09/02/2026
Today we honor a Junior Lady Demons legend, Paula Muench-Evert. Thanks for the decades of custard, cookies and passion for girls playing our favorite sport!
In honor of Paula, Current and Future Coaches will receive a $100 stipend on equipment to help deliver the best baseketball experience in the area. Paula is passionate about being the best coach possible, and understands a coach can make or break an athletes experience. This stipend will help with fundamentals and fun!
Coaches Quick Six with Paula!
1. Favorite team post-game treat?
Custard! Going to Gillies after games at Pius is always fun!
Also, my chocolate chip cookies! I use them to motivate the girls to trying harder offensive skills during a game, even if they dont make the bucket. For example, if a girl uses a duck-under, floater, or spin move during a game, I will bring cookies for the entire team at our next practice.
2. Help a player after a mistake on the court?
No matter how I communicate with the girls, they all know that whatever means of communication I use, it is all about helping them get better.
I am not going to lie—I am loud! However, if I need to talk to a player and the game presents an opportunity, I will call the player
over to talk to them. If that is not possible, I will sub them out, talk to them, and put them right back in the game.
All of my players will tell you about my nonverbal “look.” It definitely gets the girls to focus without me having to say a word.
3. Favorite memory of playing basketball?
My favorite memory is really a multi-year progression.
In 1971–72, Title IX started to be implemented in schools. So, during my 7th- and 8th- grade years at Butler Middle School, we had GAA (Girls Athletic Association) after school basketball. We had two practices a week, and it was six-player basketball. It wasn’t great, but at least it was something.
In 1974, as a sophomore at Central High School. I didn’t know there was a girls’ basketball team until an announcement stating their game that night was their last game of the season. At that point, I knew I was going to play the following year.
During the 1974–75 season, we had to practice and play our home games at a nearby elementary school instead of at the high school. Having girls enter the competitive world of school sports evidently put a strain on the facilities, with everyone sharing gym and
pool time, as well as on the athletic budgets. Unfortunately, we had to fundraise to purchase basketballs.
My junior year, our parents were our fans and cheerleaders. They created their own halftime entertainment, and they had to bring their own snacks to every game!
The tide turned during the 1975–76 season, my senior year. We were able to practice and play in our high school gym, and our parents were no longer the only ones watching us play. We even had the band at a couple of games.
The first Wisconsin State Girls’ Basketball Tournament was held in 1976 in Madison. We were a good team and made it all the way to the sectional finals, where we lost. So close!
4. Favorite activity to build team bonds?
It is always fun to have Halloween costume-dress-up practices, a gift exchange during Christmas, play dodgeball against another JLD team, go to Flippy’s for a team dinner, and finish the season with our Family vs. Athlete basketball game.
To keep Basketball fun so last year I dressed up like LSU’s Head Coach, Kim Mulkey. I think the girls loved it. I know the director of our league did.
5. Most important skill or trait for our girls to be successful on or off the court?
A very important trait for us is to be a good teammate. Our main slogan is “TeamTogether.” To be a good teammate, we need to be positive toward each other, workhard, treat our teammates with respect, push our teammates during drills to make them
better, and, last but not least, LOVE OUR TEAM!
6. How basketball helps prepare our girls for the future?
Basketball is a team sport that relies on communication, cooperation, and trust to accomplish a common goal. Win or lose, every game ends with sportsmanship toward our teammates, our opponents and the officials.
