Caring. Special. Hard working. A really strong leader. A great human being. While these words could describe anyone, these are words that teammates and coaches use to describe sophomore varsity basketball player Caydence Thompson.
A varsity player for both of her high school seasons, Thompson has been engrossed in basketball since she was a child. “I played basketball since I was three. So I’ve always had a basketball in my hand” Thompson explains. “I’ve played middle school ball, so, like, when I got to high school, it just seemed, like, the right thing to do.”
Once on the team, Thompson worked hard to be the best on and off the court. Head Coach Amanda Chiotti expresses that Thompson, “works extremely hard to continue improving her skills on the court, but she works just as hard to maintain a culture within our program that is built on trust, authenticity, and being accountable.”
Other teammates share similar experiences: “I would describe Caydence as a really strong leader. She’s someone who can find the things we’re struggling with, and then, like, fix them,” junior teammate Abby Giddings shares. “I’d describe her as, like, a very kind person where she gives, like, instructions [and] criticism, but it’s, like, in a good way, where, like, you know, like, you’re learning from it.”
Hard work has been key to Thompson’s success. “It’s definitely been, like, a long road, ’cause I’m always in the gym. I’m always practicing. My dad’s been my coach for as long as I know,” Thompson shares. Portage Northern’s girls varsity basketball Assistant Coach is TC Thompson, or as Caydence knows him, “Dad.” Coach Thompson shares, “Her work ethic sends a clear message: nothing is handed to you, you earn it. By putting in the effort day after day, she motivates others to match that standard and understand what it truly takes to get the results they want.”
Being the daughter of the coach comes with both advantages and challenges. “He’s a lot harder on me than a lot of other girls at times, because he knows what I’m able to amount to, and, like, when I’m cutting myself short, he doesn’t want to see me, like, fall short in life,” Thompson shares. “He always tries to push me a bit more, or, like, he can tell when I have my off days, and I’ll just try to, like, encourage me to get in the gym, and just, he has always been there for me no matter what. Giddings describes the father-daughter dynamic: “I know it can be definitely hard, but I think she perseveres well by still listening to him and still respecting him, even though it can be hard to have a dad as a coach.”
Coach Thompson navigates this dynamic with intentionality and gratitude: “Coaching my daughter has been an incredible experience because it’s given me a front‑row seat to her growth and development in the game. Like any parent‑coach would admit, it’s usually easier to coach other players—there’s a natural comfort level kids have with their own parents that can make it hard to separate ‘mom or dad’ from ‘coach.’ And while KK is always respectful and coachable, I’m still her dad, which comes with the normal challenges of guiding a young adult.” Coach Thompson explains.“But those challenges have only tested us in healthy ways and ultimately strengthened our bond even more. The opportunity to coach her is something I truly value and wouldn’t trade for anything.”
At the end of the day, Thompson continues to persevere. “Constantly hearing from me or her dad what she’s doing well or needs to improve on isn’t easy, but she has sought to understand why we as coaches continue to push her to reach new heights,” Coach Chiotti shares. “KK really truly would do anything to help her team win or to help her teammate find more success.”