Junior Alex Goslin cut through the paint and kicked it out to the corner. Senior Amy McConnell received the pass and released a three pointer, her first shot in a Bobcats uniform since the conclusion of her sophomore year. It rattles around the rim before finally going down. Just like that she was back.
McConnell established a love for basketball at the start of middle school. After witnessing friends, Lauren Biancardi and Sara Jackson, play travel basketball, she decided to take her position on the sport to the next level. Family friend Haley Garcia and her father took McConnell under their wing. They coached her, helping her land a position on the middle school basketball team and a future AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) and SWHS star player was born.
McConnell joined AAU the following year as a seventh grader, and began to dial up her intensity. Her passion for the game grew and athletic skill were enhanced. "I've always been a competitive person, [I] work very hard and if I want something I'll go and get it," she said.
Along with having athletic ability and passion, McConnell understands that greatness is not limited to the one factor. "Mental toughness is big," she said. "You can practice your skills all you want, but having mental toughness is a real challenge."
McConnell spends the hours prior to games picturing the possible scenarios. “I’ll visualize where I’m going to make the passes, follow through with my shot, going hard to the basket, how I’m going to play defense and make steals," she said. "[And] ultimately I visualize us winning. There's no other option."
McConnell was challenged with a setback that lasted her entire junior year. She suffered a torn ACL in July of 2013 while competing in an AAU tournament. This kept her from playing athletics until May of 2014. "It was tough," she said. "But I learned that 40% of the challenge was the knee and the rest of it was mental toughness. The hard part was sitting out and containing myself from jumping back into things. The worst you can do is come back too early."
Sitting out was difficult, but not a complete loss for McConnell. "I learned so much from just watching and I think I'm an even better player now than I was before," she said. "I saw things that I never noticed."
Despite achieving high prestige in the sport and having a healthy mix of skill and passion, there is one last thing McConnell wishes to check off. Much like her teammates, she wishes to once again compete at Mohegan Sun and this time, bring home the championship. "Going one win farther than last year would be awesome," she said. "Especially to end senior year [like that]. I want to have my chance. I want to lead the team. As a senior you have to be a leader."
In the fall, McConnell will be attending Bentley University, home of Division II basketball. She is wary of the potential change in the playing environment. "They have five freshmen this year who are really strong, so that's good for me. At least when I come in, there will be some strong upperclassmen. It's obviously going to be a lot [faster] paced. The players are going to be bigger than me, but I'll be ready for that," she said.
Don LeClerc has been McConnell’s coach for her four years at South Windsor. He said that she is widely useful on the court and on the bench. “Having a player like Amy is extremely helpful, not only with her scoring, but also with her overall leadership,” he said.“One of the things that Bentley recognized is that she is a great shooter, a great floor leader, and a great mentor to the younger girls. She brings a calm understanding for the game and is able to get her point across to the rest of the team in such a manner that she doesn’t have to raise her voice, they know exactly what she means.”
McConnell will be a big factor in the Run for the Sun (Part 2). Heading into January, she is averaging around 18.2 points per game.
When her high school career concludes, success will continue to be a possibility for McConnell. To Bentley she will bring a deadly efficient shooting stroke, and a knowledge for the game of basketball that is more enhanced than ever.
