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Hardly a newsflash here – go figure,
a “Sheridan” feeling right at home on the basketball court. With a
family background that is steeped in Sudbury basketball tradition,
Lockerby Grade 10 student athlete Kaitlin Sheridan is following in some
pretty big footsteps. Both literally and figuratively.
Introduced to the sport
by playing youth basketball in Grade four, Sheridan’s early days would
see her exposed to plenty of coaching from former Laurentian Lady Vees
star Angie MacDonald as she played alongside Angie’s son Ian for several
years. While basketball came pretty naturally for the talkative teen,
she admits to having an early edge.
“I remember being
bigger, taller than many of my teammates…but that sure didn’t keep
going” she laughed recently. Aware of the success her cousin Shawna
Brouillard was already enjoying on the court, Sheridan worked her way
through the ranks. By Grade 7, Sheridan had begun her initiation with
club basketball as she joined long-time local coach Jean-Guy Brosseau
and the Sudbury Lakers.
“That was tough – there
was a lot of older girls and I felt like I was in over my head” said
Sheridan of her first year of club ball. Of course, the increased
competition proved handy back at school as the sharp-shooting Sheridan
would suit up with the boys basketball team at St Denis in Grade 7 and 8
given that the school did not feature an all-girls squad.
More recently, Kaitlin’s
father Michael has taken an increased role in her development, coaching
both at Lockerby Composite and with the Sudbury Selects club team this
past winter. “I really like playing for my dad – he’s demanding and he
teaches a lot” notes Sheridan, who admits it can be rough at times.
“Other kids don’t have to hear it on the way home”, she smiles.
While the split of this
year’s Midget Girls teams between the Lakers and Selects was the subject
of much local chatter last fall, Sheridan states that it did make for a
different year. “It was interesting – I mean it was weird leaving the
Lakers – but this was also the best we’ve done at Provincials.”
Looking to progress and
become a more dominant high-school player, Sheridan cites making a
Provincial team as one of her top goals this summer and beyond. “I would
like to move on to play university basketball.” Another step in
the Sheridan path of basketball success.
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