Yamonie Jenkins has an improved role this season, being the "coach on the floor," after Ohio no longer has former veterans Kat Yelle and Mariah Byard.
Every year, teams lose players, and Ohio lost two – Kat Yelle and Mariah Byard – a year ago.
Thus, returning players must fill-in the missing holes the following year. That is exactly what junior guard Yamonie Jenkins’ role is this year.
“My role mainly is to be the coach on the floor,” Jenkins said. “When Bob (Boldon) doesn’t call the plays, I have to do that. (I’m) mainly the teacher out there. I’m really the person that’s out there to keep everybody organized.”
With Yelle gone, Jenkins will now be Ohio coach Bob Boldon's "coach on the floor," pacing the Bobcats offense as they attempt to repeat as Mid-American Conference Champions.
“I have to step up as a leader, playing the point guard role that Kat did last year,” Jenkins said.
Taking on this new role could be a challenge for Jenkins, as she is surrounded by five new, freshman faces.
Though Jenkins is a junior and knows Boldon's system, she still acclimating to the new faces for the Bobcats. Jenkins said, however, she knows she has to play to her teammate’s strengths.
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For example, freshman, and Athens-native, Dominique Doseck is a perimeter shooter, so Jenkins won’t play Doseck the ball in the post, as that’s counter-intuitive.
But Jenkins was able to get an early read on Doseck's play style, as the two worked out together in the offseason.
“She was able to help guide me and as a leader, she’s a big motivator and making sure you’re going as hard as you can," Doseck said.
In Ohio’s first exhibition game of the year against Wilmington, Jenkins had the chance to get extended time with four of Boldon's freshman.
Jenkins said it was good she got the chance to play with the rookies outside of practice and further develop her leadership role.
“I feel like they listen to me a lot more,” Jenkins said.
During practices, Ohio will run intrasquad scrimmages with five male managers and then cut the team into five’s. Each time Boldon runs this drill, he runs Jenkins with the freshman squad.
Along with on-court experience, Boldon is doing other off the court remedies to aid Jenkins’ development as a leader.
“(We’re doing) a lot of film work,” Boldon said.
Boldon said Jenkins’ ability to teach and her understanding of the game is what makes her a great fit at the guard position.
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Yet, Boldon said he understands Jenkins may not grasp the whole aspect of being a coach on the floor by the time conference play comes around, but he is going to work with her to make sure that she is in the best position to lead – whether that happens at the conclusion of this year, or runs into next year.
“There’s only so many times I can talk to the team,” Boldon said. “There’s a lot of times where she can talk to the team. If she had to make every decision for the game, our job is to teach her how to do that and make sure she is confident doing that. I’m very confident with her making the decisions.”
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