Brady guides young team with positive attitude
Interview by Kirsten Medice, Staff Writer
(Dan Rzewnicki photo)
Girls’ head basketball coach Sarah Brady sets up a jump ball play with sophomore Paula McCorkle (left) and junior Anne Brady. |
With the girls’ basketball season well underway and with one win so far, positive head coach Sarah Brady maintains a positive attitude. This is Brady’s third year coaching the Lady Devils as she aims toward both mental and physical improvement in her team strategy.
TV: What does the section look like?
Brady: The section is always tough because we choose to play up in AA with all solid, local teams to create a better rivalry than playing the Catholic and smaller schools in Pittsburgh. It will definitely be a battle for us, but I'm looking forward to it because I believe we are a better, more competitive team than last year.
TV: What team will be the biggest challenge?
Brady: Deer Lakes is always strong and has a lot of quality girls on its squad. I also think West Shamokin will be much better than in previous years because it added the Elderton girls when the schools merged.
TV: How is this year different than previous years?
Brady: I think the biggest change is the girls' positive attitudes. They believe they can beat teams this year, and they have experienced what it is going to take in terms of hustle, desire, and limiting mistakes to win a game. I think the Apollo Tournament game vs. CCCHS was a great learning experience for them because they saw everything come together. Another big difference is the age of the team. We only have one senior [Sammie Smith] and one junior [Anne Brady]. The rest of the team is built around sophomores and freshmen so the younger players are gaining a lot of quality varsity experience
TV: What adjustments have you made to better the team?
Brady: We focus on the basics and continue to hit on those skills all year. We stress the importance of practicing at game speed, and we try to bring in other players to scrimmage against the girls in practice, too.
TV: What are you looking forward to most?
Brady: I'm excited about the team attitude. I can see that they believe in themselves. All the girls seem to be excited and ready to go. I also like that the girls can see themselves improving and other people are noticing it too, which is nice for the girls. I think this year for me is probably the most fun I've had coaching so far. Even Diane Swigart, my assistant coach, was surprised how energetic and fun the girls are. She has coached for many years in a variety of sports and she says this is the most enjoyable experience she has had as well.
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