2008 Woodie Awards
Kragalott does lots for DA
Michael Stapleton
Issue date: 11/27/06 Section: Sports
This is Arden Kragalott's third season coaching women's basketball at De Anza College, but she is by no means a novice coach. After receiving her undergraduate degree at Ohio Wesleyan and her graduate degree at Ohio State University, Kraglott went on to coach at North Dakota State University, Hartwick College in New York.
She then spent fifteen years at SF State before coming to De Anza. Kragalott says she is very happy with her move to De Anza, for a variety of reasons.
"I love De Anza, especially its diversity. My colleagues have been so helpful, and I love the learning environment. To me, it is so conducive to personal growth, not just academic growth," said Kragalott.
She also said that there is a big difference between coaching at a school where athletes are recruited, and a school where athletes try out for the team.
"I need to be a coach that fits to different styles of playing. Since I can't pick the players that fit my coaching style, I need to be very adaptable to different kinds of athletes, and I really enjoy that challenge."
Kragalott said this season, she has the best group of athletes she's ever had since she began her career at De Anza.
"This year, our record is 4-1, and we have a total of 30 games to play, so there's a lot of time left to make it to the top two in the conference," said Kragalott. With eight new players, and six returning athletes, she is enjoying the challenge of simultaneously learning about new players, and working with veterans.
"We have a very athletic team this year, so our strengths lie in running and moving the ball up and down the court," said Kragalott. But Kragalott's skills reach beyond coaching women's basketball. She has also coached men's and women's tennis and now divides her time between coaching and teaching.
This quarter, she is teaching badminton, tennis, golf, total fitness, and deep water running. Kragalott does not seem to think there is much of a difference between teaching and coaching. "A coach is a teacher, so my philosophies for coaching and teaching are the same. I love interacting with students. I think of it as a mutual learning process - I learn just as much from them as they do from me."
Kragalott says she has one simple her teaching and coaching career. "I hope that students who come into contact with me will look at me as having made them not just better athletes or students, but better people."
She then spent fifteen years at SF State before coming to De Anza. Kragalott says she is very happy with her move to De Anza, for a variety of reasons.
"I love De Anza, especially its diversity. My colleagues have been so helpful, and I love the learning environment. To me, it is so conducive to personal growth, not just academic growth," said Kragalott.
She also said that there is a big difference between coaching at a school where athletes are recruited, and a school where athletes try out for the team.
"I need to be a coach that fits to different styles of playing. Since I can't pick the players that fit my coaching style, I need to be very adaptable to different kinds of athletes, and I really enjoy that challenge."
Kragalott said this season, she has the best group of athletes she's ever had since she began her career at De Anza.
"This year, our record is 4-1, and we have a total of 30 games to play, so there's a lot of time left to make it to the top two in the conference," said Kragalott. With eight new players, and six returning athletes, she is enjoying the challenge of simultaneously learning about new players, and working with veterans.
"We have a very athletic team this year, so our strengths lie in running and moving the ball up and down the court," said Kragalott. But Kragalott's skills reach beyond coaching women's basketball. She has also coached men's and women's tennis and now divides her time between coaching and teaching.
This quarter, she is teaching badminton, tennis, golf, total fitness, and deep water running. Kragalott does not seem to think there is much of a difference between teaching and coaching. "A coach is a teacher, so my philosophies for coaching and teaching are the same. I love interacting with students. I think of it as a mutual learning process - I learn just as much from them as they do from me."
Kragalott says she has one simple her teaching and coaching career. "I hope that students who come into contact with me will look at me as having made them not just better athletes or students, but better people."
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