DSharp

BREAKING: Jayden Bailey, a 17-year-old student athlete at Lebanon High School, died after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, several years ago. Bailey, a 6-foot-6 junior power forward, was diagnosed with the type of bone cancer in June 2022. His left arm was amputated as a result of the cancer in August 2025. After doctors thought he was cancer-free, the disease spread to his stomach in October 2025. Still, he kept playing basketball and attending classes while inspiring those not only at Lebanon High, but the Tennessee high school basketball community. Bailey was honored by the Lebanon City Council days prior to his death with a proclamation of “Jayden Bailey Day.” He was eventually forced to stop playing and going to school because his body was breaking down, his basketball coach, Jim McDowell said. R.I.P. Jayden Bailey ❤️🙏

Why Coaching Is Harder Than People Think (A Holiday Reminder)… Because coaching isn’t just about plays, drills, or game nights. It’s about people. It’s about walking into practice every day and managing emotions you didn’t create but are responsible for. Your own. Your players. Your assistants. Parents. Administrators. Fans. It’s about teaching kids who are all at different stages. Different maturity levels. Different confidence levels. Different home situations. And somehow holding them to the same standards while still meeting them where they are. It’s about decisions that look simple from the stands but feel heavy from the sideline. Who plays. When. Why. How you communicate it. And how that decision might land on a 16-year-old who ties their identity to minutes. It’s about losing sleep over kids who won’t buy in. Over conversations you need to have. Over mistakes you replay in your head long after everyone else moved on. It’s about being judged by people who see the outcome, not the process. The scoreboard, not the hours. The result, not the relationships. And yet, you show up again. You plan. You teach. You model. You care. As the season slows and the holidays arrive, this is the reminder: What you do matters. Even when it goes unseen. Even when it feels heavy. Even when it’s hard. Coaching is about influence. And influence lasts longer than any season. That’s why coaching is harder than people think. And also why it matters so much. As the year winds down, I hope you find a little rest, a little perspective, and a lot of pride in the work you’re doing. 🎄Happy Holidays, Coach.