Daphne Thomas played high school basketball at Wooddale in Memphis and went onto play at University of Tennessee at Martin. Now she is a World History teacher at North Panola and assists with the girls basketball team. She is also the head junior high basketball coach.

Her knowledge and passion for the game is evident as the young ladies who did not know her respond to her instruction on the court.

“Coach Thomas is bringing a lot to the program,” said head coach Chris Yancy. “It is just having that extra pair of eyes on the sidelines that can see what adjustments need to be made, implementing them in the game and knowing the game of basketball.”

Thomas said what drives her about basketball is “the love of the game, the love of competition.”

Her ideas of what she brings to the program include skill development.

“I help them to become better dribblers and passers,” she said. “You can have the best strategy but if you lack the skills it will be hard to get over the hump to get those wins.”

Her knowledge of defense is another plus to the team.

“Defense is one of the things we have worked out and how to become better defenders,” Thomas said. “If teams defend well, it is not hard to get a win.”