Team Info
Basketball - Girls' Varsity
Overview
Overview
2018-19 New England Quarter-Finalists
2017-18 NE8 Finalists, New England Quarter-Finalists
2016-17 New England Quarter-Finalists
2015-16 Northeast 8 Finalists
2014-15 Northeast 8 Finalists
The Taft girls' varsity basketball program is one that reflects the culture of Taft more broadly; just as Taft seeks to educate the whole student in a caring environment, the girls' basketball coaches seek to help players develop their basketball skills and understanding within a strong and supportive team framework. While the team’s defenses and offenses vary from year to year based on the players' talents and experience, the common denominator is an emphasis on team defense and unselfish offense, as well as on playing hard, playing smart, and playing with honor.
Recent graduates who played or are still playing college ball are Morgan Manz (Quinnipiac University '17), Maggie O'Neil (Swarthmore College '17), Rylie Mainville (Hamilton College '18), Lauren Pelosi (Amherst College '22), Amara Chidom (Pomona-Pitzer '22), and Kayla Robinson (Haverford College '23).
Schedule
Roster
Coaches
Coaches
About Head Coach Jon Willson
Jon grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, and Pittsford, New York, and he is a Class of ’82 Taft alumnus. After graduating from Amherst, Jon taught at a large New York City magnet/public school for nine years while earning a master’s in history. He then returned to Watertown in 1996. He has been CPT dormitory head, upper middle class dean, history department chair, and dean of academic affairs from 2007–15. He has also been head coach of girls’ varsity basketball since 2001. Following a sabbatical during the 2015–16 academic year, Jon rejoined the faculty as Director of Teaching and Learning in the Moorhead Academic Center, expanding its mission to include more extensive work with faculty on pedagogy and assessment and with students on working not necessarily harder, but smarter. Jon and his wife, Sarah Albee, a freelance children’s book writer, raised their three children at Taft.
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