Coach Pamela Lock Coby teaches Sho-Ban Chiefs players ‘basketball smarts’
Sho-Ban Chiefs basketball head coach Pamela Lock Coby instructs players.
By LIZZIE BOYD
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — Pamela Lock Coby is the Sho-Ban Chiefs boy’s head basketball coach and she grew up in Fort Washakie, Wyo.
She is Arapahoe and Eastern Shoshone Tribes. She attended college in Lawrence, Kansas and went to St. Stephens Indian School when she moved home to Fort Washakie.
When Pamela lived in Wyoming where she drove bus and she didn’t coach before coming to Fort Hall, however she has played basketball her whole life and ran her own basketball team. She played on her own team with her daughter, nieces and close friends. They would travel to various states such as Florida, Washington, New York and Minnesota just to name a few. She also played on various traveling teams throughout her life.
Coby explained when she married her husband Marcus, she got into coaching for Sho-Ban. She said, “No one applied for the junior high basketball coach, and her husband Marcus Coby asked her to apply with her background in basketball and take on coaching the boys Junior high basketball team”. She ended up coaching the Junior high boys’ basketball team for two years.
It is now Coby’s second year as the head coach of the Sho-Ban Chiefs basketball team. When asked what she looks forward to when coaching the boys’ team, she likes to teach the boys “basketball smarts” such as discipline, dribbling, shooting, also knowing the game and the positions they play, also how to read and react when playing.
“When we first start the season we run at practice, we don’t usually touch a basketball for the first week,” she continued. “I also like to ask the boys what are you?” That means what position they like to play on the court, which helps Coby to determine their position that she can place them on the court.
Coby talked about how she enjoys teaching “fresh players — fresh as in never played before or have little experience. It’s hand and eye coordination and peripheral vision when playing basketball.” She first started playing when she was in middle school,“it’s never too late to start playing and learning the game of basketball.”
Head coach Pam Coby runs defense drills with players.
With this year’s team being a smaller team, Pamela loves teaching the team to press. “They are not tall, but they are fast, and they play good defense.” There are four seniors on this year’s team, and only one junior player.
When asked how it is to be a woman coach coaching the boys’ basketball team, she replied, “They listen to me.” She believes she is showing the boys how to treat a woman, while being their coach. Coby said, “When growing up my dad was really high on how you treated a woman.” So, raising her own two boys she taught them to respect women, don’t talk back and open doors for women.
“When I had new players start, there were some players who talked back to me during practice and the boys who knew what was going to happen would just line up and I would make them all run and explain you don’t talk back, be respectful.”
Coby now notices the boys like to stick up for her, they talk to her on and off the court and she explains basketball is a privilege to them. She has also noticed a few of her players that were in trouble a lot last year, have changed and she is now hearing good things about them from teachers and staff. If her players get in trouble or do something wrong, they communicate to her right away and she tells them, “let’s talk about it.” “They have my back, and I have theirs.”
Marcus Coby is the current assistant coach, and he is a Sho-Ban alumni, Pamela brought in Tyler Moore a couple weeks ago to help as an assistant coach. “Moore brings a lot of knowledge and speed, while helping to teach the boys things that he has picked up on during his basketball career.”
Pamela has one goal for the boys and that’s to go to the state championships. “I believe they can do it!” She would like to see the boys win the next two conference games to set them up good for districts. For a good chance to advance to the state championships.
Sho-Ban Chiefs team players.
When asked as a woman coach have you faced any obstacles? She replied during her first year as the high school boys coach, “when me and Marcus would sit in the stands and get up to coach, coaches would come up to welcome us and would shake Marcus’ hand first and say, hey coach how’s it going? Marcus would have to correct them and tell them, ‘I’m not the head coach Pam is the head coach.’”
She’s also had mothers of different teams come up to her and tell her she’s doing a good job coaching the boys. They also told her it’s awesome to see a woman coaching the boys team. Coby said, “What’s the difference? I don’t think there’s a difference.” Pamela noted she has had a good relationship with other coaches and has not had any issues for this season with the other teams.
Each year Coby has to reapply to be the boys coach, she plans to continue to apply. She would also like to get the team into a summer league and try to host a youth basketball camp where the boys can help teach the community youth.
Sho-Ban Chiefs team huddle.
Coby complimented her assistant coach Marcus Coby for helping keep her levelheaded and teach the ball handling skills the boys need. Marcus said, “It’s good to have Pamela coaching, she keeps the team disciplined and keeps them going. The big picture is for the kids, and their attitudes — be outstanding citizens and hopefully go on to college.”
Moore said he hopes to help keep the boys out of trouble and teach them some skills he’s learned. “Pamela is doing a real good job teaching the boys self-discipline and how to treat a lady, the boys have a good bond and are willing to work hard to win.” He hopes to see the boys win the rest of their season games.
