Last season, the varsity girls basketball team included three juniors on an otherwise senior roster. A year later, the sophomores outnumber the returning players.
“The inexperience is a tough one…” said head Coach Renee Brosnan. “Some of the things that maybe veterans would know how to do, like in the closing minutes, that takes time.”
Senior Ashley Cohn, one of three returning players, said that while the younger athletes are talented, it will take time for the five sophomore players on the team to get used to the pace of varsity. She said that when she was a junior there were more seniors to help the new members of the team become familiar with the plays, which made learning them go much faster.
According to Brosnan, last year’s roster included a group of seniors who had experience playing together, and as a result, they were more in tune with one another. This year’s team includes sophomores Claire Hanrahan, Miranda Weber, Ilana Malman and Lanie Gruemmer.
“[A young team] just makes it a little bit difficult, but then the success is so much greater,” said Brosnan. “…When you accomplish that, it’s a better feeling.”
However, Brosnan said the returning players have showed leadership since the season began. Cohn and seniors Madeline Bareiss and Molly Hansen are all captains.
Junior Carly Fusco said that the seniors have guided the new players when they are not sure what to do and have been welcoming along the way.
“When we are scrimmaging, if someone forgets the play and they are guarding you, they will help you out and tell you where to go even if they are on the other team,” Fusco said.
Brosnan said the sophomores’ flexibility and desire to learn has helped them transition to varsity. According to Brosnan, their inexperience makes them more coachable.
“In practice, [Weber] was getting blocked a lot and [Assistant Coach Danielle Fluegge] told her ‘why don’t you try shot faking,’” said Brosnan. “…She did it right away.”
A young roster is not the only change that the basketball team is facing this season. They have also been preparing for Fluegge to become the temporary head coach while Brosnan goes on maternity leave. According to Brosnan, her baby’s due date was Dec. 11.
“I’m just nervous about when I’m going to have [the baby,]” said Brosnan. “It might be during a timeout or half time. That’s crazy.”
According to Brosnan, if everything goes well, she plans to be back after only a couple of weeks.
Cohn said she thinks Fluegge’s transition to head coach will be smooth, and will not affect the team’s potential for success.
“Every time Brosnan would be explaining something I would have the ball and have to give it to her, and I was scared to pass it to her because I thought it was going to hit the baby,” said Cohn. “So I would walk it over to her every time, but she was like, ‘Oh my god, it’s not going to hit it. Just throw me the ball.’”
As of Dec. 9, the team’s record is 1-6 but Brosnan said that her goal is always for the team to win conference and add to the board listing the girls basketball accomplishments in the Main Gym. She also said that she has always wanted to win two playoff games.
Cohn said that she thinks the team’s talent can overcome its lack of varsity experience, and she also hopes to win conference. She said the senior leadership will be an important component of that success.
“[The returning players] know what’s going to happen,” said Cohn. “…Like if you don’t make your layups you’re going to run and so we tell them that. [The younger players] don’t always listen, so they learn for themselves, but we’re trying to get everyone on the same page.”