BELT — Peyton Maki, formerly Ferris, is well-known for her standout play on the basketball court at Twin Bridges High School, which led her to suit up for Montana State in college.
With the Bobcats, she led MSU to the 2016-17 Big Sky Conference championship and was named the league's MVP. She then went on to play professionally overseas in Spain for three years.
Now, the former do-it-all player is back in Montana where she is in her first season as head coach for the girls program at Belt High School.
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"It's been really good so far," Maki said last Wednesday before Belt's practice.
Her time at Montana State helped prepare her to become a coach, she said.
"When I see things I just kind of give them the stories straight up," Maki said. "Just to kind of relate to them and just to let them know that you don't just come out and have the results of the process that it takes to get to the spots to meet your goals, and more importantly the goals that I failed to reach."
As someone who also played small-class basketball growing up, Maki said she sees herself in her players.
"You were there once, too, of going to school all day, going to practice and just the interactions they have," Maki said. "Just reminding them that to take in every moment, coming into practice together, sticking together, the bus trips and just the social part of it, too, that you'll carry with you for the rest of your life."
One of Belt's senior players, Aaliyah Gaylord, said it's been great having Maki leading the team.
"I love how much she shows us the game, and she really goes in depth with everything she teaches us," Gaylord said. "I think it's helping us to grow a lot faster."
Maki said this is not the first time she's been around the program, which has made becoming the coach easier.
"I try to meet in the middle," Maki said. "I don't want to come in here and just completely put in all new things. I want to bridge it to just keep building success off of last year, too."
On the topic of last season, Belt returns all its players from that team.
"We're learning a lot in a short period of time," Maki said. "I'm just excited to see how far we get and be able to look back and just know that we've grown a lot over the year and that we left everything out there."
Belt is 4-0 to begin its season and hits the court once again Friday, Jan. 2, at Centerville.
