ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — There’s something very special about senior nights.

Keswick Christian head coach Karrmayne King would know. She’s celebrated seniors for more than three decades.

But this senior night, she was celebrated as well. On the same night the seniors were sent off with a special ceremony, Coach King was honored for her 1,000th game.

One thousand games where she has led the Crusaders.

“I just jokingly told my husband we’re celebrating the seniors and the senior citizen,” King said.

How do you measure 36 seasons of basketball? Is it the number of wins or losses? Is it the number of trophies in the trophy case?

Any way you add it up, King’s 1,000th game milestone speaks more about her impact on the hundreds of players who have come through her program. She’s taught them the X’s and O’s of the game, but she’s also imparted life lessons.

In the locker room before her milestone game, she gave her 1,000th pregame speech. She talked about the importance of execution and getting off to a fast start. And then she prayed with her players.

This wasn’t just another game for King — this solidified her decision to become a teacher and a coach. She believes it is why she was put on this earth.

“It is special, especially with this group, because a couple of them have been with me for a long time, you know, four and five and six years,” she said. “That’s cool. That’s one of the things I love about this school: they can come up early and be with us for a long time.”

King knows about longevity. She began her teaching and coaching career at Keswick, guiding a variety of sports. She became the varsity girls' basketball coach in 1989. In her journey to 1,000, she’s led the Crusaders to seven Final Four appearances and a state runner-up finish. A thousand ways she’s left her mark.

“Just that huge number just brings me back to all the girls who have gone through the program,” Coach King said. “I see some of them now as moms here with their kids. It’s just a lot of fun.”