When Kelly Packard was named the 10th coach of the Ball State women's basketball program in 2008, one of her initial statements was to lead the program.
She's always been influential on the court, but Packard possesses an additional type of leadership — a motherly figure.
"It is a core value of why I coach," Packard said.
While in the midst of her fourth season behind the bench for the Cardinals, Packard admitted the majority of her energy is put into her team, staff and program.
"From a percentage standpoint, if you look at minutes per employment for me, the heavy amount of minutes for me is not on the court," Packard said. "I do this 12 months out of the year, and my interaction time with these young ladies up and down the hallways is all year long."
This season, Packard is presented with one of the biggest challenges in her tenure at Ball State. As opposed to having a stacked roster full of experience, Packard and staff are attempting to create a winning formula with eight underclassmen, including four freshmen.
Guards Brittany Carter and Shelbie Justice along with forwards Jonessa Moore and Neschelle Williams are the newcomers, and Packard is extremely encouraged by her freshmen class. With both Carter and Justice starting the first two games of the season, her excitement has already been justified.
"[They] have a lot of spunk," Packard said. "I think personality overload is the phrase, and I mean that in such a good way. [They're] full of confidence, and they seem to have a good balance between being serious on the floor and then being able to joke and tease each other off the floor."
As much as she enjoys coaching and teaching her team during practice and competition, Packard lives for the offseason.
"The summer and the offseason is significant," Packard said. "That's why I do it, to hopefully be able to be an adult figure in their life throughout their college years."
Packard, who is one win shy of 50 for her career, takes her job so seriously that she gives herself a grade for each game.
"The minutes on the court are the minutes that I get a grade for in coaching," Packard said. "That's the time where we've got to be about performance. It's the balance of pouring into their lives throughout the year and being able to demand from them on the court because of the investment they've made in their lives."
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