Shirley Tong
Staff reporter
The Gleneagle girl senior basketball team is changing and being rebuilt. Patty Anderson, PE teacher, and former basketball coach is stepping down this year. Having led the senior girls for an impressive 32 years, she is finally handing over the baton to our brand-new coaches. “I already do 5 years for junior and senior simultaneously. I feel it was time to pass the torch,” said Anderson. Clay Crellin and Antony Agtarap, coaches from outside of the district, have been brought in to lead and instruct the team. Coach Anthony has been appointed head coach while Coach Antony oversees strength and conditioning.
It has been difficult for all sports teams at Gleneagle to train and practice as they are used to ever since the pandemic began. For this reason, our teams are currently undergoing retraining to help our players get back on track. Coach Clay has been particularly committed to reforming the senior girls’ basketball team. “Since there wasn’t a senior team for a while, I doubt they had any benefits, to be honest. The team has to be completely rebuilt, and I’m also working to develop some suitable players. I want to build some basketball culture and skills in addition to encouraging teamwork,” said Clay. He hopes to first concentrate on helping to improve the team’s strength and skills during training. At this time, the team is focusing on revising and refining core basketball skills such as dribbling and shooting.
Since the senior team was only recently restored, our coaches have encouraged increased practice opportunities to help the team get back on its feet. “Six senior girls work out twice a week. In order to get in touch with other teams, they may play some exhibition games between December and February.” Comeau Cam, the athletic director, added.
On a positive note, the team is hopeful for what lies ahead. “I think one of our strengths is that we’re all really open to wanting to improve ourselves, so everyone is always trying to learn things.”, said Emily Chow. Due to the fact that the squad is still developing, everyone on the team shares a lot of faith in one another’s potential and has a common goal of enhancing their skills.
This year, our senior girls’ basketball team will likely be pushed to victory and success by the new coaches and routines and inspire the younger players to follow in their footsteps.