Falcons promote Hammer to girls basketball head coach

Dawn Hammer will hold down two varsity head coaching positions next season for Sierra Lutheran High School.

Hammer will retain her spot as varsity volleyball coach in the fall before transitioning into her first season at the helm of the Falcons’ girls basketball team in the winter.

“I helped coach for the two years I’ve been here, but for family reasons I wasn’t able to fully commit,” said Hammer. “I had coached previously down in L.A. … Since we’re a small school most of these girls play both sports, it’s a natural flow to continue to walk life with them.”

Hammer moved to Northern Nevada two years ago from Los Angeles and said it’s been a privilege for her to be able to continue coaching.

She’s been involved with the basketball program, too, serving as an assistant.

Sierra Lutheran will be making a jump up in classification next season, moving from Class 1A to 2A.

“From what I’ve seen, I don’t expect it to be a huge jump. You are talking twice the population, so teams will be deeper,” Hammer said.

Of course, wins and losses are only a portion of what’s expected from a high school coach. 

“For me, in sports and in the classroom, it’s not necessarily what you bring talent-wise … it’s your coachability that is going to determine where you end up,” she said. “I think that when you buy into each other, you’re willing to do a lot for each other. … I want them to have a learner’s mindset and they are living for their sisters. That’s always taken the teams I’ve been involved with a long way.”

Charlie Berger will serve as an assistant coach for Sierra Lutheran.