MHS basketball continues training with Zoom

By Kathryn Rice

Maryville High School Girls Basketball Head Coach Quentin Albrecht has incorporated Zoom sessions into the team’s summer workout sessions.

With COVID – 19 restrictions put in place starting March 16, area teachers began using the Zoom app for classroom instruction and social interaction with their students.

Albrecht wondered why Zoom couldn’t be used in place of team workouts and practices during the summer. He started the sessions at the official end of the school year at 9 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays and will continue until Tuesday, June 30.

The sessions start with a guest speaker or presenter who will give the players an inspirational talk or demonstrate a skill. The series started with MHS Head Football Coach Matt Webb. Others have included North Central Missouri College Mens Basketball Coach Jeremy Esry; Nic Mattson, former player and assistant coach at MHS; Shannon McClellan, former MHS player and Final Four participant; Marke Freeman, Point Guard College core director and played professionally; John Zimmerman, former MHS all-state player and currently plays at William Jewell; and Robyn Slain, Spin It director.

Upcoming will be Rebekah Capeder Gilday, a former player of Albrecht’s who had 1,000 plus points and 1,000 plus rebounds in high school and was a four-year starter at Avila College; Megan Rosenbohm, former Nodaway-Holt all state player, former Southern Baptist University player, who plays professionally overseas; Ryan Hawkins, Northwest Missouri State University player and two time National Champion; and Taylor Gadbios, former all-state player at MHS and Final Four participant. The 12th speaker is still to be determined.

After the speaker, the players take over the workout portion. Sorena Sundell starts for five minutes of basic skills. Then Lauren Cullin does cardio. Next, Anastyn Pettlon works on ball handling, followed by Cullin’s core workout. Rylee Vierthaler demonstrates post workout, followed again with Cullin’s physical activities. Ending the session is Sundell with shooting game activities.

Albrecht has had better participation than he had anticipated with 30 to 45 athletes joining each session. The athletes range from fourth grade through high school.

The girls have been participating where ever they can create space, in their yards, garages, houses, barns and local parks.

Albrecht plans to continue the Zoom sessions in the future for athletes who can’t come because of various reasons.

“The alternative was not to do anything,” Albrecht said. “This allows us to keep contact with our student athletes. We didn’t allow the pandemic to get us down.”

The sessions have been saved to Albrecht’s Google Drive, so the students can access them later. The older team members were given the assignment to each do a workout video which are available on Google Drive.

In July, Albrecht is planning to do face-to-face workouts with the athletes.