Growing up with the game of basketball has always been a part of new varsity head girls basketball coach Justin Schneider. Since the age of five, Schneider has grown to love basketball and turn it into a lifestyle and continuing his athletic career by playing for Bethel College, an NAIA affiliated school. This has resulted into not only a fondness of basketball, but a coaching career.

Schneider has been a part of the NHS boys basketball team coaching staff, up until 2017, where he transferred to assist the Halstead boys basketball program. From there, he helped lead that team to win a 3A state title. This led Scheider to land the opportunity to become the NHS girls basketball head coach, which has been a goal of his for a long time.

“It has always been my plan and something I have always wanted, to be a head coach someday. It was just the right time now. They have had a very great program for years, it was something that I wanted to keep building on and be a part of,” Schneider said.

Although the excitement of a new coach can bring some indifferent feelings, senior Amanda Dorrell believes that Schneiders expectations will transform the team.

“We were expecting a lot of conditioning, but he’s really just been laying the foundations. He’s more intense than our last coach, but in a good way. He has high expectations,” Dorrell said. “I think it’ll take time to get used to all new offense and defense, but the team chemistry is still here.”

Going into his first season as head coach has not only given him the chance to have his team members understand his coaching style, but to also bring energy and excitement.

“I feel like the team has been very responsive, got a lot of energy. A lot of girls are playing really hard right now so I’m real excited,”  Schneider said. “Right now, I’m just getting the girls used to the way I coach. Getting them to be excited about being a part of the program is just my biggest goal.”