by Close your eyes for a moment and think back to what you used to do over Christmas break back in high school. You probably hung out with friends, slept in, went shopping or just plain “vegged” out.
You certainly weren’t hopping on a plane with 11 of your teammates and flying to Florida to take on some of the toughest basketball competition in the state. Well, this years Westlake Lady Demons did, and they are better for it.
In fact, many would say, including myself, that trip to Florida took a good team and made them great. This season has been a perfect storm for the Lady Demons. A 12 deep varsity roster of student athletes who can play top notch ball.
A fiery coach who refuses to accept anything but her best and the athletes best. She is a winner, a motivator and a visionary that has this team on the brink of legendary things.
On the surface, we see Abby Carrington and Gina Adams as two of the best all round players in the state, and Emma Hall just a three ball away from bringing the crowd to its feet. A Stephanie Randar stuff or a Abbie Gardner steal leading to a fast break with her main cohort Katie Whitesell right there to bring it home.
A Summer Salem steal or a Gigi Redinger swift pass, it all seems so easy, the chemistry, the teamwork and the desire to win. But, those things don’t come without a lot of work, and they don’t come without bonding as well.
Each member of the team that I have spoken with on my podcast told us exactly that. The togetherness and bond these girls shared on that trip in Florida, not only formed lifelong friendships, but laid the groundwork for a state title run.
12 teenage girls crammed into two hotel rooms, do the math! Either co-exist and thrive, or crumble. It isn’t hard to figure out what path this squad took. They showed up to sunny Florida with a 6-1 record and a mission to get even better.
Their only loss at the time was to unbeaten Olmsted Falls. Perhaps that fueled them, perhaps it was the upset loss in the playoffs the winter before to Avon Lake. Either way, they were there with a purpose.
Karen Swanson Haan was smart to book this trip and enter this tournament. It was the very best not only Florida but other states (Texas & NJ) had to offer.
Top talent competition she and the Demons may not find back home. The trip did everything it was supposed to do. It tested them and showed them how to handle their first bit of serious adversity.
The first game went the way they wanted it to with a big 57-40 win over Arlington, Texas. Things were off to a fast start. But it wasn’t just the win that had things going well. It was the bonding, the experiencing and the friendships getting stronger.
Their next game would bring on their first real taste of adversity. Much more than a close loss to Olmsted Falls, or a bad call from a ref. This was first class adversity that no team expects to have. They lost one of their leaders when Gina Adams caught an elbow to the face early into their game against Spruce Creek, Florida.
The gash was brutal enough to require stitches as assistant coach Tom Withers rushed her to a near by medical center. They would go on to lose, but at the same time it was a blessing. It taught them how to play without Adams, as they were forced to do so the next day against Saddle Ridge NJ. Sure, no one wants to lose, especially this team. But as sports often show us, you can learn more in a loss then a win.
They left Florida with two losses, one win, a set of stitches and memories to last a lifetime. The girls I spoke with cherished the memories of breakfast together, diners together, staying up talking and watching movies.
If you eat next to someone, share a room with someone, sleep next to them on the floor or stuffed in a chair, you‘re much more likely to go to war for that same person!
When they got back home, the team bonding never stopped. It could be laser tag, watching an inspirational movie or traveling to see their ex-teammate and current Lake Erie College star Abby Matalavage play. They did everything as a team, and they continued to win!
Their last regular season loss came against Olmsted Falls on December 11, 2019. That was 82 days ago. They haven’t lost in the state of Ohio since and have continued to grow, overcome and prosper. For every stich Adams took, there was a buzzer beating win against Olmsted Falls.
For every mile logged on the trip spent away from family and relaxing at home, there was a come from behind win against Avon Lake on the road. For every second spent in the weight room or going over film, there has been a net cutting ceremony over Amherst. First for the conference, then for the district.
Society has labeled “millennials” as lazy, un willing to work entitled sissies. Not this bunch! If they are the new definition of “millennial” then sign my 3 and 6-year-old daughters up right now for that “label”.
While others may spend time texting and watching You Tube Video’s, this team is taking extra foul shots and working hard when no one is looking. That is how winning is done!
Lord knows I have sung the praises of coach Karen Swanson Haan, Tom Withers, Paul Appel, Trisha Krewson & Jeremy DiTullio. But I have done so for the same reasons to promote the student athletes and their work ethic. People often forget, most times high school coaches have a full time job. Pretty much all of them do.
This group, I know for a fact, has demanding jobs. They could very easily spend their limited free time doing something else, but instead they devote it to helping shape and mold these young women.
You must remember, it wasn’t just the student athletes using their vacation to play in that tournament, it was the coaches also taking time away from their normal lives to be there for the kids to help them get better as well!
It doesn’t just stop with the coaches either, it is every bit the parents as well. I say that because it is the parents dropping their girls off at practice 5 times a week.
Attending games, supporting! It is the parents who supported their children being away from home over the Christmas break for a few days and not at home with them.
They trusted their kids, they trusted the coaches, they trusted the process. When there is trust, when there is hard work and when there is passion, there is winning!
I don’t care if you’re a sportswriter, a brain surgeon or a street sweeper, when it is real, you feel it! If they didn’t take that vacation to play in the holiday tournament, would they still be going to the Regionals Wednesday night in Norwalk, perhaps. But why even question it. As I said, when it is real, you feel it and this bunch exudes it!
2020 Vision has been the battle cry and it has worked. But this is a vision that could work well beyond this 2020 season. This is the formula for success that could work at any level in any sport. Abby Carrington called it “magic”, and if you want to catch it, I suggest you take a trip to Norwalk High School on Wednesday night.
On behalf of myself Vince McKee and Kee On Sports, we’d just like to say, “thank you good luck”, to the Westlake Lady Demons players, coaches and parents.
Cover Photo by David Cleveland who you can find at https://www.photodac.com/
Wow! Sure hope they keep winning.