Helena Magazine

Sports Q&A – Lucas McDonald

Published 10:00 am Tuesday, December 20, 2022

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Helena High School head basketball coach and math teacher

How long have you been coaching, and what made you want to become a coach?
I have been coaching since 2001 at various high school and college levels. I have always enjoyed working with kids and helping to mold young people while teaching them life lessons through basketball.

What is your favorite part of being a coach?
My favorite part is the relationships that I develop with the players. It is always great to watch them grow as people and players throughout their time in the program.

How would you describe your approach to coaching?
I grew up a military kid, so I feel like that has greatly shaped my approach to coaching. I tend to be very structured in what we do and really try to push the team to get out of their comfort zone in order to accomplish things they didn’t think possible.

How has Helena been different compared to other schools you have coached at?
I feel like this group of guys has been very coachable and they are hungry to get better.

Are there any special moments that have stood out to you so far in your time coaching at Helena?
My time at Helena has been short thus far but I would say I have really enjoyed watching our guys push each other to get better each day. We are really learning how to compete and be consistent each and every day.

What do you feel your players learn playing basketball?
Basketball teaches a multitude of life lessons. It teaches them how to handle adversity and how to persevere when things are tough. This ability to push through mentally when life doesn’t go your way is a characteristic of truly successful people. It teaches them about the power behind teamwork and working together to accomplish a common goal. My greatest teams have always played for each other and exemplified this characteristic.