The Saint Leo women’s basketball program has officially kicked off their season and is looking to piece together the growth of the program. This is the second season that head coach Anthony Circotti is coaching the Lions and the continuation of the building blocks that were in place from last season will make this team better.
The women’s basketball team consists of players from all over the world and is currently one of the younger teams at Saint Leo with only two juniors and one senior. The rest of the team are players that coach Circotti has recruited and that is a huge factor. This gives the coaching staff the opportunity to implement their culture for the team for all four years the players will be there for.
“While we are young, we are trying to create a long-term culture commitment in a positive and empowering way,” coach Circotti said. “We not only have a young group, we have a passionate and hungry group. We recruit nationwide and internationally, seeking the best fit for our growing program.”
The team doesn’t get the chance to have a very long offseason as it begins late Spring semester after the recruitment period ends, but the coaching staff has a precise way of keeping the players healthy both physically and mentally.
“[The coaching staff] sends out summer workouts in hopes that the ladies follow through on our expectations. We include weightlifting programs, conditioning programs and shooting programs for them to use as reference materials. The ladies also receive a summer book that is leadership based. We connect upon return to Saint Leo about the book and its significance.”
Junior Gina Brierley took control of the offense while calling plays in the season opener. @saintleowbb
The focus on leadership is something that coach Circotti seems keyed in on. He understands that there is more to college athletics than just wins and losses, he expects the team to strive to get better every time a student-athlete steps on the court or inside of a classroom.
The team opened up with a trip to New York to take on the West Point and have an exhibition game against the Army Black Knights. This was more than just a tune-up for the beginning of the regular season for the team, it was an opportunity to an up close and personal chance to see how the cadets operate.
“The competition, speed, strength, and professionalism was all exhilarating. We were pushed to our limits and tested across the board,” coach Circotti added. “We were humbled by the intestinal fortitude of the cadets and learned a whole new level of appreciation for our military while self-reflecting ourselves.”
The team opened up with the Gulf South/Sunshine State Conference Challenge on Nov 9th and 10th. The Lions opened up their season with a 62-43 victory over the Shorter Hawks. That followed with a 71-50 loss against the Lee Flames. The women play again at home on Nov 17 against the Montevallo Falcons at 12 p.m. at the Marion Bowman Activities Center for the Campers Reunion/Salute to Service game.
“We are very excited for 2018-19! We have a lot of youthful heart and soul. Please be patient with our ebbs and flows as we will always leave everything we got on the court. We look forward to seeing a lot of fans, faculty, staff and students at the Bowman this season.”
