Athens —
Judging from Trinity Valley Community College women’s basketball coach Elena Lovato’s comments to the Athens Noon Kiwanis, Tuesday, her job requires a bit of motivating, a little teaching and a whole lot of patience.
First-year coach Lovato is getting her crew ready to try to add to the college’s list of achievements in the sport that includes six national titles in the past two decades.
Just about all of the players are gone from the team that cut down the net in Salina, Kans. in March, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t promising talent on-hand.
“I have four guards who have been playing at the highest level in big conferences, but they’re helping me to raise six babies,” Lovato said, alluding to the abundance of freshmen on the roster.
“They’ve never played with a shot clock, and have never played in front of as many fans as we have in the Valley,” Lovato said. “I hope those four sophomores will kind of take the leadership role that I have given them, and run with it.”
Lovato says her squad is a fun group with many attributes, and a few flaws she’ll be working to correct.
“If we get on the same page on the floor, this can be a special group that can chase number seven,” Lovato said.
Lovato is returning to Trinity Valley Community College, where she spent the 2009-2010 season as an assistant coach. She picked up the whistle to serve as interim coach for the final 11 games of the season, recording a 9-2 record.
The team finished sixth at the national tournament. Last year, Lovato was an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
The Lady Cards have been tuning up in scrimmages for the season opener at McLennan College in Waco Friday.
The home-opener is Nov. 6 against the Australian Junior National Team at 5:30 p.m.
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Elena Lovato Rich Flowers/Athens Review
Discussion
Lovato discusses plans to improve TVCC women’s basketball
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