Former EHS star joins girls' basketball staff

• Karen Sharon

Karen (Schade) Sharon joined the staff of the Ellsworth High School girls’ basketball team this winter as the JV head coach and as an assistant varsity coach. Here she is offering instruction and observing during a recent practice.

Talk about it

You talked me into it.

Ellsworth High School head girls basketball coach Dave Berg said he had been trying for several years to recruit one of his former EHS players, Karen (Schade) Sharon to join the coaching ranks.

“She’s a great role model for the players in our program to look up to,” Berg said. “She’s played at a high level whether in the state tournament or in college at UW-Stout. She was the kind of player with her work ethic, commitment and competitive desire is the kind of player we want all of our kids to be.”

Constant talking and recruiting along with support from her family friends finally convinced Sharon to join the EHS staff this winter as both and assistant coach and as the JV head coach.

The season has reached its midway point in between Christmas and New Year’s and Sharon thinks it’s been a positive experience.

“I wanted to do this for young girls to teach them the game of basketball on the court and teach them skills for life off of it,” Sharon said.

The JV started off 2-2 but the loss of its point guard due to injury has set them back with several losses. Still, a highlight was the Hudson game where the Panthers rallied from 20 points down to win by two in regulation.

“We just came out fighting back in the second half and it was wonderful to see,” Sharon said. “The hard work and no quit attitude was part of the teams I played for and something we want to instill in the team today. I’m a very competitive person. It’s the way I played and it’s the way I want them to play.”

Sharon graduated from Ellsworth in 1991 before playing her college ball at UW-Stout. While at Ellsworth she was All-Middle Border Conference three years in a row. She the Panthers in scoring for three seasons, is third all-time in scoring and second in both rebounds and assists. She topped her high school career off with second place finish in the state tournament.

Sharon wasn't a complete novice when it came to coaching as she helped out the program coaching eighth grade traveling teams along with helping the summer program. Berg said he didn’t have to spend much time on the bench during a recent JV game to know that Sharon knew what she was doing.

“She has great game sense and observation,” Berg said. “She made in-game and halftime adjustments and had a positive and competitive attitude with the players. She didn’t need me to make the right moves.”

JV ball is about development high school basketball skills as it is about wins and losses and Sharon says that’s how she’ll evaluate her first season as a coach when it has concluded.

“Obviously everyone looks at wins and losses but we want to make sure we leave an enthusiasm for the game among our players so they are motivated for continual improvement,” Sharon said. “I’m a high-energy person and I hoping it rubs off on the girls so that we have fun, a good relationship and learn a lot as well, myself included.”

Tags: sports, prep, ellsworth, prep, girls, basketball