Bradley Central’s Jason Reuter Calls Coaching His Daughter Rebecca “Special Time”
With Father’s Day coming up this Sunday, we will feature all week, local coaches who had an opportunity to coach their kid.
We start tonight with Bradley Central girls basketball coach Jason Reuter, who just finished coaching his daughter Rebecca for four years.
Jason Reuter had no idea he would ever coach his daughter because Rebecca wasn’t a basketball enthusiast right away.
"I was going to have to quit my dance classes to play basketball. I remember I was so upset about it. I was so upset. My dad was like, Rebecca honey, I don’t know if dance is going to be something that you can pursue."
Jason made another good call when Rebecca was getting close to playing high school ball at Bradley Central.
"I was just missing so much, I thought about getting out (of coaching). Opportunity came open over here. It was like I woke up in the middle of the night. Rebecca was one year away from high school. It’s like God told me hey you big dummy, get over there. Coach the girls. Be with your daughter."
Since her dad became her high school coach, Rebecca had to make a few adjustments.
"Once we get in the gym, he was Coach Reuter. He wasn’t Dad. That was hard for me too, calling him Coach Reuter."
Said Jason,"I didn’t feel any pressure because my daughter was playing for me. I was probably harder on her than anyone else on the team. But we had many talks, and I explained to her why I had to be. I wanted to make sure she knew that I loved her more than anything else."
Rebecca says winning games, especially big games with her father never got old.
"In the region finals when we played Cumberland County. He ran out on the floor all the way to the free throw line. Ran out dancing like a maniac. Okay. Then we hugged. I will always remember that moment."
The Reuters say their four years on the court were tremendous.
Said Rebecca,"Now when I look back at it, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It was great having him here, yeah."
Said Jason,"People come and people go. But when you get a chance to coach your own kid, you would be blessed and honest if you didn’t say that’s probably the most special time."
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