Sean Connor, the Antioch boys basketball head coach, has been coaching basketball for as long as he can remember. His love for coaching basketball started his senior year of high school, and this season will be Connor’s 20th year coaching basketball.
“I tore my ACL the first day of practice [my senior year], so my head coach had me helping with the varsity team,” Connor said. “I also helped coach our feeder teams, like fifth through eighth grade teams.”
Connor has had lots of experience with coaching basketball, as he started at a young age and has grown as a coach throughout the years. After he helped coach his high school team, his head coach got him a job as a basketball manager at Northern Illinois University. Connor graduated from college, and knew what he wanted to do with his future.
“I just fell in love with the job and how you help kids, and I obviously; have a passion for the game,” Connor said. “ As soon as I got done with college, I knew I wanted to teach and [become a] coach.”
Even though this is Connor’s first year coaching at Antioch, the team is glad to have him as their coach. Junior Kyle Glassman, who has been playing basketball for school and feeder teams for quite some time, is proud to have Connor coaching him.
“Coach Connor is definitely one of the best basketball coaches I have ever had,” Glassman said. “His hard work and dedication to the game and to [the team] is something I have just never had. The time he spends preparing us for games is insane.”
The Sequoits boys basketball team is lucky to have Connor as their coach because of how dedicated he is to the sport as well as how much time he puts into making the team better. Some of the Sequoits have been on the varsity team for most of their high school basketball career, and they have had different coaches.
“For me, this is my second new coach, but I would say something different Connor brings to the team is telling us how to become good leaders and how to help each other in different ways on and off the court,” junior Emiliano Zamudio said.
Not only has coach Connor taught the team how to become good leaders, but he also supports the team when they are having bad days on and off the basketball court. Connor checks in with the team to see how they are doing, and if they need to talk.
“If I’m having an off night, Connor will come and say ‘hey, you’re a great shooter, just keep shooting, we need you,’” Glassman said. “Just saying things like the team needs you, or we need you to win this game, is a huge motivator for me.”
The Sequoits boys basketball team has a bright future ahead of them with Connor as their coach because of the dedication he shows for basketball and the players.
