Lady O’s look to build on team concept

By Cody Dalton
sports@southwesttimes.com

PULASKI – The 2009-10 edition of the Pulaski Middle School girl’s basketball team will look to use a new concept to help push them over the top this season and improve from last season.

The Lady Orioles, which are led by fifth-year coach Teresa Taylor, will look to improve on last year’s 2-10 record. The main focus for this team will be more of a dedication to the team and less on the individual aspects of basketball.

“It’s not just one person’s fault if we lose and it’s not one person’s responsibility if we win,” Taylor said. “We work as a team. I tell them all the time that ‘we win as a team, we lose as a team’. There might be one person who can help lead and motivate, but it takes everyone working together to achieve our goal.”

Through all the team has shown this year, Taylor has been impressed with her team, but is hoping they will continue to learn throughout the season to be positive on the court and certain of their abilities.

“The girls this year are very talented,” Taylor said. “We’ve had that in years past, but I just want them to be more confident in themselves and that’s what we’ve been working on. They are a good team. They really try to help one another out. If we can just set it up a notch and get them focused on the game and not be so nervous, I think we will do well this season.”

As in most teams, veteran leadership will look to be one of many key strengths in the team. Taylor has asked each one of her eighth graders to take a bigger leadership role on the team and the hope is it will lead to more team success.

“My eighth graders, I have asked to step up and be leaders,” Taylor said. “Several of them stepped up in the tournament and that helped us out a lot. I was proud of them and wanted them to keep that leadership role, especially for the younger ones. We are younger this year. We want to see what they have coming and what they can accomplish as well.”

One of the biggest obstacles the team has to overcome is some inexperience with the amount of time spend on the court. Despite that challenge, coach Taylor feels her team has met it well.

“We had a lot of eighth graders last year,” Taylor said. “Some of the girls didn’t get the playing time that they are getting this year. They have really been working hard and getting that on the court. I’m really proud of them. They are really aggressive. No matter what we ask them to do, they do it. That is all we can ask of them.”

(11-19-09)