Petaluma’s T-Girls meet their new basketball coach

Newly named Petaluma High School girls basketball coach Jon Ratshin was introduced by Athletic Director Kathryn Teeter to a gathering of prospective players at a campus meeting last week.

Ratshin, who presently resides in Sonoma, is anxious to get his new program in motion, and he evaluated a list of prospective assistants later in the afternoon. Open gym sessions for the girls without instruction are considered as official team practice, and they can begin on Nov. 7.

“I understand that we can also have occasional use of the Petaluma Junior High gym,” he said. “We will see how that scheduling works out.

“From the look of the turnout, and last year’s team, it appears that we will have a young roster,” offered the new coach. “I know it is a bit late, but that can be a positive. Until today, I have never met any of these girls, and I don’t have any predetermined opinions on the talent we will have. Ideally, we can leave freshman girls on the junior varsity so that they can develop.”

Ratshin missed the opportunity to work with T-Girl prospects during the normal summer building period, and the team schedule for the upcoming season is already in place. He replaces two-year coach Janelle Robello, who stepped down after last season. Robello gave birth to her first child earlier in the year.

Several youthful players are expected to return from the Petaluma team that finished in a two-way tie for third place in the Sonoma County League. The T-Girls gave champion Sonoma a strong battle before falling, 56-43, in an exciting league playoff game to end the regular season.

The new T-Girl coach is presently on the coaching staff at the San Rafael-based North Bay Basketball Academy headed by former Marin Catholic coach Ric Winter. The Academy’s girls teams begin weekend competition in October.

Prior to club-play experience, Ratshin assisted a couple of seasons with the Sonoma High varsity boys program. His varsity coaching includes stints at CIF schools at Woodside Priory and Kehillah Jewish, where his boys team was 9-4 in league play in 2007.

“I would prefer to play up-tempo basketball and man-to-man defense, but that will really depend on the talent level on the team,” he said. “It’s always fun to experiment with different defenses when the situation dictates.

“One thing that club basketball has done for me is make me better able to cope with wins and losses, because often many teams have been much stronger or much weaker.

“One thing is sure, I am a better coach than I was a player,” Ratshin said. “The last basketball I played was on the Columbia University junior varsity team. I became fascinated with the game a little after high school. I love it now. There is no better feeling than being part of a team that comes together as the season progresses.”