This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
12/14/2022 09:30 AMThroughout her playing tenure in town, Miranda Gladwin developed into a consummate teammate, leader, and professional. Now, she is utilizing the tools she garnered from those experiences on the other side of the coin in influencing the future of the East Haven girls’ basketball program.
The lifelong East Haven resident and Class of 2016 East Haven High School graduate was an All-SCC Oronoque Division Team selection while serving as a Yellowjackets’ girls’ basketball team captain.
Following graduation, Miranda’s first venture into coaching came with the Yellowjackets as a volunteer assistant coach under her former head coach, Anthony Russell. Miranda has moved up the East Haven coaching tree since then, as she is about to embark on her second season as JV coach under East Haven varsity Head Coach Mike Archambault.
“When I started out last year, I was by myself as JV coach, but Mike and [fellow Yellowjackets’ assistant coach Ed Crisafi] were there to help me through the growing pains of the job,” Miranda says. “It has been great working with them both. We bounce ideas off of each other and are able to freely discuss what needs to be done.”
Enjoyment and entertainment are paramount to Miranda when it comes to her outlook on forging friendships and connections, while coaching young student athletes. Having a leg up on that objective through her education and occupation at East Haven, Miranda also wants to cultivate and sculpt young women the school and community can be proud of.
“I always want to make sure the girls are having fun,” says Miranda, who is also a paraprofessional at East Haven High School. “I want them to not only grow as players, but also as people. I want to make sure they know how to act as adults. I want them to focus on being good citizens. Through working in the school and being in classes, I have gotten to know a lot of them. I want to be there for them outside of basketball and help talk them through things, such as the process of applying for colleges.”
In such a fast-paced, pressure-packed sport on the hardwood, it can be an enduring process for one player to clutch key concepts. Yet when the girls have that a-ha moment, it is mental music in Miranda’s mind.
“To me, it is so rewarding when you see the girls struggling, but then they finally grasp a play,” Miranda says. “It is great to see when the lightbulb goes off in their heads. It shows that you know you did your job after coaching them so much.”
Also in his second season as the varsity bench boss for East Haven, Mike Archambault proclaims that Miranda has immediately proven herself to be an astounding asset to his staff as he additionally assimilated into his position.
“Miranda is as loyal as any coach could be. Her commitment to the players and the program is unwavering,” says Archambault. “Whether it’s helping the girls strive on the court, helping with academics, or an ear to listen to a personal problem, the girls know they can count on Miranda. As a newer head coach, having a dedicated coach like Miranda on the staff made the transition so much smoother. Her commitment is a part of the reason our program had such a successful year last year and will continue to be successful.”
The feeling is mutual for Miranda, who notes that Mike, alongside East Haven hoops mainstay Crisafi, have aided her acclimation to the program.
“Being able to coach alongside Mike is great,” says Miranda. “Ed is also a great asset to have with his years of experience with the sport in this town.”
Heading up the JV tier of the team, Miranda aims to run her squad as a sort of proving and learning ground for the younger Yellowjackets–injecting core but essential fundamentals so they have a wealthy base of knowledge before moving onto more intricate plays.
“I like how the girls can come to me and make connections before they reach the varsity level,” Miranda says. “We work on the kinks here at JV and use it as a learning curve; we have them play in new positions and situations and work through any problems on their own. For JV, we work on basics, such as ball handling. We are big on shooting form and making sure their footwork is good. We want them to grasp basic info to be ready for more advanced things.”
In closing, Miranda makes it well known that one of her bigger-scale goals is to be an individual who these young women can count on for advice long after the final horn on the floor sounds.
“My goals are to make a difference and be someone the girls remember in an influential role,” says Miranda. “I want to be someone they can reach out to for help, even long after they leave the program here.”