The old adage says, “You have to start somewhere,” and that somewhere for Nicole Goodman is Gore.
Goodman, a 2021 Van Buren (Ark.) High School graduate and an Arkansas Tech University December graduate, will begin her coaching career with the Gore Lady Pirates basketball team, succeeding previous coach Staci Simeroth, who went across the Arkansas River to take over the Webbers Falls Lady Warriors program.
“I’m the most excited that you could possibly imagine,” Goodman said about her first-ever head coaching job. “I’m very excited.”
During this past basketball season, while ending her tenure as an ATU student, Goodman got to student teach and coach at Cedarville (Ark.) High School this past basketball season. She said that helped show her what she is going to face in her inaugural season as a head coach with the Lady Pirates — and start her coaching career.
“My degree from Arkansas Tech is actually in health and P.E. with coaching,” Goodman said. “This is what I’ve always wanted to do. This was always the idea and always the plan. I just didn’t know how it would play out. (Student teaching at) Cedarville really prepared me because I have coached, but just not a lot in a school setting. Being at Cedarville gave me the opportunity to see what it’s like coaching at public schools. It’s very different from that of club coaching. All of that (student teaching and coaching at Cedarville) really got me to where I understand better to be able to fill this position (of Lady Pirates basketball coach).”
When Goodman saw the opening to become the new Lady Pirates basketball coach, she wasted little time in applying.
“I jumped on it pretty quickly,” she said. “When I found out about this opening, I sent an e-mail and everything moved pretty fast. I think this was one of those meant-to-be situations.”
Goodman said she has used this month’s summer league as a way to evaluate her new players.
“The biggest thing I’ve addressed so far is that it’s OK for them to take chances and for them to just play,” Goodman said. “So far, it’s been a lot of me seeing what they can do. I have to assess them, so we’re using our summer league play for that. It’s been a lot of instilling confidence in them. About half the team are freshmen. That’s a nervous thing already in and of itself — to be a freshman and playing high school basketball for the first time. We’ve been working a lot on our confidence, and being able to play and know that it’s OK to make mistakes — that’s how we grow.”
The bonding between the new coach and the Lady Pirates did not take very long to begin to mesh.
“We’re doing great,” Goodman said. “We’ve played five days in summer league so far. Between the traveling and our van rides and stuff, we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well, in addition to our first skills camp we had right at the beginning of playing (in summer league). It gave me a chance to know them as well.”
This week, Goodman and the Lady Pirates went to a two-day team camp Monday and Tuesday in Canadian. Goodman likes what she has seen early on with the Lady Pirates.
“There’s lots of opportunity here,” she said. “This is a very good group of girls. I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a group of girls who work harder, so I’m very excited about that. I could really sing their praises all day long because they are such good kids. I’m very excited. I think we have the potential to have a pretty solid season.”
