Raising a family while also teaching and coaching basketball takes a lot of balance.
Just ask Michelle Dawson, who is in her 20th season coaching basketball at St. Edward.
Her son, Kaden, is a senior on the boys team. Now Layne and Taylor, her freshman twin daughters, are finally with her on the varsity girls team.
“There’s been a lot of sacrifice over the 20 years, especially when the kids were little,” Michelle Dawson said. “It was something we all loved, though, and we bought into it.
“For us, winter is for basketball and being in the gym.”
That’s been the life for the Dawson kids, spending countless days in the gym working on homework and shooting on the side while mom fulfilled her coaching duties.
The kids have been around for it all, and now Layne and Taylor get to actually don the Green Wave uniform.
“I’ve been pretty excited for a long time,” Layne said. “I watched so many girls go through it and watched them succeed in life. It’s been something I’ve looked forward to.”
Taylor said the family has been talking about this opportunity for some time. Now, they get to live it.
“We’ve been obviously excited to go to St. Ed’s and play,” Taylor said. “It’s kind of cool because we’re actually doing it now. We’re actually playing here.”
For Michelle, she’s had her daughters around the gym since they were little. That dynamic changes now that she’s their coach, however.
“It’s definitely unique,” she said. “I’m enjoying every minute of it. It’s just been so rewarding to get to the point where they’re actually on the team.”
Layne and Taylor are two of five freshmen on the varsity for St. Edward (12-9), and they all grew up playing in the Green Wave’s feeder program, which is run by their father and Michelle’s husband, Colin.
Layne is in the starting lineup, often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best offensive player for St. Edward. That started at Lisle over the holidays in tournament play.
She was at it again Monday, guarding Elgin’s leading scorer, Izzie Castro.
“I needed a taller, longer but still quick player to put on their best player,” Michelle said of Layne. “She’s come in and filled that role for us.”
Layne said it took some adjusting, but that she’s adapting to that role.
“I think it’s going pretty well,” Layne said. “It’s a little stressful to start out, but having the help of my teammates helps me.”
Taylor isn’t seeing the same amount of minutes as her sister, but Michelle Dawson knows she’s still a big part of the team.
“We talk about how she doesn’t get many game minutes, but she’s still contributing to the team,” Michelle said. “They’re so valuable to our team. Everybody is playing so unselfishly.”
Dawson picked up her 300th career win Monday — a nice, round number that shows what all of the sacrifice through the years accomplished.
“It’s a tribute to all the players I coached and people I worked with,” Dawson said. “It’s been a team effort. Every player I’ve coached has really loved and taken on my kids as well as our team.
“It’s just been a big family.”
The twins have always been a part of that family, watching what their mother has helped build. Now, it’s their turn to add to the legacy.
“It’s really fun,” Layne said. “I like having my mom there all the time. We get to see her a lot more because we’re actually playing for her.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.