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03/15/2018 12:00 AMStephen Saunders graduated from North Branford High School in 1985, and he’s been heavily involved in the local sports circuit throughout the past several years as a way to give back to his alma mater.
Stephen was a fixture in the town’s Youth Basketball ranks when he coached his kids, Katie and Stephen, and he also spent some time coaching with the boys’ basketball squad at the high school. Now, Stephen is the head coach of the JV team and a varsity assistant for the North Branford girls’ basketball program.
“I love spending time with the kids. I love getting them on the court and teaching them the fundamentals,” says Stephen. “When it clicks and they smile, that is what I coach for.”
Stephen, who graduated from UConn in 1990, was also the coach for North Branford’s Youth Football team that claimed Shoreline Conference titles in 2004 and 2006. On top of that, he coached with the Connecticut Cobras’ AAU basketball squad, and served as an assistant with the girls’ team at Coginchaug High School when it won the Class S state title in 2012.
Stephen brought all of this experience to North Branford girls’ hoops when he hopped aboard for Courtney Manciero’s first season as head coach of the varsity squad last year. Manciero has nothing but good things to say about what Stephen brings to the program, particularly his positivity and the way he communicates with the T-Birds’ players.
“His techniques are fun and different for the girls and always have a positive spin on them. Even when we are disappointed with an effort or an outcome, he balances my fiery emotions out by communicating our disappointment in a positive manner,” Manciero says. “He is full of positive energy during games and encourages cheering from our fans and our bench. He applauds every effort and lets the girls know that we saw what they did, even if the play didn’t go the way they had wanted...The girls love him, and the parents love him. Our program would not be the same without him.”
Stephen prides himself on being a positive mentor for North Branford’s athletes. Regardless of how things play out on the floor, Stephen knows that nothing gets accomplished when people hang their heads.
“I try to give positive energy and don’t dwell on the past,” says Stephen. “Spending time with negative energy doesn’t get us anywhere. The girls appreciate that and like the positive approach.”
Stephen says that doing the little things on the court was something he took to heart during his playing days. Stephen admits that he wasn’t the sharpest shooter on the offensive end, and so he focused on playing great defense. That’s something he emphasizes to the Thunderbirds in his capacity as a coach.
“I was not good on offense, so I had to do the little things, the blue-collar stuff. I was excited to take a charge, and I busted my butt to come from behind and knock a ball out of somebody’s hands. Those are the skills I had,” Stephen says. “It taught me that if you can defend and box out, you could play with anyone. If I can bring that back to North Branford and to Courtney’s program, I think that’ll get her program where we need it to be.”
Stephen appreciates that he has the chance to coach at the school where he grew up playing hoops. It means the world to Stephen that he gets to make an impact in the lives of the future wave of North Branford basketball players.
“It’s all about the purple, my friend. I think if I cut myself, I’d bleed purple. I had a great experience at North Branford High School, and here’s my chance to give back that experience and the lessons I learned. It means a lot to me,” Stephen says. “It’s like I never left. Being in the gym, seeing the same paint job, the same hardwood floor, brings back memories. To see the seniors move on and the freshmen coming in, it’s a never-ending cycle. I get to give back to where I came from.”