Girls Varsity Basketball has gotten a slam dunk of a new coach.
Sarah Sullivan, a 2019 Williston graduate and essential player on the Girls Varsity basketball team from 2016-2019, has been appointed the new assistant coach to Coach Liam McMahon. She was made assistant coach this past fall, which has created great promise for this year’s team.
Sullivan, from Sheffield, Mass., played college level basketball for two years at Assumption College, then transferred to Framingham State and played volleyball. At Williston, she was on varsity for all four years she was here, and was a 1,000 point scorer. Now she is back at her alma mater and ready for her first year on the coaching side of the sport.
Margaret Edwards, a junior captain of the girls team, believes Sullivan has already helped bring the team together through her consistent support.
“Coach Sullivan has connected really well with our team and she supports all of us as players,” she said. “She focuses on each player individually and helps in any way she can. She also is really positive, and her knowledge of basketball has really made an impact on the team in such a short time.”
Skyler Walker, a sophomore post player from Barrington, R.I., appreciates Sullivan’s knowledge.
“She has been super helpful to me as a post player, teaching moves and how to get around a defender,” she said.
Sullivan played the same positions as Skyler does: center and forward.
Although being back to coach at her alma mater is awesome, Sullivan is glad to have the first game under her belt, because her nerves have calmed down.
“The first game is done so I am much more relaxed, but at the same time, at the end of the day I do put a lot of pressure on myself to hopefully inspire you guys [the team] even just in your everyday life at Williston, but also for basketball,” she said. “I hope I am making an impact.”
Sullivan cares a lot about the team and hopes they see her passion for basketball.
“I want to make sure that I am doing my best and that you all [the team] see that I qualify for the job,” she said. “Not as just some kid who scored over 1,000 points.”
A banner hanging above the basketball court in the Athletic Center shows Sullivan scored 1,240 points as a Wildcat.
Being a new coach would be tough for anyone, but Sullivan is doing a great job and loves to see how much the team supports each other.
“You guys [the team] are so positive with each other,” she said admiringly. “There are obviously teams that have some rough goes at some points, but the way you all are so supportive of each other, on and off the court, is great to see.”
McMahon, the head coach, believes that despite big shoes to fill, Sullivan is doing an incredible job.
“Her knowledge of the game and the program have helped her make an impact from day one,” McMahon said. “Coach Sullivan’s positive energy, work ethic, and love for the game is contagious.”
Sullivan understands the team’s connections to past coaches, but she wants to take her personality and roll with it.
“It’s tough when you lose a coach, no matter if it was a year or two years, you bond with that person,” she said. “I’m not trying to replace anyone; I’m just trying to be me.”