More than just a player

Post up, post up. Those were the words Leslie Haywood would hear from her coach every game while playing for the CSU-Pueblo women’s basketball team. Now as the assistant coach she’s the one shouting those words.

Haywood decided to attend CSU-Pueblo and play basketball after reviewing her possibilities to play for such universities as Colorado State University in Fort Collins and Yale. CSU-Pueblo offered her a partial scholarship and she was sold.

Haywood said she never imagined she would be coaching at the same school that she played for, especially at the age of 24.

In addition to working as an equal with the coach that she used to play under, Haywood also faces the challenge of coaching some of the same women she played beside during her college career.

The same women that used to practice with her, run drills with her and help her score points during games now look to her for guidance.

“At first I was kind of nervous and then it was just kind of natural,” Haywood said.

On average, Haywood is known to work anywhere from a 70 to 80 hour work week. The amount of time she works now is about the same amount she put in while achieving her undergraduate degree and playing basketball for the university. “The only real thing that’s changed is I went from taking orders to giving them,” Haywood said.

A typical day for Haywood extends from 5:30 a.m. through 11 p.m. After waking up at 5:30 a.m., she leaves for 6 a.m. practice. Once practice is over she heads back to the office to make recruitment phone calls around 8:30 a.m. After she completes her recruitment phone calls she makes her way to individual workouts and is there from 2 p.m. untill 5 p.m. At 5 p.m. she goes back to the office to finish paperwork. At 6 p.m. she heads for her second job as a real estate assistant. Then from 8 p.m. till 11 p.m. she returns to the school for evening practice.

On top of working two jobs Haywood is also working on her master’s degree in elementary education. She stated that even though she is getting her degree in elementary education she would like to continue coaching basketball.

Haywood said she always knew she would end up coaching, she just wasn’t sure when and she definitely never thought she would be coaching at the college level.

She still misses playing the game but she’s content with the way things are going now. “I love my job,” Haywood said.

According to Haywood being organized is the key to being a successful coach. She has a complete filing system for both her current and potential players. When Haywood took her position in July, she completely revamped the existing filing system to make it more effective.

When looking around Haywood’s office everything has its place. There are files for folders and mini-folders inside of the main folders. The organization flows into her home where nothing is out of place, not even the remote control to the TV.

Haywood said she plans to coach for at least another school year, but she isn’t sure what she wants to do after her next contract ends. “My original plan was to teach the second grade,” Haywood said. “But now I’m thinking that I would enjoy teaching high school kids more.”

When talking about teaching high school it brought to mind some of her own fond memories. “When I used to put on the uniform, step out onto the court and hear the crowd scream my heart would start pounding,” Haywood said. “Now it’s a different type of rush.”

Haywood has played basketball since she was 13 years old. She said it started as a hobby, something to occupy her free time. As time went on it became a passion.

In middle school Haywood cheered and played basketball. When high school came around she tried out for and made the team. During her freshman year her team made it to the state championship. In the fourth quarter her team was down. Haywood took a deep breath, lined up and took the shot.

It would turn out to be the winning shot. The year she lead her team to the championship victory would turn out to be the only year the team would make it that far during her high school career.

“I played basketball for so long that it became a big part of my life,” said Haywood. “So I figured what better to do then coach.”

Haywood’s father was the quarterback and team captain for his high school team back in Michigan. According to Haywood he was an all-around athlete. Haywood said being a good athlete didn’t come as naturally to her as it did to her father. Haywood had to shoot more baskets, run more drills and practice more then some of the other girls did.

“I may have had to work harder,” Haywood said, “but I think it made me enjoy the game more.”

Haywood has been the assistant coach of the CSU-Pueblo women’s basketball team for two years. The 2007/2008 season started Nov. 16.

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