It’s a rare occasion when a high school boys and girls basketball team shares the same coach.

But at St. Aloysius, it’s a cool reality.

Delvin Thompson stands on the sideline for both the Lady Flashes and the Flashes and has done so for the last three years. He’s developed a rapport with his players while also maintaining his authority as a coach.

“It’s a pretty big adjustment. It ain’t easy,” Thompson said. “You’re talking about putting in hours of practice. As far as the adjustments and knowing your players, having a relationship with your players, that’s the hard part and I feel like I have that. I’m getting to it.”

Thompson has grown patient with his players. He’s taken the time to understand his team and build relationships with them, which he feels is an important part of the job.

Jordan McDonald began playing basketball for Thompson and the Lady Flashes last year and if it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have played again this season.

“I didn’t really play basketball before I started playing for him so he taught me pretty much everything,” McDonald said. “I’ve learned how to handle the ball better and shooting. I understand basketball now.”

McDonald said Thompson’s coaching style has a balance of aggression and nurture. Her teammates would agree with her sentiments and she added that Thompson jokes around with the team and they all know when to get serious.

“He pushes us but he just knows when to stop,” McDonald said. “If you have a coach that rides you all the time then it puts you down.”

After coaching the junior high boys’ team for a few years, Thompson moved up to the varsity program.

Once in the driver seat, he missed the playoffs in his first year but made took back-to-back trips the next two years, made it to the district championship and hosted a playoff game.

The school approached Thompson about the vacancy with the Lady Flashes because of the success he had with the boys’ program. He saw they had a lot of talented players on the roster and accepted the position.

“The boys hadn’t been to the playoffs in six years when I took over and the girls hadn’t been in seven,” Thompson said. “This is my third year with the girls. We missed the playoffs the first year, we made it last year so I don’t know what the results will be this year.”

With a new team this year for the Flahses, Thompson and his players are learning how to deal with each other. He said once he gets the respect of his players, the relationship would begin to smooth out.

Before the start of the season, the team establishes an identity so they don’t have to adjust in the middle of games or during the season.

When establishing the identity, Thompson voices his expectations and they are the same for both teams, which are for them to be successful and win.

Although expectations remain the same, the schemes and plays are different. Thompson runs a more spread offense with the boys, while the girls are more hustle.

“The girls, I’m on them just like I’m on the boys. It’s just figuring out how to respond. Whatever I can do and whatever I need them to do to respond I do it,” Thompson said.