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Ashlee' Mclellan

Coach Adrian Webb posing in front of the girls varsity team during warm-ups

The Menchville Monarchs Girls Basketball team is off to a fantastic start this season with a current record of 5-1. Coach Adrian Webb, who is in his second year as Menchville’s coach said the team has 1 returning senior and 8 returning underclassmen. The team “is extremely young, but a little more talented,” than last year. Webb, who has coached for 8 years, said his goal for the season is “the development of the girls and for them to gain experience, for the girls it’s to be conference champs”. He believes participation in the sport promotes the qualities of hard work, dedication, and overcoming adversity. Webb became a coach because of his overall love of the sport, the influence of his father (who was also a coach) and the enjoyment he had coaching his little sister.

Unlike the girls’ team, the boys are still trying to “find” themselves with a current record of 1-5. Coach Ben Moore, who is in his third year of coaching the Boys Varsity Basketball team, has a goal “to improve in small steps, to grow these young men up as quick and as best I can so that we not only learn how to play we learn how to win and we learn how to play together and understand and accept roles”. There are 6 returning seniors. The team last year was much older and “seasoned” compared to this year where the team has “younger guys and they have to fill the role”.

In 34 years of coaching at various places such as Denbigh, Warwick, and Menchville, and as well as at local college’s, Moores’ takeaway from the sport of basketball is that you learn to be a part of a team, work together with others, and how to handle the lows and highs that come with life.  You also learn to  handle defeat or even winning. Webb played basketball himself, but his eye sight prevented him from advancing is playing career. Coaching was the next best thing.