With Former Pro Player Leith Taking Helm, Stuart Hoops Will Have Increased Work Load
Justin Leith has a lot on his plate in his first year as the athletics director at Stuart Country Day School.
But with a resume that includes starring for the Merrimack College basketball team before playing pro ball in Europe, Asia, Central and South America, and having coached the boys’ hoops team at the Asheville School in North Carolina the last three years, Leith couldn’t resist the chance to take the helm of Stuart’s basketball program this winter.
“I didn’t walk into this thinking I was going to coach; I hit the ground running in July and I was working on a lot of hires,” said Leith, noting that previous coach Dana Leary had left the program this spring after guiding the Tartans to an 8-8 record last season.
“It was kind of organic, it just happened. It was not a new thing for me to have this work load. I thought the girls would be getting a unique experience. I run a college/pro level practice with my background. They are being held to a higher standard in terms of work load.”
Leith has been enjoying the experience so far. “I have never coached a full girls team before,” said Leith, noting that he has done skills training with smaller groups of girl players.
“I was a little apprehensive. I was reserved for about 30 seconds and then I saw something I didn’t like and I was myself. The girls have responded well. I can’t say that there haven’t been bumps in the road in the first two weeks but they are working hard.”
Under Leith’s tutelage, the Stuart players will have to work hard at both ends of the court.
“It will be an in-your-face defense; we will do a little bit of everything, man, zone, full court,” said Leith, whose team starts regular season play with a game at Barrack Hebrew Academy (Pa.) on December 3 and then competes in the George School (Pa.) Invitational from December 5-6.
“They need to be able to switch in and out of things. We will not do anything stagnant, anything we do will be in your face. It may take time, but I love teaching kids how to play basketball. We will run motion and there will be autonomy within the offense. When kids are used to being told to go here, go there, they learn just a spot or a position, they don’t learn the game. As an example, I told them they should be able to go and play pickup with the Miami Heat and not get in the way. They don’t have that ability but they should know the game and where to be.”
The Tartans do have an inside game with Kate Walsh and Nneka Onukwugha, who both stand about 6 feet tall.
“We do have some height,” said Leith. “We can do some high-low stuff with Kate and Nneka. They are both getting better everyday. They are pushing through things they have never been asked to do. They are good adapters so far.”
On the perimeter, Stuart will be featuring senior Harlyn Bell and junior Harley Guzman.
“Harlyn is a mix, she will play both guard and forward,” said Leith, who will also be using junior Rose Tetnowski, sophomores Ally McGowen, Julia Kahn, and Vanessa Williams along with freshman Allison Walsh at guard.
“She has been great as a leader. Harley has been working hard, we are asking her to do a lot. In our scrimmages, her energy was transformative.”
If the Tartans can show a collective energy on a daily basis, they figure to make a lot of progress this winter.
“I think we can do some special things,” said Leith. “I am not guaranteeing wins but I think they can have a special experience. If they can get better at each practice and can be much better in the last practice than they were in the first, that will be success.”