Watertown High School senior Shannon Murphy poses with Watertown Youth Basketball players, who she has coached during her four years at the high school.
While Friday nights were game time for the Watertown High School girls basketball team, Saturday mornings were reserved for helping out the Watertown Youth Basketball. That has helped form a strong bond between the players, young and old.
WHS head coach Patrick Ferdinand’s players spend the morning working with the fourth and fifth grade girls, who are playing organized basketball for the first time.
“It’s an honor to teach the kids to plan and getting them them know what we do in high school,” said WHS senior Jenna McMahon. “It’s important, at the same time, to have fun.”
McMahon and the other seniors have been volunteering with Youth Basketball since they were freshman. As seniors they each coach one of the for in-house teams.
When she and the others were coming up through the in-house basketball program, McMahon said, the coaches were mostly parents. Now, with players chipping in there is a strong connection between the youth players and the high schoolers.
The members of the Watertown Youth Basketball in-house girls program pose with Watertown High School girls basketball coach Pat Ferdinand, far left.
The Youth Basketball players helped fill the stands during the Raiders home games, and make signs cheering on their coaches. They even followed them around Massachusetts during the MIAA State Tournament. Last year some of the youth players went all the way to Springfield for Watertown’s State Final game, which unfortunately ended in a loss.
“They all went to states, and they cried with us after states,” said Watertown senior Alexis Catsoulis, who will go to Bucknell but will not play basketball.
This season, the Raiders did not get that far, so their season ended before the end of Youth Basketball. On March 11, the in-house championships took place at Watertown Middle School and the high schoolers were there to coach their budding basketball stars.
“It was hard when we lost,” said WHS senior Shannon Murphy, who will play at Holy Cross next year. “But this was one last basketball thing.”
Ferdinand says that a good youth program is a key to a successful high school team.
“Through the years we’ve always have had the legacy of youth players emulating the varsity kids,” Ferdinand said. “This year has been no different. An example is a player telling Shannon that she made her want to play basketball and wants to be like her.”
Watertown High School seniors, from left, Hanna McMahon, Shannon Murphy, Jenna McMahon and Alexis Catsoulis.
The underclassmen help out the seniors, including freshman Ashley Shaughnessy, who helped McMahon. She said they teach some of the same drills and strategies that are used at the high school.
“It’s fun, and I like when they start young so when they get to high school they have the knowledge,” Shaughnessy said.
Instilling the right values is also important, Catsoulis said.
“When (the young girls) ask me how much I scored I tell them it’s not all about scoring,” Catsoulis said. “I always tell them how many turnovers I had, too.”
Giving up their Saturday mornings during basketball season was not something that senior Hanna McMahon regrets.
“We love doing this!” she said.
I can not speak more highly of the young women that came out to help each Saturday early for our young girls! Great role models for our young boys and girls! Thanks!!!
I agree , they were unbelievable with the kids. Our youth girls looked forward to playing every week knowing these girls were coaching them. I can’t praise them enough! Those 4 senior girls are incredible. Thank you!!!