CHINOOK — After several years away from basketball, Jill Barta is back on the court — this time as a coach. Barta, a former two-time Gatorade Montana player of the year at Fairfield High School and a standout at Gonzaga University, has taken over as the head girls basketball coach at Chinook High School.
WATCH JILL BARTA TALK ABOUT COACHING THE CHINOOK GIRLS:
Barta was born on the Hi-Line before moving to Fairfield and the call of home was strong.
“I always said I was never gonna move back to the Hi-Line, and look at me now. I went back on my word,” Barta said with a laugh during an interview with MTN Sports.
Following a stint playing professionally overseas in Montenegro, Barta said she wanted time to step away from the game. She still helped out with camps, clinics and showcases when her schedule allowed but didn’t want to commit to coaching full time.
“I don’t think I ever got burnt out on basketball. I never let that be a thing,” she said. “I just thought it was time to start life in a different area. I’ve been playing basketball since I was in second grade. … It was just a time where I’m like, hey, I’m going to focus on what’s next in life. And now basketball coaching is what’s next in life.”
Even while she built her career in agriculture off the court, Barta said the love for basketball never faded.
She was constantly asked about coaching openings and helping out with programs. But it wasn’t until recently, when Mike Seymour stepped away from the Chinook program, that she entertained the idea of getting back on the court in a more permanent way.
“Gosh, you know, the job came about and I’m like, you know what? I think it’s time I just start getting back to something I love doing,” she said. “And I may not be playing, but we’ve already had a few open gyms and I’m like, gosh, I do miss it.”
Barta said she was deliberate about not jumping back into coaching too quickly. But after three years living in Chinook and becoming ingrained in the community, she believed it was time.
“I wanted to take some time off. I always say if I’m gonna coach somewhere and put the time in and work with these kids, I wanted to make sure I was going to be there a long time,” she said. “And I met a fella up here and decided to plant some roots."
Barta graduated with a degree in special education from Gonzaga. But after starting her teaching career at Big Sandy she decided education wasn’t for her and returned to her roots in agriculture. She runs Kamas Ag in Chinook with the Skoyen family and helps local producers.
“I love kids, I love teaching … but agriculture has so many different things you can do,” she said. “I started out when I was actually playing basketball at Gonzaga, coming back here in the summer and jumping on a couple custom cutting crews. And I love it.”
Barta said she sees plenty of potential in Chinook’s program, which is coming off of a run to the Class B state tournament but graduated several key seniors.
“People might say it’s the rebuild year, but there’s some talent in this town. For years to come, I see it,” she said. “I want to build a program where we start when we’re young and we just keep going.”
This winter, Barta will also face her alma mater, Fairfield, as part of Chinook’s schedule.
“We play Fairfield. That might be a little weird, but I’m excited,” she said. “I’m excited to go back there, and like I told the girls actually last night, it was weird to say ‘Beeters’ — but whether it's Beeters, Bulldogs, Eagles … you know what, I’m glad to be a part of all of it.”
Barta acknowledged her coaching style will be intense at times, a reflection of her own mentors.
“People say I can be a little hard on them — I get that from [former Fairfield coach Dustin] Gordon — but I’m here to make these girls into young women athletes and give them that opportunity that I had,” she said. “It may be a little tough at first until they get used to the way I coach and what my expectations are, but I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Barta said she plans to hold workouts and open gyms throughout the summer as the Sugarbeeters prepare for their upcoming season.
