable to win district. However, when I played, only the 1st through 3rd place team had the opportunity to participate in state playoffs. Now, with the power rankings becoming the determining factor of participation in the playoffs, it has made it better for our district and area teams. Being able to compete on our level is important, but competing and winning against the larger schools is essential.
Based on the success the program was able to attain this year, achieving their goals does not seem as far-fetched. Coach Perkins realizes that the door of success is open for everyone. She has decided to take it one step at a time. And if that doesn’t work, she more than likely will kick the door down and claim it. That’s just the way her bloodline is set up.
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