Softball, Baseball, flag football, volleyball, basketball and the handful of other sports Ogden City offers each season all start the same way—asking for volunteers to step up and coach. Hundreds of kids register to play, launching their dreams of being the next Lauri Markkanen, Shohei Ohtani or Cailin Clark, but it’s the volunteer coaches who make the season happen. Recreational sports keep kids busy, moving, all while instilling positive characteristics like cooperation, resilience and sportsmanship. It’s the front-row seat to this growth that keeps coaches coming back season after season.
While each coach is valued, their volunteered time and skill recognized by parents and city leadership alike, there’s a push to see more female coaches in Ogden sports. Despite the 3 million girls participating in sports, The Women’s Sports Foundation found that females are underrepresented as coaches and players. Girls seeing women play, lead and coach keeps those girls playing, and maybe one day becoming leaders and coaches themselves. With this ideal in mind, the Utah Jazz and Salt Lake Toyota Dealers created the Her Time Clinics where girls from around the state come play inside the Jazz practice facility.
Ogden City Recreation players had their chance to practice and play with Jazz officials on Tuesday. Running drills, shooting 3-pointers and cheering one another on as they weaved down the court. Out of breath and happy, the surprises didn’t stop there. For several years now, Ogden’s Britanie Williams has coached not only girls’ basketball but Untamed Ogden volleyball. After being nominated for her efforts by Ogden City Recreation, the Utah Jazz and Toyota recognized Coach Williams during the Her Time Clinic.
There have been a lot of amazing nominations [of female coaches], but there was clearly one coach who went above and beyond, making sports more accessible in Ogden, Coach Britanie Williams,” announced Jazz Head Coach Will Hardy. Standing off to the side, arms crossed, sporting her Ogden Untamed t-shirt emblazoned with “COACH”, Coach Williams came forward only to be handed an inflatable key. “This goes to your new truck,” said Coach Hardy as he pointed out the windows. After a shocked “no way”, the room erupted with cheers and tears.
“It was totally a shock. I’m still shaking” says Coach Williams holding the giant key. The Utah Jazzed asked for nominations of youth coaches impacting their communities in a positive way. Despite receiving hundreds or responses, Coach Williams stood out because of her empowering mentorship for girls in the community as well as making sports more accessible to the players in Ogden City.
Mayor Ben Nadolski, often a volunteer coach for Ogden Untamed himself, knows firsthand what it takes to be a youth sports coach. “Britanie is a perfect example of what it means to be an engaged, powerful woman who is providing the best example to our kids. It’s a proven fact that when young girls have powerful women in their lives as a role model, they live better lives. They become stronger adults,” he explains.
Ogden City Recreation strives to make city sports more inclusive, keeping young female athletes in the game by hosting tournaments like the Girls High School All-State Invitational and D1 Prospects Girls Utah High School All-State Fast Pitch Tournament. The addition of Ogden Untamed also opened up more opportunities for the city’s youth by offering competitive baseball, softball, basketball and volleyball. Untamed gives players looking for the next level in sports an affordable option, keeping Ogden’s youth engaged and empowered as they grow in a sport. Ogden City Recreation describes Ogden Untamed as comp level play at recreation pay, believing all kids should be in the sport they want without socioeconomics being an issue. Mayor Nadolski says he’ll continue to push for youth sports, saying, “Empowering our youth, particularly our young women is priority number one for Ogden City and priority number one for our entire community.”
Nowhere was this more evident than on the court of the Utah Jazz practice facility at the Her Time Clinic. Jim Olson, President of the Jazz agrees, “With it being Women’s History Month it’s a great time to celebrate the accomplishments of women, especially in sports. At the Utah Jazz, we believe in the transformative power of sports.
With basketball winding down, the snow melting and the grass getting a bit greener, it’s time for baseball and softball-- all those teams need a coach. “If you want to get involved you can at the rec level in sports or you can get involved with Ogden Untamed, which is comp level and rec level of play,” says Mayor Nadolski. “We’re always looking for good, qualified coaches who understand the game, but more importantly understand kids, understand developing young athletes and provide a good example.”
If you want to coach, officiate or register your child, head to Ogden City Recreation
