When you invest so much in something, it can be hard to say goodbye.

“It’s very hard. It’s hard to explain to people but I’m going to miss it terribly, said Kim Jones.

After more than 30 years of investing in girls basketball players throughout Polk County, Jones is retiring from coaching.

“I had to make a decision at this point what was best for our family,” Jones said. “My husband Ken was diagnosed with cancer last year. My daughter Kassidy signed to play at Mercer University. As a coach I want to give 100% to my team in everything I do and when I looked at the college schedule, the high school schedule and what we’re going through as a family I had to make a decision that was best.

Jones began her coaching career at Crystal Lake Junior High school in 1986. She went on to coach at her alma mater, Lake Gibson High School before finishing up at Santa Fe Catholic. Though the decision to step down was tough, Jones looks back on her career with fond memories. 

“It’s the great relationships, the great friendships and reaching some milestones in different places,” she said.

One of her favorite milestones came just a few months ago when the Crimson Hawks beat Seffner Christian to capture their first district championship in program history.

“I had tears in my eyes, the kids were jumping up and down. After all the celebration in here they doused me with water in the locker room, so that was pretty special. We hoisted (the trophy) up and we all hugged it.”

But for Jones, the greatest moment of her career was when she got to coach her daughters, Kassidy and Kourtney.

“Well you can talk about all your wins, winning a district title or being district runner but the opportunity to coach both my daughters was priceless,” she said.

Jones always wanted to be a good coach but for her, it wasn’t just about winning.

“I wanted these girls to get an education and go on and do great things with their life. It wasn’t always about basketball,” she said.

It’s never easy saying goodbye to something you love, but Jones can be proud knowing she left a lasting impact - both on and off the court.

“It’s been a great run for me as a coach but it’s also been a great run to see where these girls have gone throughout their life, and now I can look back today and say I’ve become friends with these kids,” Jones said. “I built great relationships with my players and their families and I’m still in contact with so many of them today. There’s no other way to say it, I’ve been a very blessed coach and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.: