As part of our CURATOR series our Mark Williams sat down with Ms. Delfina Leston. “Who is Delfina Leston?”, one might ask. Well, she is the newly appointed head coach of the boys basketball program at Martin Luther King HS (NYC) and she is one of the few women head coaches leading a boy’s program in NYC.
Check out their Q and A conversation.
Q . As one of the few female head coaches on the “boys side” in NYC, what made you get on that side of basketball?
A. As a female coach, I wanted to coach boys because "why not"! I was just as competent, if not more than another male coaches to take on the boys' team. Coaching is coaching, regardless of who you are coaching. A win is a win, and a loss is a loss! No matter who I am coaching, boys or girls, I want to ensure my players will be their best on and off the court, and I know I can be that agent of change to help them succeed through support and dedication. Being a female has never made me think twice about doing anything in a dominantly male field. My physical stature, standing at 5'1, may allow others to believe I should not be coaching boys basketball, but that's just one of the many stereotypes female coaches have to endure.
------
Q. Although you have coached young men previously mostly on the junior varsity level, how has the transition to the varsity level been amongst your colleagues?
A. I am very fortunate to say that my colleagues have been very supportive since day one, back in 2012, when I transitioned from coaching girls to boys. They never made me once feel like I should not be coaching boys.
------
Q. If one would listen to the media - you would hear statements like, “young men are just so unruly especially to women in position of power”- how did you as a female coach gain the players’ respect and how have you been able to maintain such standards within your program?
A. Never in my career have I had a young man disrespect me. Gaining respect never has been an issue for me as a coach because, "Respect is a two-way street; if you want to get it, you've got to give it”. Every year in the first team meeting, respect is the first item on the agenda. I do not tolerate disrespect towards each other or themselves. I ensure my players carry themselves like respectful young men on and off the court because the goal is not only to participate on a sports team, but I want them to be productive members of society throughout life! My players look at me as not only a coach but as a mother figure. I treat them the same way I would treat my child. My players understand that I was not put in their lives to hurt or embarrass them, and it's shown through my nurturing personality and coaching style. I build a high level of rapport with my players by dedicating the time to get to know each player I have ever coached on a personal level through check-ins, ongoing conversations, and empathetically listening. I've learned through experience and observation that to be a great coach, you must know your players individually.
-----
Q. Although you are only at your school for two-three hours per day - do you believe your presence as one of the very few female HEAD varsity coaches in the PSAL is creating, if not, changing the narrative surrounding women as a whole and women as it relates to coaching young men?
A. Absolutely, females coaching varsity sports is a progressive movement, and I am so proud to be a part of it since 2012 and beyond. However, I want to see more females coaching boys throughout the city and country. Growing up, I only knew of Coach Ruth Lovelace at Boys & Girls HS, and I was always intrigued by the fact she was the first and only varsity boys coach and winning championships at the time! So, when I became MLK's first female boys JV coach, that was a massive deal to me, and I felt accomplished because I knew I was a part of breaking barriers and stereotypes in NYC boys basketball.
-------
Q. What is your long term goal as a trailblazer in the NYC coaching ranks?.
A. My long-term goal as a trailblazer is always the success for my players and longevity as a coach! I want my players to leave their stamp in this world, and I know being a part of a team is always a good place to start. In addition, I always want to ensure I have that platform available to help NYC student-athletes achieve the mindset that there's so much more to accomplish beyond high school, but I want them to use the tools and skills they gained from being a part of the team! And not only do I strive for the success of my male players, but I also want to be a role model for other young females who wish to break barriers and accomplish their goals and dreams in any field they desire! That is what I consider "rankings"! (DELFINA)
T
hank you Coach Leston!
Denada!
No comments:
Post a Comment