By Joshua Yoder
BOALSBURG – Hey everybody today we have ourselves another fun one on one interview for you. I got to interview Wolfpack girls basketball coach Bethany Irwin. Enjoy!
JY:How excited are you for the coming season?
BI: I am equally excited for every season that I have been a part of. I look forward to working with the girls and trying to get better along the way. Personally, I am entering into my 29th year coaching and I get just as excited for every year. Every year is a little different because the girls come and go year in and year out, so I love to work with girls who want to be in the gym. I enjoy challenging the girls day in and day out.
JY: What is the biggest difference from this year’s team from last year?
BI: There isn’t really too much difference other than the fact that they are all a year better than when we were with last year’s season. The girls work hard in the off season on individual parts of the game, and we look forward to putting it all together. We graduated last year one senior, Kelsey Prospero, who was a huge part of the program getting back on their feet and in the gym. This past summer a lot of the girls competed on various AAU teams, so they played a lot of basketball and challenged themselves on the court.
JY: Are there any newcomers to the team you think will make an impact on the roster this year?
BI: We have two freshmen that entered the program. Layla Fetzer and Maya Edmonson. They are both eager to learn the system that the team has established, and they are trusting the process and learning every day.
We are returning 4 starters: JR’s: Aubrey Yartz, Naomi Crispin, Lauren Himes and Jacee Cunningham.
We also return some seasoned players that came off the bench: So: Alexia Luckovich, Sr: Sara McElhinny, and Jr: Maria Straub
JY: Who do you believe will have a big year for your team this season and why?
BI: I think that all the girls will have a big year. We are working right now on setting individual goals and team goals. The biggest goal is alway to get a little further than what we did the previous year so we talk about that on a weekly basis. All of the girls returned to the gym better than when they left last year. Whether it is their shot, or footwork or communication on the floor, they all are bringing more to the game, and they all possess positivity and support for one another. They love to see their teammates succeed.
JY: Who do you believe will be your toughest test for your team this year and why?
BI: We never really look past any opponent on the schedule because on any given night things can happen. My goal is for the team to play our game and learn from previous mistakes. We will continue to compete in our Tri Valley League and our non league games with Williamsburg and Jersey Shore.
JY: What is your main goal for your team this season?
BI: Our main goal is for all girls to stay healthy, we don’t have a lot of bodies, so we have to make sure that they are all in good shape and physically fit for the entire season. We also want to go further in the playoffs. We want to always play competitively with our opponents so focus on playing in that moment as hard as you can, and confidently. The girls really do a lot of game film preparation, which I think is a huge part of understanding your opponent. You may see on paper who the leading scorer and rebounder are, but to watch a couple of game films on the opponent is where you start to learn tendencies, who likes to do what, how is the leading scorer getting the ball etc. My job is to teach them the game and understand the game and in doing that you have to watch the game. I encourage them to watch the teams in the WNBA, watch how they play defense, do they switch or stay on defenders, how do they defend cutters, do they force to the side…I have to say this group of girls love to learn the game, not just go out and shoot a ball.
That was my interview with Coach Irwin. I personally would like to thank her for taking the time to answer my questions. The Wolfpack will open their season on the road against Penns Valley on Saturday.
Until next time!
Best of luck to the Wolfpack this season!
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