Everyone needs that one chance -- someone to believe in them.
That's what happened to new head coach Briceida Razo, the new head girls' basketball coach at Goose Creek Memorial. Opportunity presented itself when Darcie Moore left GCM to take the Magnolia West job, after a 27-9 season and a second-round playoff appearance.
"I'm super excited," Razo said. "It's so hard to get your first head coaching job. It's such a competitive market and everyone asks, how much head coaching experience do you have? The GCCISD administration took a chance on me and I had to jump on it."
Razo played volleyball and basketball at Galena Park High School, before getting her degree from UH. She spent six years coaching at her alma mater, before becoming an assistant at CE King High School.
"When you work with different coaches, you see different things that you take with you along the way," she said. "I'm coming in ready to set the tone. I'm big on the weight room and doing the dirty work. If it's hard in the offseason and practice, games are going to be way more enjoyable and hopefully you have success."
The Pats were a senior-heavy team last year, but returns Alex Haymon, Gabby Cantu, Ayia Clark and Kortney Wright, who have varsity experience.
"I'm very defense-oriented and want to score in transition," she said. "We are going to run and keep other teams on their toes."
While Xs and Os are important, Razo knows there is so much more to being a head coach.
"My high school coach and then mentor was Mary Kellner at Galena Park," she said. "When you are a coach coming out of college, you just want to roll the balls out and practice. She taught me so much more about coaching from the other side – like the administrative piece and dealing with players' and parents' expectations. It's a delicate balance."
Coming off a successful season, Razo is charged with continuing the success at GMC. She will have a few assistants stay to smooth the transition but is ready for the challenge.
"I've always wanted to coach," she said. "Seeing the lightbulb go on inside a player from their freshman to senior year, makes it all worth it. Seeing the progress in your kids is what keeps you doing this."