The new school year brings a new change for the freshman girl’s basketball team coaching staff.
World History and Geography teacher Ashleigh Williams was selected to coach for the 2022-2023 season. She played basketball in college and has coached previously.
“I played at Angelo State University in Texas before I tore my ACL for the second time, and then I transferred to Texas State,” Williams said.
She enjoys all aspects of basketball as well.
“I love basketball, I’ve played it my whole life and I think I have a skill set that is beneficial to student athletes,” Williams said. “Also, it’s another way to support my kids.”
She said her approach emphasized education.
“The way that I coach is, first of all, that [the players] are students first,” Williams said. “The first thing that they have to make sure they are doing is: are they being good students?”
In terms of coaching style, Williams said she looks for effort.
“I am the type of coach that tries to be more encouraging rather than punishing,” Williams said. “As long as my kiddos are working hard for me, I am going to get them some playing time.”
Social studies teacher Olivia Tate and Williams will be co-coaching the freshman girls team this season.
“They’re good friends and they’re really excited to coach with each other,” girls varsity head coach Mike Trivisonno said.
Tate is excited to work with Williams and thinks they will be good coaches.
“Excited is an understatement,” Tate said. “Mrs. Williams and I have classrooms right next to each other, and so I’m always popping in to run things by her and our energies definitely mesh well.”
Williams declined the offer to coach for the program last year.
“They asked me to coach last year, but I didn’t get around to doing it since it was my first year [teaching at Marshall],” Williams said.
The basketball program reached out to Williams last year thinking she would be a good fit for the team.
“We heard that she had coaching experience and playing experience,” Trivisonno said, “so we talked about it last year, but I think she wanted to get comfortable with the school her first year.”
Trivisonno said he is excited about the new hiring of Williams this year and is looking forward to what she will bring to the program.
“She’s a terrific communicator and knows basketball,” Trivisonno said. “She’s gonna be great.”
The coaches are looking forward to the new season, and all the potential talent coming in.