Nov 28 - Dec 5
Girl Athlete of the Week
The widget girls’ team has been steadily improving since the beginning of last year. Coach Slater has remained patient, and kept a long term view, emphasizing skills, teamwork, and defense. It started paying off toward the end of last year, and this year, it’s really starting to pay dividends. In week one, we lost a heartbreaker 10-8 to Blessed Sacrament, but last Friday, our girls finally broke through with a 26-7 win over St Therese. The girls played stifling defense all night long, and got offensive contributions from the whole team. Mia led the way with 10 points, which I believe is a widget girls record for St Rose. Mia is always cheerful, and works to lift the spirits of her teammates. She is a team leader in practice and in games. With Mia, Brooklin, and Madi leading the way for the Raiders, the future looks bright for Coach Slater’s squad.
It was a clean sweep last Friday for the three St Rose widgets teams. Our girls beat St Therese, our boys red team beat St Pius 3rd grade 30-17, and our boys black team beat St Pius 4th grade 24-18. St Rose red is now 2-0, and St Rose black is 1-1. Having one week of game experience definitely showed for our 3rd graders, as they were much more comfortable and aware on the floor. The way was led though by two fourth graders, Diallo and Stephan. This is the first time we’ve had co-athletes of the week, but I just couldn’t choose between Diallo and Stephan. Diallo has been a leader on the floor for two years now for St Rose, but it has taken him some time to embrace the role of always getting his teammates involved, as well as getting his own points. Last week, St Rose red played a 3rd grade team, and Diallo could have scored as many points as he wanted to. He scored 4 or 5 baskets early, and then not only started making sweet passes to his teammates, but also directing them around the floor, and putting them in the best positions to receive passes and be able to make shots. Diallo always gets lots of rebounds, and lots of steals, to go along with his assists and points, and is becoming an all-around player who can shine in all aspects of the game, including leadership and being unselfish.
Last year, when we broke up the teams and tried to make two equal teams, we put Diallo on one team, and Jose on the other. With Jose a 5th grader now, and no longer eligible to play widgets, we had to find a new leader for St Rose black, and Stephan was the choice that jumped out. We knew he was absolutely one of the nicest, politest, and best behaved, most focused, smartest students in the school, and now we know something else. He’s one of the best basketball players in the school. Last week, leading a mixed 3rd and 4th grade St Rose black against St Pius’ all 4th grade team, Stephan led the way with 17 points. He ran the floor extremely well, made a bunch of tough, contested lay ups, and hit his free throws as well. Stephan runs the point for St Rose black, is the defensive leader, and now has grown into a true scoring option. If you get a chance to come watch widget boys games this year, come on out. With Diallo and Stephan leading the way, the widgets are a lot of fun.
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