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Barrow's Danner never stops learning

December 10th 1:09 am | Van Williams Print this article   Email this article   Create a Shortlink for this article

Just because she went 26-0 as a rookie head coach with the Barrow High School girls basketball team doesn't mean Jordyn Danner is a Miss Know It All.

It's actually quite the contrary. "I'm still learning," she said. She made a seamless transition from assistant to bench boss at her alma mater, leading the Lady Whalers to the Class 3A state championship in her first season.

It was hardly beginner's luck.

Danner played college basketball and spent six seasons as the Barrow varsity assistant and JV coach. She is a hoops junkie.

"It's what I love to do," she said.

Danner soaks up knowledge like a sponge, whether it's watching Barrow boys head coach Jeremy Arnhart run practice, reading a book written by Duke's Coach K or view- ing a video about high school coaching legend Bob Hurley of St. Anthony's in New Jersey.

"I like to learn," she said.

This past summer she traveled the country on a college tour for Alaska high school players with Challenge Life. On the trip she got first-hand coaching tips from Post University head coach Al Sokaitis, the co-director of Challenge Life.

"I like to sit back and watch other people practice," Danner said. "It was nice. I took a lot of notes."

The state of Alaska took notice of Danner last year after she guided Barrow to a perfect season as a first-time head coach.

Her life didn't necessarily change and neither did the enormous expectations.

The Lady Whalers have reached the title game five times in the last nine years, winning two titles. People in Barrow take their basketball as seriously as folks in the South take their football.

Being a former Lady Whaler, Danner understands what it means.

Still, it doesn't ease her burden.

"I feel added pressure because everybody is going to be gunning for us, everybody is going to expect us to win," she said. "And look, we don't have the team we had last year."

The Lady Whalers lost five seniors, including Player of the Year Nicole Smith, now at Highline College in Washington.

But it's not like the cupboard is bare. They do return 6-foot-3 all-state center Lynette Hepa, Hilary Lowery and Jalene Kanayurak.

Even if the Lady Whalers brought back zero veterans, though, you wouldn't see Danner sweat. It's just not her nature. Very easygoing and usually smiling, she rolls with whatever comes her way.

"I don't let it stress me out so much," she said. "I'm a happy person. It takes a lot for me to be unhappy or that place where I'm really upset. I have a lot of fun with the girls. I think I have a great relationship with the team, so we're happy. I'm happy."

At 29, she is still young enough to relate with the players because it wasn't too long ago she was in their sneakers.

She wants them to have it better than she did.

"I didn't push myself as hard as I should have, as I could have, so with that I always try to push the girls past their limit to be better than just mediocre," Danner said.

The Lady Whalers open the season Friday against the Galena Hawks.

 

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