Q&A with Wilson girls basketball head coach Erin Carey
LONG BEACH, Calif. — When it comes to the stand-out mentors in our lives, many of us likely think back to our high school days and are reminiscent of a former coach, teacher, or program leader who profoundly impacted our foundational years. For Erin Carey, special education teacher and head girls’ basketball coach at Wilson High School, her role is more than just teaching the game of basketball; she strives to build her girls up as individuals, students, and players. Get to know Coach Carey and her philosophy better with our Q&A.
Please share your position and experience with the team.
Erin Carey: I am the Head Girls’ Basketball Coach here at Wilson High School. That means I oversee the entire program, the coaches, and the players. I started coaching at Wilson in 2016, stepped down in 2021, took a year off, and was asked to return this year.
What is your personal background in basketball and/or coaching?
Carey: I started playing basketball in grade school, played all through high school, and then played collegiately at Hope International University. I had one year of coaching before coming to Wilson, so I am still learning every day!
What is your general coaching philosophy?
Carey: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. I just try to get my teams to compete. We don’t worry about the score; we worry about things we can control like our effort and attitude. I want girls who are going to give 100% on the court and in the classroom. I hold my girls to a very high standard, and they strive to achieve in all aspects of their lives.
What is your favorite part of coaching?
Carey: Teaching the game of basketball and building relationships with my girls. Being a part of their growth, seeing them come in as freshmen (very timid), graduating, and being blessed to follow their journeys. I love when alumnae come by the gym, call me for advice, ask me to write letters of recommendation for grad school, etc. Once you play for me, you are family, and that is the part I love the most.
Do you have any remarkable stories or instances to share from your coaching career?
Carey: In 2020 we won a CIF Southern Section title for the first time in 20 years and made history at Wilson. The celebration was cut short because we won in March of 2020 so Covid came and we couldn’t celebrate it the way we should have. The girls had to get sized for their rings one by one and not as a team. We couldn’t have a celebration and hand out the rings because we were in quarantine, but it was still a historic season. I loved being a part of that moment in history. That year we had five seniors and all five went on to play college basketball at some level. That was a huge accomplishment for me as I push my players to be STUDENT athletes!
What motivates you to be the best coach you can be?
Carey: I was lucky enough to have amazing coaches in my life. My high school coach is still a very good friend of mine. I strive to be that type of coach for my girls. I want to teach them the game I love and show them how amazing the sport is and what doors it can open for them.
What other positions and/or responsibilities do you hold outside of coaching?
Carey: I am a Special Education Teacher at Wilson High School and the Pride Club staff advisor on campus.
Do you do any volunteer or community work?
Carey: If you know anything about the compensation coaches receive, you would know that this is my volunteer work. I am with my team six days a week and run the program year-round. It is incredibly time-consuming because it is about way more than basketball. At times coaches are tutors, therapists, and parents, and that’s all on top of coaching; to me, that is my community work. Hopefully, in the future, I’ll have the program running smoothly and will be able to get myself and my teams involved in volunteer and community work.
How does coaching and working with the students/their families make you feel connected to the community?
Carey: Long Beach is such a great city! I often wear my Wilson Lady Bruins gear and people will come up to my wife and me at restaurants and tell us they follow the team in the press and are excited to see what we are doing. I can see my players and their families outside the gym since we all live in the same city. I put my fingerprint on the community by teaching the kids that live here, which is a great feeling.
What is your vision for the program?
Carey: I would like to get the program back to where we were before I left. We won CIF for the first time in 20 years. We are competing at all three levels and producing college-ready student-athletes. I want to have the type of program that girls are excited to join and be a part of. In doing that, we will be competitive and one of the Moore League’s top teams.
Where do you live/how long/who do you live with/etc.?
Carey: I live with my wife, Loree Carey, and our dog Georgia. We have lived in Long Beach for 20+ years and really love our city.
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