What made you decide to go to Lake Land to further your basketball career?
When I went on my visit, Lake Land just gave me a very home supported feeling. It felt a lot like Altamont, I’ve grew up watching Lake Land basketball. My mom played for Lake Land so when I was little we always went to the games. My mom actually played for Coach Johnson too, so it’s kind of a full circle moment and I always had Lake Land in my mind and I would love to play there. So really when I went on my visit it just confirmed that I wanted to go there.
What are you gonna study once you get there besides playing basketball?
I’m gonna pursue a degree in nursing and I’m doing pre nursing at LLC and then I’m going to transfer to SIUE and become a travel nurse.
This is your senior year what are you looking to improve this year on the basketball floor?
This year I really want to focus and want to improve my outside game as much as I can while continuing to do my inside game. I really think at the college level I’m gonna to need to be a well-rounded player and I have the inside part down, hopefully. I just need to work on my outside game and really try to just develop on both ends.
You’ve also had different head coaches almost every year, so how difficult has that been adjusting to all these different head coaches?
I love basketball so switching coaches I don’t want to say it didn’t affect me because it did but I just wanted to play basketball and it didn’t bother me who coached me. I just want to play basketball for this community, ever since I was little that’s what I dreamed of. Playing at Meet the Indians, playing in the NTC tournament. Just see how each coach helped shape me into the better player I am and they all contributed to how I play today so I’m very thankful for all of them.
Overall what are you looking forward to the most of this season for your senior year?
I’m just looking forward to having fun. It’s my senior year I just want to have fun and I truly believe when you have fun you play better. I think this year we’re we’re a little young but I think it’s gonna be a great year. Especially with Coach Borah she has fresh new blood coming in here and I’m very excited about what she’s bringing to the program. Already you can already see the things she’s brought to our team to change us already. I’m just excited to play with the girls for one last year and play for the Altamont community one last year.
A couple years ago you were on the state run and the third-place team, you even had a great game there in the semifinal and what was that whole experience like playing there at CEFCU?
That was a dream come true and that’s usually my ice breaker fun fact about myself is that I played in a state tournament and it was just a surreal experience. Never would have I thought that I would be able to do that. You get there and you think you know how you’re gonna feel. You’re excited on the bus and then you get there and it’s just completely different feeling. When I step out into the court now that’s what I remember. To have that feeling again that’s the ultimate goal every season is to get to Redbird Arena and to get to see Grace (Nelson) again.
That’s right we saw her a couple weeks ago, how cool was that seeing one of your former teammates playing collegiate ball at the U of I?
It was so cool. Grace was a really good friend of mine before we played basketball together. We’ve always played together but me and Grace were always really good friends off the court so to see her play at U of I was so exciting. It’s like I played with that girl, I’ve seen her develop and I was just so excited for her and it was just really cool.
Also catching up with new Altamont Girls Basketball Head Coach Holly Borah
You haven’t coached her yet in an actual game but what kind of player has Kaylee been since you took over?
Kaylee is a leader on and off the court, she’s a positive leader to her teammates. She really pushes her teammates but she does it in a great and positive way. Where those the younger girls really look up to her, she helps them with their game and when she’s helping them with their game she’s helping her own game. I couldn’t be more proud and more happy for her.
Hard to believe that the season is already here and how excited are you to get this going ?
I am very excited, I have a great group of girls and I look forward to coming to practice every day just being with them. They make it fun, they’re energetic and I’m excited to take the court with them.
How are things been going and progressing as they’ve as the season started to come closer?
Every day we end practice by saying okay what’s one thing that we can do better tomorrow, what can we do better to make our team or make ourselves better. I think the girls really take that to heart because every day they get better and better, they improve on the smallest things and I know it’s gonna continue throughout the season and it’ll help us reach our overall goal.
How’s it been adjusting being the head coach?
Honestly I did not know there were so many things behind the scene but honestly I can say my staff has been absolutely wonderful. I have the best coaching staff, they’ve been helping me in all areas and taking care of things for me and telling me, okay you need to do this and that. They’ve been super helpful and I could not be more appreciative.
What’s your coaching style and what from an X’s and O’s standpoint can we expect there on the floor?
My coaching style is just playing team ball and we’re all one big team. Whether we’re on the court playing , on the bench, we’re videotaping in the stands, we’re all one big team family here and I really hope the girls feel that and feel valued. As for the X’s and O’s they all have a role and we’re just gonna try to play ball. I’m gonna tell them to have fun, basketball is a fun game and I want to incorporate that with them. I think a lot of times if it’s too serious they get too nervous and too stressed out there. I just want them to have fun and have fun together, play hard and that’s all I can ask for.
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