Basketball is a loud sport: a joyous cacophony of sneakers squeaking on the court, dribbling balls and backboard shots, and bodies clamouring for rebounds. In practice and during games, it’s a good thing my voice carries. As a teacher, I’m soft-spoken, but as a Catholic school basketball coach, I’m loud. There’s a fine line – that I intentionally never cross – between being loud enough to reach the rafters, and an aggressive personality that stings my players. My wife and I were both college athletes, and our identical twin daughters are feisty guards who have inherited our sense of competition. I’m here to push my team, and to build them up: this game, after all, serves a higher purpose.