Video: Coach Adia Barnes, 'The Embracer'

Being a mother to a newborn and a 5-year-old son is a full-time job requiring constant attention. Being a head basketball coach in the Final Four is another. Each, independently, is exhausting. 

Combine them and you get Adia Barnes Coppa, the head woman’s basketball coach at the University of Arizona. Barnes just led the Lady Wildcats to their first Final Four, narrowly losing to Stanford, 54-53, in the title game. 

In her brief time in Tucson, Barnes has been remarkable, already becoming the 3rd winningest coach in school history, the fastest to 75 wins, and the only coach in school history with multiple 20-win seasons in her first four years.  

Barnes is a wife, mother and coach, but instead of feeling overwhelmed by the many hats she wears, she feels privileged. She truly believes she can be great in all areas and represent the university, her players and herself with enthusiasm, class and professionalism. The Barnes family lost its nanny a week before leaving for the tourney, which certainly became a bump in the road. But Barnes does not see obstacles or offer excuses; she only sees opportunities. 

Barnes is an embracer. She embraced the chance to return to her alma mater, to accept the challenge of coaching a downtrodden program. She embraced the idea that Black women might be faced with unique challenges in the coaching world, that former star players wouldn’t work hard to coach. But she embraced building a culture before winning games. She took on the negative thoughts and made them a driving force to prove everyone wrong. She showed that what can stand in the way can actually become the way. Barnes’ program valued the little things, the chemistry, the culture, the hard work, the skill development.

Her first day on the job established the identity, then she recruited players who fit, all while breastfeeding and changing diapers. She never stopped, never slowed down and performed each of her jobs with excellence. 

As we face our challenges today, let’s keep some perspective and remember we likely have fewer obstacles than Coach Barnes did.

Why not make the most of today and embrace what lies ahead?