With an 81-13 blowout victory against Blair and a clutch 47-43 win against San Marino, the Varsity Girls Basketball team began conference play on a high note. Changes to the coaching staff and improvements to team chemistry in the preseason has helped the girls get a few steps closer to their goal of winning a Rio Hondo league championship.
With Head Coach Emmery Thompson entering his third year with the team and the addition of new Assistant Coach Kayla Hjertstedt, the girls have found a new sense of confidence as a unit.
In October, one of the girls who knew she had prior experience playing and coaching basketball, asked her for some tips on how to become a better player. Her influence solidified her position on the staff.
“Coach Thompson gave the okay, so I came in with the idea that I would spend some time working with the posts at the end of practice two or three times a week,” Coach Hjertstedt said. “Coach Thompson and I felt that my addition to practices was a good fit and he let me know that he would like me to make the games and practices.”
Under Coach Thompson and Hjertstedt, the girls have learned to communicate better with each other in order to make plays. The team’s front court players have benefited most from Coach Hjertstedt, due to her experience as former post player and captain of her high school team.
“We’ve got a lot of players who are good at particular things,” Coach Hjertstedt said. “As a team we need to improve our foundations and be excellent at the basics.”
With a roster that consists of five underclassmen, the team is still looking for their seniors to step up and take a leadership role. After losing four seniors last year, Coach Thompson is eager to find someone to fill the role of captain.
“We don’t have any captains on our team, so what I do is look for someone to step up and lead each practice and every game,” Coach Thompson said. “They’re coming closer together. Going into this season, my goal for the team is to be the best in the Rio Hondo League.”
TCHS School Newspaper