Bell celebrating with Chase Chumley on the baseball field

Bell to take over varsity girls hoops

By Michael Butler

Like many high school coaches, LD Bell is not bound to just one sport. Bell coaches baseball, basketball and football at Tallassee High School on a variety of levels. He also coaches youth league sports.

Bell has added another title to his long resume at THS. He is now the head coach of the varsity girls basketball program. He will continue his duties as junior varsity boys head coach and assistant to the varsity boys basketball programs.

"Anything you have a passion in you'll do," Bell said. "I'm definitely invested in the youth in all sports. I don't care what the age group is. I want to be a part of it. It's an easy fit for me. If I'm coaching girls in first, second and third grade, they're already running the system they're going to run in high school. We get a jump on everybody that we're playing."

Bell has coached multiple youth league teams in basketball, football and baseball, in addition to his duties at the school levels.

Bell encourages girls currently in 6th - 11th grades to show up for tryouts on May 23-24 at the high school.

"We'll do one tryout for all girls that want to play middle school and high school," he said. "I've been texting parents. I don't care if their daughter is in the third grade and they play. Make sure they stay with basketball because we need them. I don't know any coach that won a game without any kids."

One of the most successful female programs in the country is at the University of South Carolina. The Gamecocks just won the national championship.

"I've been studying Dawn Staley with South Carolina. She's turned South Carolina basketball into very interesting basketball. I'm looking forward to the task of making this program exciting."

Cheryl Henderson with Bell at the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet

Bell, who just won the Frances Wagnon Volunteer of the Year Award given by the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce, is the head of Star Seeds, a non-profit organization that mentors to young people.

"It's our job to put these girls in the position to be most succesful in life. I want these girls to know that I care more about them than just basketball."

Free time is not a part of Bell's vocabulary. With a full slate of basketball already on his plate, he is also a coach with the THS baseball and football programs, in addition to coaching his own kids in the younger age groups.

"My grandmother always told me not to lose the relationship with your kids trying to save a lot of other kids. I'm always going to coach my own kids if I can.

"I like the excitement. I'm going to be a part, doing what I love. You can't ask for anything better. Every day I wake up, it's a joy."