Fresh start: New Free State coach, players getting acquainted

photo by: Richard Gwin

Free State girls basketball coach Ted Juneau explains a drill to junior Megan Donner on Thursday as 11 girls participated in summer camp at FSHS.

During the past few seasons, on the rare occasions when the then-Seabury Academy girls basketball coach had the chance, Ted Juneau made sure to venture to another program’s gymnasium in order to watch the Free State High girls team in action.

More of a casual observer of the Firebirds then, Juneau simply wanted to catch a glimpse of Madison Piper, the daughter of former Lawrence High standout Chris Piper, because Juneau coached the elder Piper at LHS.

“Up until a week ago,” Juneau said Thursday, “it never occurred to me that I’d be coaching them.”

This week at FSHS, the newly minted Firebirds coach found himself recognizing players at workouts and remembering those games he viewed from the bleachers.

As both the veteran and his pupils transition into the program’s next chapter, following 14 seasons of service from former coach Bryan Duncan, Juneau said his connection with Piper has facilitated that process. Not only has Juneau followed Piper’s progress, he’s currently in his second year of coaching her on the Kansas Hoopsters AAU team.

This week, with the Firebirds’ summer schedule just getting started, Piper’s familiarity with Juneau has helped her teammates get used to a new face and voice.

“I think they’re comfortable with me,” Juneau said, “and I’m getting more and more comfortable with them.”

Less than two weeks into his new job, Juneau looks forward to cultivating those relationships further. Part of that will involve maximizing each player’s abilities this coming winter, during Piper’s senior season.

“I think the key is to continue to make her better, and make her teammates understand what they need to do to be better,” Juneau said. “It’s a symbiotic relationship.”

Piper already has two Sunflower League Player of the Year awards to her name, and her coach said sometimes people think it’s easier to play with an “exceptional” player — “who might be better than anybody else on the floor” — but that isn’t always the case. Juneau said he wants to make it easy for Free State’s strong supporting cast of Cameryn Thomas, Jaycie Bishop, Jaelyn Two Hearts and the rest of the Firebirds to thrive, as well.

“And we want to make it easier for Madison,” the coach added, “to understand her role and how she becomes part of that, too.”

The hope is things will start to click during the offseason, as the Firebirds play this month. Their summer league began this week, but it just so happened FSHS had a bye, so the new coach’s unofficial debut won’t come until Monday — a fortunate break as far as Juneau was concerned.

“I probably wouldn’t have known their names at that point,” he joked.

Well, Juneau would’ve remembered one name, at least.