Lady Trojans' coach focused on fun

The Lady Trojans’ head basketball coach, Justin Young, wants his team to focus on having fun this season. 

“The most important thing I want my team to remember is that it is not about winning or losing,” said Young. “It is all about giving that winning effort 100 percent of the time. If we are able to do this, we will be a tough team to beat at the end of the season.”

Besides giving their best effort, Young said his only concern is that each player in the rotation follows the game plan and enjoys themselves as they do so.

At this point, said rotation consists of seniors Tana Thill and Makayla Osterberg, juniors Sami Rohrich, Olivia Roach, Alyssa Lewis and Allie Brown, and sophomores Aurora Becquart, Kaitlyn Downey and Allie Coldwell. Each of them has earned at least one letter in basketball.

Out of these players, Young said he considers Thill and Osterberg the most likely to step into the leadership role.

“Tana leads by her effort in practices and games as well as through her vocal encouragement,” said Young. “Makayla leads by example with her work ethic, warmth and her willingness to perform whatever duty is necessary to help the team.”

Young said the biggest challenge the Lady Trojans will face this season is a reduction in what he called “scoring droughts.” He explained that the team had some quarters last year in which the team only scored two or four points. Young wants the team to try and improve their game by eliminating those quarters.

What makes this such a challenge, Young says, is that all of the teams the Lady Trojans will play are tough and coached well. Young said all of the Lady Trojans’ conference opponents have all-state-caliber athletes on their rosters and intelligent coaches.

“It may seem cliché, but we will truly have to take it one game at a time,” said Young.