Completing the Pass

Clarke Central High School assistant varsity girls basketball coach Cherrelle Pass stands in the New Gym on Sept. 15, 2021. Since playing basketball at CCHS in 2006, Pass waited for the chance to return to CCHS, and was finally given that opening in the 2021-22 school year. “I think this is the opportunity for me to learn more as a coach from somebody that I look at as a mentor and inspiration to a certain degree. The way I move won’t be in the same form as the head coach,” Pass said. Photo by Lucas Donnelly

2006 CCHS alumna and new assistant varsity girls basketball coach Cherrelle Pass returns after coaching at several high schools, bringing a refined set of coaching values.

From the basketball court to the homecoming court, 2006 Clarke Central High School alumna Cherrelle Pass gave her activities her all in high school. Now, as a coach, she’s just as active a player on the court, ensuring her student-athletes are given the support and challenge they need.

After eight years of dedicating herself to her players at several different schools, gaining a passion for bringing the best out of her athletes, Pass has returned this year as the assistant varsity girls basketball coach.

“I’ve always been trying to get back home, which has never been an opportunity (I’ve) been afforded to have,” Pass said. “There are some doors that we don’t open as people, but God opens them. When the call came, (it) was one of those. Here’s that door, it is up to you to walk through it.”

Pass first played basketball at CCHS in 2003 as an eager freshman. She was immediately drawn to the game by the intense environment, prepared to learn all she could to succeed.

“I was one of those kids that wanted to understand the game and wanted to grow in the game,” Pass said. “I was a sponge who was willing to be soaked and retain whatever they provided me with.”

Pass learned the importance of persistent effort from former CCHS assistant varsity girls basketball coach Deirdre Frasier, who played a prominent role in Pass’ basketball growth.

“I remember not being able to do left-handed layups and (Frasier) saying, ‘You got to work outside of practice. We can’t give you everything in these two hours,’” Pass said. “So I used to come out here and practice my left hand. I would just do left-handed layups (after) left-hand layups. (Even when) I did something so successful and I was so happy, (Frasier) wouldn’t let me become content.”

In addition to basketball, Pass played softball in high school. Former varsity softball coach Amy Larimer taught Pass to be adaptive and more dedicated to her teammates.

“We had a situation where I had to have a pitcher, and she had never pitched. She stepped up and she was able to do it and fill in a hole, even though she probably didn’t want to. You could always count on her,” Larimer said. “She’s always willing to learn no matter what point she’s in.”

After her time at CCHS, Pass went to play basketball at Georgia Southwestern State University, where she decided to follow in the footsteps of so many of her influences and choose her future career in coaching.

“I was like, ‘What do I love?’ I said, ‘I know what I’ll do. I love sports and I love kids to a certain degree, so cool let’s combine the two’” Pass said. “My dad was my first-ever coach. When I was a coach’s child, he was 10 times harder on me than he was on the other kids because of the expectations he had for me. (With) the coaches that I got along the way, I took stuff that (I) appreciated, and (for some stuff) it would be like, yeah, I don’t think that will work for me.”

Pass began teaching at Hilsman Middle School as a health and physical education teacher, and found a position at Cedar Shoals High School as the JV head volleyball coach. As a coach, she found herself conflicted between loyalty to her team and loyalty to her alma mater.

“I need to prepare my girls to play and beat Clarke Central by any means necessary if we could. So, if we lost to Clarke Central, it was bittersweet,” Pass said. “I lost as a coach, but I was happy that Central won. But if we won it was still bittersweet because I got a W as a coach but darn it my school lost.”

Although Pass valued the chance to coach in her hometown of Clarke County, there were complications brought on by not having a position at the same school that she coached at.

“I remember having a conversation with a co-worker from Hilsman, Paul Varnadoe, and he was like, ‘Coach what do you want out of life?’ (And) I (said that I) just wanted to coach and teach in the same building,” Pass said.“I (could) never interact with my athletes on a level that head coaches should interact on. So for example, I couldn’t check grades, I couldn’t check attendance, (and) I couldn’t check behavior. I could just only coach, and I wanted to do more because I feel like I was capable of doing more.”

After five years at CSHS, Pass chose to take a new step in her coaching journey when she was offered a position at East Jackson High School to rebuild the girls’ varsity basketball team for the 2019-20 school year.

“(EJHS) basically offered me everything, plus to come coach at the same school and teach in the same building. Did I want that at Cedar Shoals? Yeah, I wanted it. I was trying to get into Cedar as a teacher and a coach. I was trying to get in the Clarke Central as a teacher and a coach but it never fell that way,” Pass said. “So I left the county, did two years at East Jackson, (and) had some very momentous and historic things that happened at East Jackson.”

At the beginning of Pass’s role, she set forth a series of goals she wanted to achieve with her team. At the end of her first year in the role, the team tied EJHS’ overall record at 11 wins and 16 losses. By the end of Pass’s second year at EJHS, the team had their first winning season in school history, finishing at 10 wins and seven losses.

“I said in that first year that I wanted us as a team to have at least (the same number of wins and losses in a season), compete for the region championship, possibly play in the state playoffs, and if not, compete in the state championship,” Pass said. “In two years we did three out of those four goals. A lot of the values that I had taken from (my previous) coaches instilled in me and helped me and East Jackson.”

At EJHS, Pass was able to forge the type of connection with her students that allowed her to bring out the athlete’s maximum potential, mirroring the relationship she’d had with her own coaches.

“The kids were able to see me (outside of) my coaching. My passion is on a competitive (level),” Pass said. “I feel like it allowed me to build relationships with my athletes that my coaches built with me. My coaches came to my wedding (and) they (also) sent (gifts) when I was pregnant with my son for my baby shower. So that’s what I’m trying to give back to those who gave to me.”

Pass formed a strong bond with some of her own players, including former CSHS softball player Julia Lance, who Pass pushed to be more of a team player.

“She always wanted to push you, even sometimes when some of the girls on the teams didn’t want to be pushed. She always had high expectations. She knew what we could accomplish, and she wanted to see us do it. I think that helped me grow as a person, and realize, yes, it’s important for me to value my own goals as well but always keep in mind that in that setting, it’s a team,” Lance said. “It’s been so long, (but) I still look up to her. She’s one of the women in my life that’s my role model.”

Frasier has seen how Pass has grown her dedication and support to her players over the years, starting from when she was leading by example as a CCHS player.

“She was always trying to find other factors or different angles to try to help her players get better and to understand,” Frasier said. “If they needed her to show them more she would spend extra time at the practice helping them. If they needed help during school time, some girls would come down to her office and just talk to her. She had a motherish figure.”

Now, Pass is returning full circle to her home school to coach under head varsity basketball coach Carla Johnson, who coached her through high school. With her new position, Pass hopes to better her dedication to her players and help them grow.

“I always ask in my prayers (to) do God’s will, and I feel like just coaching is only a little bit of the magnitude that I feel like I’m very capable of doing,” Pass said. “(With my) student-athletes, they need to think ‘we need to hold ourselves to a standard. We got to watch how we carry ourselves because people are going to mirror us.’ They’re going to say ‘that girl is a part of (the school) basketball team.’ That’s what I wanted to be able to provide, being at the school.”

Story by Lukas Cornish
Story by Natalie Schliekelman
Package by Ireland McCage