Cheryl Bishop might be a first-time girls basketball coach at Bellarmine Prep, but she's been a successful lifetime mentor

TACOMA - At 57, Cheryl Bishop thought she was headed to a laid-back retirement.

Instead, she's discovered a rebirth - taking on her first head-coaching position in WIAA girls basketball.

After Kim (Butler) West resigned late this fall after four season to finish up a post-graduate degree, the young-but-talented Lions were in need of a new leader.

They think they've found one in Bishop, a Berkeley. California native and University of Alaska Anchorage hall of famer who spent time in American Basketball League (ABL) and WNBA tryout camps before winning a women's international 3-on-3 tournament ("Hoop-It-Up") championship as a teammate of Seattle legend Joyce Walker.

"Cheryl is a grinder. Her tenacity on the court was unmatched," Walker said. "She will bring hard work, commitment and preparedness to the ladies at Bellarmine Prep."

After abbreviated attempts at pro ball, Bishop briefly considered enrolling at the University of Washington to become a doctor, but instead pivoted to get into federal law enforcement.

"It had a team essence - something that is greater than yourself," Bishop said. "That is what drew me to it."

She enjoyed a 26-year career as a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agent in the Seattle office, finishing up in a supervisory role.

While working, she also spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach in the Roosevelt High School girls program.

Last May, she retired - and was set to take extended vacations and work on put-off home-renovation projects.

That is, until Bellarmine Prep athletic director Kevin Meines reached out to gauge Bishop's interest in taking over his girls program.

Bishop had one condition right off the bat: If all the school was interested in was hanging championship banners, she wasn't going to be a candidate.

"Bellarmine is a school that believes student comes first - and that is greater than the wins," Bishop said.

"I am not the most experienced coach, but I've been coaching and mentoring people all of my life."

After Bishop was hired, in one of the team's first meetings, she presented a simple question to her players: "What do all of us sitting here have in common?"

One girl responded, "Basketball."

"I said, 'Close!' But it's change,'" Bishop said.

"I told them, change can bring challenge. But where there's challenge is new opportunity - an opportunity to see things in a new way, from a new perspective. That is what life is about."

The Lions are one of the exciting, up-and-coming teams in the 4A SPSL, led by junior Taylor Teeple, sophomores Kiara Stone and Jada Travis and ninth grader Keiara Curtis.

Bishop wants her team to play at a fast pace, but also if players have other ideas - bring them forward.

In the meantime, she is excited about being a first-time coach.

"This is a later-life opportunity for me to give back," Bishop said.