Lady Lockz🔐 - Sip in the Paint - Leading by Example w/Coach Tasha

The Spaces featured Coach Tasha, a 20+ year Baltimore girls’ basketball developer and 13-year head coach at Western High School, in a wide-ranging conversation hosted by the Lady Locks team with audience Q&A from Kenny, Dog (Dao Rong), E. Mackenzie (EMAC), Kim, and others. Coach Tasha detailed her path from skills development to team coaching, emphasizing fundamentals, individualized teaching, and building confident young women rather than stroking egos. She addressed mental health and resilience through deep, long-term relationships with players and families, and a philosophy of controllables vs. uncontrollables. She contrasted eras in women’s hoops—WNBA expansion yet limited roster spots; NCAA NIL as opportunity while underscoring the enduring value of degrees—and critiqued today’s entitlement and lack of grit, advocating accountability and watching full games. In Q&A, she affirmed fundamentals depend on the teacher; picked UConn, South Carolina, Texas, and Kentucky as current Final Four contenders; and shared a relentless practice culture (“no outs,” earn your minutes). Rapid-fire choices included Kobe over LeBron, A’ja Wilson, Phil Jackson, Becky Hammon, Lauryn Hill, and Above the Rim. She closed with gratitude, legacy-building by mentoring new coaches, and a strong family support system.

Lady Locks Twitter Space: Coach Tasha on Building Confident Young Women Through Basketball, Fundamentals, NIL/WMBA, and Legacy

Session context and participants

• Host: Lady Locks (referred to variously as Lady Loss/Lady Blocks in plugs; serves as moderator and lead host)
• Co-hosts and contributors:
  • Mackenzie (E. Mackenzie, “EMAC”): co-host, led a deeper sports/mental discussion and closed with signature “shout out to the people dem.”
  • Taur: co-host who ran the “Game Time” rapid-fire “this or that” segment.
  • Dog (Dao Rong): audience contributor and women’s basketball supporter (“walking into the dog house” segment), asked Final Four picks.
  • Kenny (Canby Parley Jesus): audience contributor asked about fundamentals.
  • KP: audience contributor attempted to ask but disconnected.
  • Kim: audience contributor offering appreciation to Coach Tasha.
• Guest: Coach Tasha (“Coach T”), head girls’ basketball coach at Western High School (Baltimore) for 13 years; 20+ years in the girls’ basketball community (AAU, community networks, consulting).

Community announcements and upcoming programming

• Parley Syndicate community
  • Join via parleysyndicate.io; links to Patreon, Discord, and community.
  • Merch store highlights: hoodies, tumblers, glasses, “pop-up pick” hoodies, ball caps, beanies.
• Programming slate
  • Special episode Saturday: Lady Loss with Zo Williams (former co-host of Cory Holcomb’s 5150 Show; radio host at KDLA’s morning show; Voice of Reason podcast; author of “Relationship Dismount”). Topics: sports, relationships, basketball. Time: 3 PM EST / 12 PM PT.
  • Fight Night: next Saturday at 9 PM in Discord.
  • Mondays: Money Moves & Mindset, featuring KPJA and hashtag programming on managing, sustaining, and growing money.
  • Tuesdays: Welcome to the Dog House.
  • Wednesdays: Pop-up programming.
  • NFL coverage will consolidate (season winding down; no more Thu/Sun/Mon cadence). Check community for live days and betting discussions.
  • Next Friday: Lady Blocks episode “Standing on Business and Entrepreneurship” with a panel of women bosses (how to lift off, funding, and sustaining businesses).

Coach Tasha: Background and path to coaching

• Early work centered on fundamentals and development with very young girls (ages 5–6), teaching core skills (dribbling, shooting mechanics) and keeping things simple.
• As her players grew into leagues and school teams, they sought her feedback during and after games. Observing gaps in development and an emphasis on “already made products” by some coaches concerned her.
• Family recognized her impact and supported a deeper time commitment, allowing her to formalize coaching while balancing marriage and motherhood.
• Guiding principle: impact young women’s lives through basketball and beyond; patient, process-oriented development (“trust the process”).

Influences and how they shaped her approach

• Breezy Bishop: a rare female coach in her own playing years—passionate and stern—showed a model of female leadership in basketball.
• Male coaching influences: Bucky Lee, Selby, among others from East Baltimore; she often played with boys growing up.
• Method: take useful pieces from all coaches but filter through how she felt as a player being coached—what worked (discipline, structure) and what didn’t (unproductive yelling/cursing). She tailors style to each player:
  • Some don’t respond to cursing or yelling.
  • Some are uncomfortable with eye contact.
  • Learning each individual’s preferences produces better outcomes.

Coaching philosophy tailored to young women

• Core aim: build confident young women, not stroke egos.
  • Confidence is the foundation that outlasts wins/losses.
  • A confident young Black woman is more powerful than just being a baller.
• Basketball is a vehicle to prepare them for life (mental strength, self-belief, guidance). The program is “bigger than basketball.”
• Patience, development, and process over instant product. She avoids setting plays for “stars” and focuses on earned minutes and balanced roles.

Mental health, confidence, and resilience

• Works from controllables vs. uncontrollables framework; intervention depends on issue type.
• Long-term relational model:
  • She often gets players young and grows with them, learning triggers and shutdown patterns.
  • Maintains deep context of life events (family tragedies, losses, parental dynamics) to intervene with empathy and precision.
• AAU vs. school context:
  • Ran an AAU program but prefers not to coach in short seasonal windows; true development needs more than 4–5 months.
  • In school settings, she invests year-round time.
• Example: A long-time player (known since age 11) just had ACL surgery and simultaneously faced family issues—Coach T remains a confidante and stabilizing support.
• As a mother of three, she emphasizes fairness, no biases, and feeding every player equally in love and attention.
• Intake approach: gets background from parents, builds trust, and treats the whole person. Basketball may be easy; the real work is holistic.

State of women’s basketball: then vs. now

• WNBA
  • Positive: expansion and increased opportunities.
  • Concern: not enough roster spots; even stellar draftees may be cut and pushed overseas due to numbers, veterans, and established brands.
• NCAA and NIL
  • Positive: NIL lets young women earn money they might not otherwise see.
  • Caution: scholarships and degrees remain paramount; degrees can’t be taken away and are vital given many families’ financial constraints. NIL money must be used wisely.
• Generational shift
  • Earlier cohorts took hard coaching (never degrading) and saw improvement; some folded, but grit was more common.
  • Today’s cohorts show more entitlement and less grit; players expect to play without earning time.
  • She underscores earned roles, not entitlement. Confidence-building is distinct from ego-stroking.

Fundamentals crisis and coachability

• Fundamentals are universal but unevenly taught; quality depends on the teacher’s understanding.
  • Too many kids come in with years of “experience” without basic form shooting or proper mechanics. She resets to basics.
  • She teaches tactile awareness (ball ridges, hand placement, spin) and builds correct habits to sustain shot-making beyond luck/highlights.
• Current behavior patterns:
  • Many players watch highlights or clips of friends rather than full college/WNBA games, lacking terminology and situational understanding.
  • She simplifies sets and repeatedly drills scenarios to build real comprehension.
• Accountability:
  • Lacking across the ecosystem—coaches, parents (especially when paying), and institutions must demand and deliver fundamentals.
• Coachability:
  • Players often think they “know it” until they hit obstacles; trust is essential.
  • She builds trust by showing that her guidance works—repeated successful execution convinces players to become coachable.
  • Seeks partnership and invites players to hold her accountable and share observations; collaboration drives adaptation.

Practice standards: hard work beats talent

• Ethos: “Hard work beats talent all the time.”
  • Example: A small point guard transferring into a competitive situation—she asks, “Who’s going to stop her?” if she outworks others.
• Practice culture:
  • “No outs”—every ball is live, every play is a play; fight for possessions. Players may dive over tables to save balls.
  • “Bloody buckets” mentality on rebounding: expectation targets (e.g., averages like 10 rebounds, 5 and 5) foster physical commitment and competitiveness.

Notable coaches and leaders changing the game

• Texas women’s basketball staff member noted for sideline fashion and presence (full figure, classy, feminine, sporty, wearing heels)—brings attention to the women’s game while remaining professional and passionate.
• Dawn Staley: met and conversed with her; admires her authenticity and consistency.
• Geno Auriemma: a legend, elite preparation standards.
• Pat Summitt: foundational figure whose impact endures; Coach T recalls recruitment moments from her playing days.
• Approach to role models mirrors her coaching method: take something from everyone and stay true to self.

2024 March Madness (women’s) outlook

• Preliminary Final Four watchlist (subject to form and playoffs):
  • UConn
  • South Carolina
  • Texas
  • Kentucky
• Notes: She loves college basketball and tracks top matchups; acknowledges ups and downs but trusts coaches like Dawn (South Carolina) and Geno (UConn) to have their teams ready. Mentioned recent LSU game viewing.

Recharging and balance

• Support system is central; calls her husband “the balance.”
  • He knows her journey, sets feedback and guardrails (“pull back,” “you went too hard”), and serves as both critic and cheerleader.
• Family-first principle: would not leave her own children to work with others unless she can give 100%. Limits off-season commitments to avoid diluted effort.

Legacy-building and mentorship

• Intentionally trains and mentors new, younger coaches; places former players/coaches into schools and summer roles.
• “Let us give life” model: pass on wisdom; ask mentees to help others the way she helped them.
• Woman of faith: prays for guidance, believes passion led to purpose, stays genuine and service-oriented.

Game Time (rapid-fire preferences)

• Kobe over LeBron.
• A’ja Wilson over Skylar Diggins.
• Early over on time.
• Phil Jackson over Steve Kerr.
• Becky Hammon over Cheryl Reeve.
• Lauryn Hill over Erykah Badu.
• Coach Carter vs. Love & Basketball: depends on mood (teaching vs. romance/sport blend).
• Above the Rim over Juwanna Man.

Audience Q&A and engagement highlights

• Kenny (Canby Parley Jesus): asked if fundamentals are universal/unisex; Coach T emphasized fundamentals are core but hinge on teacher quality and correct progression.
• Dog (Dao Rong): playful “messy” supporter of women’s basketball; asked Final Four picks; Coach T offered UConn, South Carolina, Texas, Kentucky and noted love of college ball.
• Mackenzie (EMAC): dug into mental toughness and the pressure of elite comparisons (Aaliyah Chavez, Jasmine, Betts). Coach T stressed pride in one’s own name, competing daily, and hard work over talent.
• Kim: expressed appreciation for Coach T’s passion; Coach T thanked the community and reflected on shared goals.
• Signature close: Coach T joined EMAC in the room’s tradition—“Shout out to the people dem.”

Key takeaways and highlights

• Development over display: True coaching is patient, fundamental, and individualized; highlights without foundations are hollow.
• Confidence vs. ego: Building confident young women produces life outcomes that transcend sport.
• Whole-person coaching: Deep relationships, context awareness, and trust are essential to mental resilience.
• Earned roles: Minutes and responsibilities are earned, not entitled; accountability is required across players, coaches, parents, and programs.
• NIL reality check: Opportunities are growing, but degrees still matter most; financial literacy and wise use of NIL are critical.
• Legacy and leadership: Coach T is actively mentoring the next generation of women coaches, ensuring continuity of the ethos she champions.
• Community culture: Parley Syndicate’s programming, merch, and spaces emphasize collective learning, celebration, and women’s sports visibility (with Baltimore pride).