A new coach to Chaska is a familiar face for girls basketball, former Chaska Athena triathlete Ellen Degler is this year’s JV girls basketball coach.
Ellen Degler is a Chaska Alumni, a previous player for the Chaska Hawks girls basketball team.
Her high school experience was one to remember. Degler said that she was blessed with a lot of opportunity in high school, and those opportunities brought her and her team success.
“The two opportunities I was able to go to the State Tournament were definitely my highlight moments.” Degler said. “It’s an experience you don’t always get to have, and we had a good group of girls who played hard and it all came together for us, we didn’t know it at the time but it’s something you look back on and remember.”
However, since
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This impact is part of the reasoning behind Degler’s choice to take the job as coach of the JV team this year.
“I feel like I have something I can offer and help the team and the girls here, both as a player and a coach.” Coach Degler said. “Showing them what it is like to be a competitive athlete or to be a Christian on the court or be a good academic student, and being a good role model.”
However, Coach Degler said that coaching was a personal choice for her as well.
“Coaching was also a personal thing, it’s a way for me to stay around the sport, not everyone gets to play professional and this was an opportunity for me to do that back around here. I love basketball and I knew I wanted to be around the game.” said Ellen.
Degler loves coaching girls basketball, and has had a great experience back here at Chaska.
“Being with all the girls and seeing the smiles and seeing the enjoyment and seeing them grow as a player, and sometimes that’s tough but it’s also really rewarding,” Degler said, “it’s defining who they are as a person and where they get to take what they learn on the