NORMAL | Glen Giannetti hasn't coached basketball for several years now, but like most people in his profession, leaving the sport behind hasn't been that easy.

It's been made tougher than ever by the presence of his daughter, Mia, on Marian Catholic's roster.

Giannetti, who previously coached the boys at Bloom and now is the superintendent of District 206, was at Redbird Arena on Friday afternoon to see Mia and the Spartans play Edwardsville in a Class AA quarterfinal -- a 48-40 Marian victory. He hit the road later to get back to Chicago Heights in time to catch Friday night's regional final between the Blazing Trojans boys team and Crete-Monee.

Basketball has become a big part of Giannetti's life again. However, he's had some adjustments to make.

"I have to get away from watching the game as a coach to watching it as a father," Giannetti said. "That's a very difficult position for me. It's much easier to coach.

"When your daughter's out there, it's just a whole different ballgame. I'm helpless right now watching my daughter, but I'm just so proud of her at this time."

Fatherly pride is evident in Danny Turner, too.

The first-year Thornridge boys coach watched his own team fall in a regional play-in game on Monday, but the bitter taste of that defeat was sweetened by the success of Marian and Turner's sophomore daughter, Kaila, that same night in the St. Xavier Supersectional.

He didn't get to see Kaila in action at St. Xavier, but there was no way he was missing the quarterfinal. And Turner left Dolton with Thornridge A.D. Kay Rampke's blessing.

"She was telling me, 'Take the day off,'" Turner said with a laugh. "She said, 'Take Thursday off. You want any money?' She knows how important it is.

"It's really great to be a dad, in terms of a spectator's standpoint. I spend so much time with other people's kids -- to get a chance to see your own kid achieve success, it's just a wonderful experience."