Kate McDonald Returns to Sterling
Kate McDonald is returning to a place she never really left. Earlier this month McDonald, a 1994 graduate of Sterling, was named the head girls’ basketball coach at Sterling.
She replaced Kyle Marchese who had been the coach the previous four seasons before recently resigning. It was Marchese who replaced McDonald, who originally stepped down to spend more time coaching her own child.
For the previous four years, McDonald has coached her daughter Mackenzie, whether it be in travel or middle school basketball.
Now that her daughter is going to be a freshman at Sterling and the job opened up, it was a natural fit.
“I am super excited to be back,” McDonald said.
Even when she wasn’t coaching at Sterling, McDonald still kept up with the program, watching many of the games.
Sterling televises a lot of its games to those in the district and she was able to see most. And that isn’t all, she would go on Hudl, a site where many high schools have their games or highlights.
“I am just a basketball nerd,” she said laughing.
Sterling basketball and really Sterling in general, means a lot to McDonald. She is entering her 17th year as a special education teacher at the school.
“I just love my job,” she said.
In addition, she is a big fan of the Marchese, the coach she is replacing. Marchese is also a Sterling graduate and played for McDonald.
“She did a wonderful job,” McDonald said.
One advantage McDonald will have, is that she knows many of the basketball players well so she isn’t coming in cold. She coached many of the young incoming players and from watching virtually all the Sterling games even when she wasn’t head coach, she has a great idea of the skills of the players.
“We have a good group of players coming back,” she said.
The same can be said for the newcomers.
“I know a lot of the incoming freshmen and I hope that helps me,” she said.
One thing is for sure, few coaches will be more prepared than McDonald.
Keep in mind she was watching tape of the youngsters when she wasn’t coaching. As with any coach she was probably making evaluations, even if it was subconsciously.
Many coaches, when they watch any type of game, can’t help evaluating the players and going through strategic moves in her mind. It could the NBA, WNBA, high school or college, that is simply part of coaching DNA.
McDonald is a certified hoopaholic. Her career started at Sterling as the JV coach for one season and then she guided the varsity for 12 seasons.
Now she is coming back full circle to coach the Silver Knights, excited to return to a place she has really been there all along.
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© SouthJersey.com 2020. All rights reserved. This article or parts thereof may not be reprinted or reproduced by any other party without the express written consent of SouthJersey.com. For more information, please call 856-797-9910.
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For more Local Sports features, visit our South Jersey Sports page.
Author: Marc Narducci
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