Fairmont Lady Firebirds HC Jeremy Finn talks Westbeld’s senior season
The old saying that there are only 2 things in life that are certain are death and taxes. Well those people obviously don’t have an idea about the talent long jam at the top of the 2020 graduating class. But…
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Continue ReadingThe old saying that there are only 2 things in life that are certain are death and taxes. Well those people obviously don’t have an idea about the talent long jam at the top of the 2020 graduating class. But how about we dive in a little bit more on who Prep Girls Hoops has ranked #1 for the Class of 2020.
The #1 ranked for the class of 2020 is Kettering Fairmont Firebirds Madeline Westbeld. Westbled is a 3 year starting captain for the Firebirds, and a member of the AAU team Sports City U. And just as a side note, Maddie’s older sister just won a National Championship with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2018, and is currently playing basketball overseas. And just like Maddie,her elder sister Kathryn was a 4 year starter and captain for the Firebirds in her high school days. So I think it is safe to say that if Maddie needs guidance on selecting colleges when it comes time to, big sister Kathryn will probably lend a helping hand.
Now I sat down with Firebirds Head Coach, Jeremy Finn, and talked to him about what kind of player Westbeld is off the court and not in game mode. Now before we get into the story, let us remind you that this is just the 1st season as head coach for the Firebirds for Jeremy Finn.
With the talent the Westbeld has, you would think that she has got to put a lot of work in the weight room, right? “My first time walking through the weight-room at Fairmont was interesting,” said Finn. There was a lot of football players in their putting in work for their offseason conditioning too, and there was Madeline doing the same thing right in the middle of all the football players.” Finn goes onto say “It was pretty awesome to see, a player with the talent that she does weight lifting and conditioning with the football team.” And practices aren’t any different Finn says, “She works extremely hard at being fit and going 1000% the whole practice throughout the whole season.” But the one thing about offseason workout ethic that sticks out the most to Finn was definitely a big one. “She practices like she plays and I think sometimes kids at her age group , don’t always do that.” “She is a great role model for our younger players, especially the work that she does with our Future Firebirds, because they can see how hard she works.”
So just how challenging can it be to coach a team that has the #1 ranked player for the upcoming graduating class on their roster? “There isn’t anything challenging with Maddie, she is the ultimate team player. Yes she leads the team in points, rebounds, and assists,” Finn says. “But it is different to see a teams leading scorer not have the highest shooting percentage, Maddie is always looking for the open player or the person that might have the easier shot.” “Yes she is a great player, but she is not a player that is all about herself.” And from my personal experience announcing games for television for the Lady Firebirds, Maddie is a phenomenal player, and one of the best team players too. Finn goes onto say “Madeline is a pretty fantastic young lady and one of the best basketball players I have ever been around (boys or girls). It’s pretty special having the ability to coach her for her senior season.”
Entering her senior season Westbeld is still unsigned/uncommitted to play basketball at the collegiate level, and she probably has the ability to pick anywhere she wants to go and probably end up starting by the end of her freshman year too. “We had colleges from all over the country in our gyms from September and until our final game at Princeton wanting to see Madeline work-out, practice, and play,” Finn said. “Earlier this year alone, I had two voicemails from big-time programs that wanted to check-in (this happens daily). The good news is that I have gotten to know a lot of the coaches from AAU the last several years, so it wasn’t too much for our staff to handle with coaches coming in and out of our gyms constantly.” “Obviously, Madeline is a special talent and any college would love to have her on their roster. I think it helps that her family has been through the recruiting scene before with Kathryn, so they know how the process works. To me, Maddie is the top returning senior in the State of Ohio and she continues to improve! She has a lot of options and we are excited for her,” Finn finished the interview with.
I believe that from what I have seen from Maddie the last 3 years, I think that this is going to be a great year for Maddie, and probably and even better year for the people that pack Trent Arena to watch the Lady Firebirds play their games.