This new season brought in a new head coach to the Cleveland girls basketball program: Stacey Berg. 

Berg is replacing Cleveland faculty member Poeko Waiwaiole, who stepped down from being the coach after his daughters (who were former players) graduated from high school last year.

In an email Berg outlined her coaching plan, which emphasizes building strong relationships with her players.

“Personally, the team feels like a second family,” said Berg. “It’s really been a whirlwind getting to know them better – their sense of humor, what they care about, what motivates them, how they handle conflict and criticism.”

Berg believes that girls basketball is about more than just winning games, it’s about the players and the greater Cleveland community.

“I really believe sports can be an amazing vehicle to positively impact our broader community. Rallying around an athletic team necessarily brings people together and gives them a space to foster social connections,” she said.

With the season well underway, Berg is evaluating the positive aspects of her team, as well as areas that still need improvement.

At the time of writing, the team has a league record of three wins and five losses and an overall record of eight wins and nine losses.

“We made some changes offensively, and learning a new system takes time. I think we are still working on finding our groove and learning to play together efficiently on offense. We have a better interior presence this season, and we need to keep getting stronger in that regard. Defensively, we’ve been working hard on rotations and I’m seeing some real growth there. The challenge for the rest of the season will be putting together solid performances on both ends of the court,” Berg said.

Beyond wins and losses, Berg sees the program as a reflection of the larger Cleveland community.

There have been major changes happening in women’s basketball. Higher viewership and high salaries are making a career in the WNBA more and more attainable. Berg sees her time as coach as an opportunity to revitalize and revolutionize women’s sports at Cleveland.

“It’s interesting because I feel like women’s basketball is really having a moment – viewership, revenue is up – but I’m seeing fewer girls committing to playing the sport in high school. It’s important for people like me to ask why?”

Berg believes that the Cleveland girls basketball program needs a restructuring in order to achieve higher success.

“Basketball is contact-heavy, high-intensity and filled with failure (something girls, especially, don’t like). To move our program forward it will be important to re-frame the idea that failure is bad and to be avoided at all costs. Instead, we need to see our failures as feedback (something Billie Jean King has been saying for years) and an opportunity to learn some really important life lessons: how to recover and reset and keep going with grace,” Berg said.

When asked what makes her a winning coach, Berg takes notes from Ted Lasso: “A willingness to be constantly learning and the memory of a goldfish.”

Berg is a passionate, driven, and competent coach who wants the best for girls basketball. With her daughter Ruby as a freshman on the team, Cleveland students can expect at least another three years with Berg at the helm. 

Berg’s plan to rebuild the program will be centered around building community and instilling hard work in her players and this transition in mentality will make the team dangerous in the years to come. The future looks bright under Berg’s leadership.