Coach May honors top off-season shooters

Lovell High School girls basketball coach Brian May last week honored eight players who did the most work in the offseason perfecting their shooting skills.

Following the 2024-25 season, May initiated the 5,000, 7,000 and 10,000 Shot Club, a program through which players in grades 3 through 11 were awarded prizes for their work from Easter through Labor Day.

“The Lovell Lady Bulldogs basketball program believes that success in the regular season is built on hard work in the off-season,” May stated in announcing the program last spring. “One of our program’s goals is to be the hardest working program in the area and in our conference. We know that we must improve our overall basketball ability -- handling the ball and scoring from all spots on the court. We must develop players who are offensive threats.”

Players who reached three levels were awarded as follows:

5,000 shots in the off-season – 5,000 Shot Club shirt

7,000 shots in the off-season – 7,000 Shot Club long sleeve

10,000 shots in the off-season – 10,000 Shot Club hoodie

Players were encouraged to “shoot game shots from game spots at game speed” and log their shots on a chart provided by May.

“This summer we set goals to improve our team’s shooting by focusing on quality, game-like reps,” May said last week. “We also wanted to inspire younger girls in our community – from third through 12th grade – to play more basketball, build skills early and enjoy the benefits of fitness and friendships. A big part of our message is encouraging girls to get together and play without a coach, just to get a basketball in their hands more often and grow confident as skilled players. We’ve sent out a lot of information to our players on ballhandling, shooting and other fundamentals, knowing that our time with them is limited and that they need to put in work on their own to develop high basketball IQ and strong skills.

“To get the message out, we’ve shared resources directly with our players and tried to reach younger girls in the community through word of mouth, school connections and community outreach. We’re not sure how far we’re getting yet, but we’re committed to building a culture of confident, skilled and connected basketball players in Lovell. We want to continue our challenge of shooting and ballhandling to all Lovell area girls who want to commit to the challenge.”

Top shooters honored last Tuesday, Nov. 25, were:

Morgan Harshman – 11,010 shots, Ava Edwards – 7,458 shots, Becca Nichols – 6,500 shots, Avery and Ali Walker – 5,250 shots each, Macie Anderson – 5,020 shots, Malory and Emily Sanders – 5,000 shots each.

“Being good at basketball often feels incredibly rewarding. It brings a sense of confidence – knowing you can handle the ball, make smart decisions and contribute to your team,” May said. “There’s a rhythm and flow to the game when your skills are sharp, and that can feel exciting and even joyful. It also builds pride, especially when hard work pays off in games or practices.

“Beyond the court, it can strengthen friendships, create leadership opportunities and give players a sense of belonging and purpose. For many, it’s not just about being good, it’s about loving the game and feeling empowered through it.”