Scoring wisdom: how Norma Waggett translates her basketball legacy into coaching success

By Dom Nicastro

Norma Waggett knows success on the basketball court. She was a 1,000-point scorer at Saugus High School and in college, where she played at Saint Joseph’s in Maine and at Salem State University.

That’s a lot of points. And it’s also a lot of wisdom.

Waggett, who scored her 1,000^th collegiate point at Salem State in 2018, now spends her days imparting that wisdom on to Saugus High School girls basketball players. Serving as an assistant for Joe Lowe’s team this past winter, Waggett helped guide the Sachems to a Northeastern Conference championship and postseason victory.

The Saugus Advocate caught up with Waggett for a Q&A:

Advocate: Can you share a memorable moment from your time playing basketball at Saugus High School that you believe was pivotal in your development as a player?

  Waggett: I had so many memorable moments over the course of my three years at Saugus but when I look back, I think the most memorable would be that my family got to watch and share my success with me. My Grammy (my father’s mother, who has since passed) and my Nana (my mom’s mother) came to many games, and it was always the highlight of their week. It really taught me to live in the moment and not take things for granted whenever I talked to them after.

Advocate: How did playing basketball in college differ from your high school experience, and what were some of the biggest challenges you faced during the transition?

  Waggett: College was a lot different than high school. In college everyone you’re on the court with was their high school team’s best player or one of the best. The level of play is a lot more intense; the season is longer; games are a lot more physical and faster. For me playing-wise I needed to get stronger, learn the game better outside of just my position and increase my IQ, increase my shooting range. I also did track and lacrosse in college, and I think that helped a lot with basketball. With lacrosse, reading and reacting translates a lot to basketball because the offense and defense have similarities.

Advocate: Looking back at your college basketball career, what do you consider your greatest achievement, and how has it shaped you as a person?

  Waggett: I think being named captain at Salem after only being there a season was probably my greatest achievement. Most players are there three or four years before being named captain so it meant a lot to me that the work I put in was recognized and rewarded, and I was considered a leader after such a short time.

Advocate: Throughout your basketball journey, who have been your biggest mentors or influences, and in what way have they impacted your approach to the game?

  Waggett: I could write forever about all the different people who went above and beyond helping me on my basketball journey.

Bob Romeo (now the coach at North Reading) always let me come to his practices in high school if we had the day off or I couldn’t get the gym to get extra shots in; he’s still someone I speak to on a regular basis with questions and advice on coaching.

Brian Harris was a huge mentor and still is. He is a big part of why I got recruited to play in college. He was always my favorite coach; he would reach out to schools and always called me when he had a tournament or open gym that colleges were at. I still coach Baystate Games with him and John Collins.

Michael Hashem was the principal when I was at Saugus and was a big influence on my development as a person. I now get to coach his daughter Kaitlyn who is a really great kid and great player.

My mom always supported me in not only basketball but in everything I did; she was always my biggest cheerleader.

But hands down my biggest influence was my first coach, my dad, Michael. I would not have accomplished anything without his guidance and help. He would take me to the park every day in the summer for hours. I can never thank him enough for the thousands of hours he put into my career, whether it was rebounding for me in the 90-degree heat at Stackpole – driving me all over the state for games – he never missed a high school game and watched every college game of mine whether it was in person or online. He always answered my calls in college no matter what time it was at when I was upset or excited over something.

When I got hurt my sophomore year, I was told it would be really difficult to play basketball again at the level I was playing at, but he kept telling me I would get back to that level and then some. He helped me rehab and when I transferred to Salem, I played some of the best basketball of my life thanks to him. He believed in me way before I ever did.

Advocate: What motivated you to return to Saugus High School as an assistant coach, and how do you feel about contributing to the program that shaped your early career?

  Waggett: Joe Lowe reached out to me right before the season started and asked to join his staff. I’ve heard nothing but great things about him as a coach and a person, so it was easy to say yes and join the program again. I have followed Saugus since I’ve graduated, and they have had success, but I think Joe will help them reach milestones they have never had before like this year winning our first tournament game in decades. He’s passionate about the game and the team’s success. I would have loved to play for him when I was in high school. He’s been the best mentor, and I’ve learned so much from him this year. I really look forward to seeing how much more he will accomplish here.

The program had a lot of talent this year with the senior class. The underclassmen have a lot of potential to achieve even more than they have. I believe this is only the beginning of a lot of success.

I read and heard about Peyton DiBiasio, and that also played a part in me deciding to come on. I wish I had a young female on staff who had been through it all before and was someone I could go to for any questions. She is such a great kid and always comes to me for advice. She asks to come early or late to practice working on her game. The younger kids look up to her and the other upperclassmen and this program really is a family that I’m so happy to be a part of.

Advocate: How would you describe your coaching philosophy, and how has your experience as a player influenced your approach to coaching?

  Waggett: Coaching JV this year I focused on developing the girls’ skills. It wasn’t about winning games at the JV level. My goal was to prepare them all for varsity by creating good foundations and not get on them for mistakes. For girls it’s so important to develop their confidence and raise them up. If you put in the work, success will follow. It was great to watch the girls on JV like Kaitlyn, Ang, Vitt, Niki and Sydney become completely different players as the season progressed. They put in a lot of work and will help the program a lot next year.

Advocate: Based on your experience, what key advice would you give to young players at Saugus High School who aspire to play college basketball?

  Waggett: I would tell young players that no dream is too small; it takes a lot of work to play at any level in college, but they have to first believe they can do it. Also, to love the process of getting better. Some of my favorite memories are down the park working out with my dad. A quote I always had in my locker was by Kobe Bryant that said, “The process is the most beautiful part of the journey because that’s where you figure out who you are.” And I think more kids need to live by that.

Advocate: What do you find most challenging about coaching high school basketball, and how do you address these challenges?

  Waggett: High school has changed a lot in the last 10 years; especially with Covid I think the kids now don’t have the same social skills they had before. Teaching the girls responsibility and accountability is challenging, but we’re lucky to have such a great group who is receptive to feedback and work on those things every day.

Advocate: Beyond wins and losses, how do you measure success as a coach, and what goals have you set for yourself and the team this season?

  Waggett: Watching kids grow into better people because of the lessons they learn in sports is how I measure success. When things weren’t going our way, sometimes the girls game together rather than snapping at one another. Helping create that sisterhood is the goal.

Advocate: As a woman who has experienced basketball as both a player and a coach, what changes have you observed in the opportunities and challenges for women in the sport?

  Waggett: Women’s basketball has grown leaps and bounds over the past five years, especially at the college level. It’s so exciting to see that more people are watching women’s basketball than other sports. It’s great for young girls to see women being successful, and it becomes the norm and paves the way for future generations to have even more success.

Advocate: Looking forward, what are your professional aspirations in basketball, and how do you plan to achieve them?

  Waggett: I’m really happy where I am at in Saugus coaching JV and assisting varsity. I can’t imagine another role. I’d really love to help make Saugus a girls basketball powerhouse. I’m hoping to get more involved in the youth program, get more girls involved at a younger age and help them develop a love for the game like I did.

Advocate: What advice would you offer to young girls just starting out in basketball who dream of playing at the high school, college and perhaps even professional level?

  Waggett: Keep working on yourself; try not to compare your success to others; everyone develops at different times and in different ways. If you work hard, good things will happen. The journey isn’t easy, but you learn how to handle hard better and grow from the struggle.