Tennessee Women's Basketball Coach Kim Caldwell Returns to Sidelines One Week After Giving Birth
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Kim Caldwell, the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers women's basketball team, has returned to the sidelines just one week after giving birth to her first child, a son named Conor Scott Caldwell. Caldwell's return was marked by a standing ovation from the crowd as she led her team against the No. 2 South Carolina Gamecocks, although Tennessee ultimately lost the game 70-63.Caldwell gave birth to Conor on January 20 while dealing with the flu. She missed only one game, an 80-76 loss to No. 7 Texas, with assistant Jenna Burdette stepping in as acting head coach during her absence. Caldwell expressed that it was a helpless feeling to watch the game from home but commended Burdette for doing a great job in her stead.Despite her recent childbirth, Caldwell was eager to return to coaching. She was back at practice on Friday and has been focusing on getting her team to avoid committing the same fouls repeatedly. The Lady Vols have had a challenging season, with four losses by a combined total of eight points, three of which were against top-10 ranked opponents.
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Caldwell's support system has been crucial in balancing her new role as a mother and her responsibilities as a coach. Her husband, Justin, who is the player development coordinator for the Tennessee men's basketball program, has been actively involved, and her mother is also in Knoxville to assist. Caldwell has emphasized the importance of balancing coaching and parenthood, taking advice from Tennessee men's coach Rick Barnes, who has experience with a similar situation.In summary, Kim Caldwell has returned to coaching the Lady Vols just one week after giving birth, demonstrating her strong commitment to the team despite the challenges she faces as a new mother.
