THANKS COACH ODOM!
By Michelle Dean The experience I gained under
I had the honor of playing AAU
for Mindy Odom, and always
appreciated and enjoyed her
passion for coaching. She consistently
pushed us to go harder
and get better. On the court, she
was focused from start to finish
of each game. Off the court, she
was so much fun to be around.
She balanced the love she had
for each of us with the toughness
to ensure complacency was
never a detriment to our success
as players.
Fast forward a few years,
Mindy gave me an opportunity
to coach for her. I not only
had the privilege to coach their
Tennessee Elite AAU teams,
but I also served as her freshmen
coach at Cookeville High
School. During those five years
under Mindy, I learned more
than I can even put into words.
She taught me how to run and
lead a program since coaching
is much more than stepping on
the court for games.
her leadership was invaluable
and has been put to use
daily in the program I now run
in Hampton, Virginia. I will
always be thankful for Mindy,
for the way she encouraged me
and believed in me. Coaching
16 Healthy Living | Winter Issue | 2017–2018
for her, I wanted to go the extra
mile, because she poured into
me and appreciated the work I
did for the Lady Cav program.
While she is known as Coach
Odom to most, she is much
more than a coach to me, she is
a mentor and a friend.