Jennifer Talbert Making an Impact On and Off the Court

Fair Grove High School’s physical education and health teacher Jennifer Talbert is not only a teacher, but is also the head coach of the girl’s basketball team for her 13th year.

Talbert has been coaching the basketball team for 16 years. “Her positive attitude towards the players sets a lot of trust within the team. She pushes us all to be better on and off the court, and with that, she gives us good competition and goals to try and live up to,” explained Emma Padgett (9). 

She aims to inspire and push her students and athletes to be better versions of themselves whether on the field or off. “I try to motivate them to get better. We put them in positions that they will be in the games so they feel prepared when they step on the floor,” Talbert exclaimed. 

Padgett shared, “I feel like she gets to know us all individually so she knows how to push each of us to be a better person on and off the court.”

“Basketball teaches more than just sports’ specific skills for each girl: being on a team, working together for a common goal, accepting your role, and putting away selfish ambition for the greater good of the team are all awesome life lessons we hope they learn,” Talbert explained. She had been very involved in basketball as a player while she was in school, but she also continued her passion after school by coaching.

Talbert also shared her hopes and thoughts for this year’s basketball girls team season. Talbert shared, “I expect us to be very competitive in each of our games. I want us to continue to improve and be playing our best basketball by the end of the season.” 

Sophomore basketball player Hannah Maxwell exclaimed, “I think our basketball season will go really well this year. We definitely have a chance to go far in districts this year, and possibly go to state I would hope so,” she continued, “I think this will be a great year for the Lady Eagles basketball team.”

Being on the team requires a lot of time and dedication for practices and training. “A normal training session with Talbert involved us working hard, becoming better at the sport. We stay conditioned. We run over all the plays and get up and down the court scrimmaging each other. We run new drills that involve what we have struggled on in the past to become better at it. Then to finish up with pressure free throws, and they may be tiring but when we are tired in a game and have to shoot free throws they will go in. Talbert makes us work hard in each of her training sessions,” vocalized Maxwell. 

All in all, coach Talbert and the team are excited about this year’s season and the girls continue to see the great job their coach is doing for them, their season, and the seasons to come.