BUCYRUS — Nicole Frazier has a passion for basketball and developing young players.

“You want those kids coming out in the youth program learning how to play the game. That’s what we need in Bucyrus; kids starting earlier,” she said.

“That’s where we are lacking and struggling to compete at the high school level because we have kids there that don’t know the game of basketball — the fundamentals.”

Frazier said that includes picking and rolling, passing and cutting, boxing out, transition and out letting.

Teaching the basics“All the basic fundamentals of the game. Then by seventh grade they can begin building into more progressive aspects of the game,” she said.“By the time they get to high school they’re playing at the top level, and you can advance their training by the time they get to the varsity level. It’s about building continuity within the program.”

This is Frazier’s second year coaching youth basketball in the Mid-Ohio Youth Basketball League (MOBL). It is for students third through sixth grade.She also serves on the high school varsity as an assistant coach.

Frazier previously coached Upward and YMCA teams the past six years. She is a former Lady Redmen standout and two-time all-Ohio softball player before graduating in 1998.

On Feb. 27, the third/fourth grade team won the MOBL title 40-3 over Wynford to cap a 17-0 season. The team won the semifinal game over Mohawk, 28-6. Those games took place at Bucyrus High School.

“I only had two girls who played basketball for more than a year. Four of them had never played before and two joined the program last year,” Frazier said. “So, they have made tremendous progress. We had a ton of brand-new fifth-grade girls who had never played before and decided to give basketball a try.”

Challenging themCoaching youngsters that age is a challenge.

Frazier calls it “a fine balance between staying on them to be focused for that 120 minutes in practice, holding them accountable in practice and letting them know we care about them as kids, as athletes, as students.

“We want them to be the best they can be at life. We’re going to challenge you, not let you stay where you are. I want them to know, ‘coach really cares about me. She’s not being mean. She wants me to be good at basketball and in life.’ Along comes a little bit of winning and  they’re having fun and it’s just a beautiful process,” she said. “When they’re working hard and learning the fundamentals, the winning just comes along with it.”

The Wynford Blue squad captured the fifth/sixth grade crown, 24-14, over Crawford Gold.

A total of 83 teams in boys’ and girls’ divisions including Crawford and surrounding counties. The Bucyrus fifth/sixth grade team finished the season at 8-8.

Last year, due to Covid-19, no MOBL season was held. Some of the local schools played in an unofficial league at the Galion YMCA.

Frazier holds summer camps in June to further develop hoops skills. They are free to Bucyrus girls and are held once a week.

Eight of her kids also play AAU travel basketball. “Getting more of those kids involved in AAU is going to be a game changer for Bucyrus basketball.”

Improvement shownAs a former Bucyrus High School athlete, Frazier has established credibility within the community.

“Parents know and trust me. I can help your kids reach their goals if they want to work hard and commit,” she said. “It’s paying off. I had a couple fourth graders who had never played before and last year they couldn’t even dribble a ball. They just flapped at it. This year they’re huge parts of our team’s success and contributing.

“To see the little kids put forth the effort, and with good coaching, they get better and it’s just amazing to watch.”

Frazier and her father Al, who assists her, believe in teaching things beyond basketball.

“We preach the importance of character, being a good person, a good teammate, a well-rounded young lady. We tell them education comes first. You can only take basketball so far in life. The little issues that arise, this gives us an opportunity to teach them life lessons and how to handle those responsibly.”

More information is available on Facebook at Bucyrus Lady Red Basketball.