By Sylvia Zeltzer
It was one of Dalia Leibowitz’s first games in her freshman season. Not only had she made the starting five on the varsity basketball team, but she was opening the rivalry game. Her hair was tied in her signature game-day bun. The crowd was massive, dwarfing any audience she had ever faced. As her confidence began to slip from the pressure, she knew exactly who to turn to.
It was Gary Leibowitz, her father and former softball coach.
“You made the team and you’re on it for a reason,” Gary said to her. “Go out there and do what you do best.”
Dalia took his advice and delivered one of the best performances of her career, knocking down five three-pointers. After each bucket, she locked eyes with her father in the stands. He responded with a flex, their unspoken signal that she was doing exactly what she was capable of.
Trading the Clipboard for a Glove
After decades of coaching his daughters through basketball and softball, Gary is now stepping back onto the field himself. At 54, after years of identifying as “the coach” and “the dad,” he decided to try out for the 2026 Maccabiah. He earned a spot on the Masters Men’s Softball Team, while Dalia will compete on the Women’s Open Basketball Team.
For years, Gary cheered Dalia from the sidelines. This summer, they will both take the field.
A Sport of Her Own
While Gary guided Dalia’s softball journey, basketball became her own. In high school, she discovered a deeper passion for the game and embraced the independence that came with it. Even though she was no longer playing “his sport,” Dalia carried over the lessons that Gary taught her from softball.
“You have the skills, use them,” he would tell her.
Sideline Support and Gameday Mentality
Gary helped Dalia shape her competitiveness and confidence on the court.
“[My dad] saw more potential in me than I did,” Dalia said. “He showed me what I couldn’t see myself.”
As much as she values his mentorship, Dalia has come to appreciate a different kind of presence from her father. Rather than coaching from the sidelines, she prefers having him cheer her on from the stands. Playing under other coaches, she said, allowed her to focus on the X’s and O’s while keeping her father as her primary “hype man.”
Now, she’s ready to return the favor.
Gary, who once spent his time guiding players through pressure and setbacks, will now have to live those moments himself as a competitor. The transition from coach to athlete brings a new kind of challenge, one that requires him to apply the mental toughness he spent years teaching others.
Side-by-Side for Something Bigger
The Maccabiah brings together what matters most to both of them: sports and Israel. For Gary, the opportunity to compete carries a deeper significance, representing not just the athletic achievement, but a strong sense of identity and pride.
For Dalia, it is a chance to support her father the way he always supports her.
For the first time, they will not just be encouraging each other from opposite sides of the game. Instead, they will be living the experience together, representing Maccabi USA side by side on an international stage.
Sylvia Zeltzer is a Journalism major at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Email Sylvia at smzeltzer@gmail.com and connect with Sylvia on Linkedin.