The Pioneer Valley Regional girls basketball team is not doing anything overly fancy in the preseason. There is a focus on the simple aspects of the game like lay ups and jump stops. When the Panthers master the basics, more evolved basketball could eventually follow as the season progresses.
“They have a tendency to panic,” Pioneer coach Theresa Tsipenyuk. “They’ve always had a tendency to just want to move really fast. I told them coming into this year that I need them slow down in order to speed up. We really have to slow our minds down in order to speed up the game. We are doing the basics every day.”
Taking over for the Panthers this season, Tsipenyuk identified a need for the team to attack fundamentals from the very beginning.
“We are doing the stuff that you do when you are younger,” Tsipenyuk said. “If that comes naturally, then their brain is clear for the rest. I can already see them starting to not panic as much.”
Last year’s team would immediately fire up any open shot available.
“We don’t want to do that now,” Tsipenyuk said. “We want to look for good looks.”
The Panthers have a solid group of players with varsity experience. Senior Kyler McClelland played point guard last year out of necessity. Even with limited opportunities, McClelland still led the Panthers in scoring. McClelland has a chance to have a huge scoring season at the shooting guard position for Pioneer. A natural scorer, she can stretch the floor with outside shooting range.
“I am really excited to be back,” McCelland said of her return to shooting guard. “I want to see what other people can do in other positions. I feel more comfortable playing shooting guard. I feel good about how the season is going to go. We are going to have a lot more energy. We’ve been working over the summer so we are definitely going to be better than last year.”
Freshman Maggie Tsipenyuk finished second in scoring as an eighth grader. She returns with better agility and increased confidence as a team leader this season. Tsipenyuk has an uncommon assertiveness in the paint for a freshman.
“I am definitely more confident,” Maggie Tsipenyuk said. “This year I know I can do it. I know who I am up against. I know what I can do as an athlete and a player.”
Kiara Gruszkowski, a junior, is a third-year varsity player who attacks the glass. She has a strong presence on both sides of the ball and excels in the midrange. Her defensive prowess comes from quick feet and hands. Gruszkowski sets the tone on defense for the Panthers.
“I am a big defense girl,” Gruszkowski said. “That’s my thing. It just clicks. That’s what our team is good at. It’s our thing.”
Jacobia Tyminski moved over from dance to play basketball last year as a junior. In her senior season she is a starter now and a leader on the Panthers.
“She doesn’t want to miss a thing,” Theresa Tsipenyuk said. “She comes out every day and does the work. She’s our energy leader.
The Panthers went 6-14 last season. Pioneer begins it season against Narragansett on the road on Friday at 6:30 p.m.