AAU Coach of the Year: Leah Szabla, Metro Stars

Assembling a great AAU team is more art than science, a combination of understanding what you want, selling that vision to potential players, and then getting them all to pull together and move in the same direction. It's not easy. If you're looking for a team to benchmark, you'd be hard-pressed to find one better than the 2024 [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] squad led by Coach Leah Szabla. The team went from being blown off the floor at the State Prelims to a Top 3 finish at the State Tournament before ending the season with a win over [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] EYBL in Iowa. It was quite the ride. For all that this [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] team accomplished, we are pleased to recognize Leah as our Prep Girls Hoops AAU Coach of the Year.   “She is the best coach I've ever had and I think a lot of our team would agree,” said Southwest State commit [player_tooltip player_id='215969' first='Nicole' last='Maenke'] of Shakopee. “She held us all to a really high standard but also helped us reach those standards the entire time. Leah always held us accountable. She was tough on us but was also our biggest fan and cheerleader.”   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/06/Nicole-Maenke_062623.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-687452" width="256" height="235" /></figure>   Isn't that exactly what you want from a coach? Someone who sets the bar high, gives you the tools to reach those goals, supports you consistently and kicks you in the butt when you need it. As a former Division 1 athlete and experienced college coach, Szabla definitely has the pedigree for success. “She really helped us play with a lot of confidence and freedom, allowing all of us to showcase our skills,” said Maenke. “She did an amazing job of making practices hard and preparing us for game situations. She's a super great person and she wasn't just our coach. She was like a friend to all of us and was always there to help us on and off the court.”   The results speak for themselves.   A victory to remember   Beating [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] is a stout measuring stick. To be the best you have to beat the best. It just doesn't happen very often, especially for mid-level AAU teams. When the [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] rolled into Iowa a week ago for their last hurrah, they had just seven healthy players, including a late roster addition to provide a little more depth. Let's just say things went well. “The first time we played them they got us pretty good, but we came away from that game knowing we could have made it more competitive,” said point guard [player_tooltip player_id='296527' first='Aneisha' last='Scott'], the 21st-ranked prospect in the Class of 2025. “Coach had a great plan.”   We'll spare you the detailed Xs and Os (not my strength!), but it will suffice to say that the [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] did a good job containing [player_tooltip player_id='335641' first='Trinity' last='Wilson'] inside, Scott did nice work defending [player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway'], and the team never lost its composure when [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] had the surges that inevitably come when you have the kind of deep D1 roster they have. “As our confidence grew more and more, we started to believe that we could keep it close and win this thing,” Scott said. “We started hitting everything and took the lead and we never gave it up. I was able to mix things up with mid-range and basket drives and Nicole hit some big shots, as well. [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] is tough, and they have so many great players, but this game showed we have some tough girls, too.”   “It was kind of crazy,” said Szabla, whose team had a double-digit lead at one point. “I think the match-ups were pretty good but I have to say that we shot the ball really, really well. I think it's cool to see the growth in our team. In the Prelims we played the Minnesota Stars and lost by 20 or 30 points. Then at State we beat them. We lost to [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] in the Prelims by probably 30 and then we beat them in Iowa.”   An impressive turnaround   Watching [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] Szabla get blown off the court in May it was difficult to imagine how they could ever beat a team like [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan']. But something changed in the days that followed. “That week at practice I told them, ‘We are a lot better than people think but you have to believe that,'” Coach Szabla recalled. “We just went into State with a lot more confidence and a lot more swagger, just believing that we could beat anybody. That weekend we did beat a couple of really good teams.”   The [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] entered the State Tournament as a #7 seed. After dispatching Crossfire Davis in the first round, Szabla's team knocked off the #2 seed, their highly regarded stablemates from [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] 3SSB. Despite falling to [program_tooltip program_id='712700' first='Minnesota' last='Suns'] 3SSB in the semifinals, the Szabla squad rebounded with a win over the Minnesota Stars to earn a third-place finish. The team went on to post a 36-13 record for the year. Perhaps more importantly, the kids had a blast. They learned a lot, improved a ton, raised their individual status as college prospects, and came away with some terrific memories.   Those who know Coach Szabla well won't be surprised by her team's success. Leah has that elusive ‘It factor.” She was a highly accomplished player, earning All-State honors and winning 99 games in four years at Providence Academy, a run of success that included a State Championship in 2012. Szabla went on to have a decorated career in D1 ball at the University of North Dakota where she was a 1,000-point scorer, two-time Big Sky Conference champion, and two-year team captain.   After earning her bachelor's degree at UND, Szabla worked her way into coaching, first as a graduate assistant at Black Hills State where she also earned a Master's Degree in Strategic Leadership. She moved on to Wayne State as recruiting coordinator. In 2021 she took the head coaching position at Crown College west of the Twin Cities. After a terrific first season, she was hired as head coach at North Central University in Minneapolis in 2022. The Rams posted a record of 21-11 this past winter, making it to the National Christian College Athletic Association tournament where they finished Top 5.   Building a competitive roster   At this time last year, when teams were being assembled for the 2023 AAU season, Szabla had just three veteran players – point guard [player_tooltip player_id='215983' first='Drew' last='Buslee'], forward [player_tooltip player_id='350099' first='Peyton' last='Shaffer'] and guard [player_tooltip player_id='304893' first='Lilly' last='Hahs']. She recruited hard, assembling an intriguing roster. Forward [player_tooltip player_id='178271' first='Willow' last='Thiel'] was a proven D2 prospect from Perham. Big [player_tooltip player_id='461358' first='Mallory' last='Czinano'] of Watertown-Mayer offered presence inside and potential, although she hadn't done a whole lot in AAU before and didn't even play last year. [player_tooltip player_id='346181' first='Lydia' last='Schmitter'] of Eagan brought athleticism and defensive prowess. Maenke, [player_tooltip player_id='302304' first='Mackenzi' last='Simmons'] of Winona, and [player_tooltip player_id='425385' first='Amina' last='Allen'] from Minnehaha Academy provided outside shooting. Then there was Scott, a highly talented point guard from DeLaSalle with skill, speed and swagger. “Aneisha wanted to play up a year and she wanted to play a big role,” Leah said. “That was a huge pickup for us, getting someone who could really facilitate.”   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/10/Buslee_Scott-scaled-e1690833936161.jpg?w=824" alt="" class="wp-image-529208" width="226" height="281" /></figure>   “Leah was a good fit for me,” Scott said. “I was surrounded by shooters and finishers and girls who wanted to play hard. Our posts could finish and the floor was opened up. She has a lot of cool sets, and her communication style is easy, but she gets her point across. And her offense and style were really fun.”   Practices were hard and very much focused on player development. Standards were high. But the girls were in it for each other. Coach Szabla said the players really took ownership, embraced the challenges, and worked their tails off. Czinano ended up having a career year and Schmitter's contributions were limitless. Buslee was her usual hyper-competitive self.   “We just had a bunch of ladies who were all-in for the team. I think from Day 1 they were all excited to be there,” Szabla said. “I think in recruiting, when you compose a team, you need to get a bunch of players who just want to work hard and don't really care about their individual accolades or stats. The selflessness and the work ethic are so important. I'd say the other thing is, as a coach when you build relationships with your kids I think they will just go to battle for you every night. That's true of my college team and it's true with this team, too. They were so coachable and they fought so hard in so many games to the very end. I think it was because they trusted me and they believed in what they were doing.”   RUNNER-UP   P.J. Hill, Minnesota Stars 2026 3SSB – When the AAU season began there were plenty of question marks about P.J. Hill's 2026 Minnesota Stars team that had experienced so much success in the past but had lost several key pieces over the winter. At the AAU State Tournament Coach Hill's team silenced the doubters and took home the hardware once again. Two months later they earned a national championship on the Adidas circuit. Along the way so many of his players improved, from [player_tooltip player_id='478351' first='Dalia' last='Thornton-Fay'] to [player_tooltip player_id='502543' first='Lauren' last='Beyer'] to [player_tooltip player_id='567377' first='Sadie' last='Hall'] to [player_tooltip player_id='502599' first='Reese' last='Hagenbart']. North Dakotan LeeLee Bell had another impressive campaign and [player_tooltip player_id='478390' first='Sinae' last='Hill'] produced a career season. Hats off to Coach Hill and his crew.   HONORABLE MENTION   Emma Purfeerst, Minnesota Rise 2024 – The Bethany Lutheran College head coach led her Minnesota Rise 2024 squad to a record of 23-12 with a top-division tournament win at the Mill City Invitational. Anchored by players like [player_tooltip player_id='304915' first='Rachel' last='Kottke'], [player_tooltip player_id='304916' first='Kristi' last='Kottke'], [player_tooltip player_id='178267' first='Rhyan' last='Holmgren'] and [player_tooltip player_id='178265' first='Kadence' last='Hesse'], the team established a reputation for its work ethic, execution and togetherness. No matter who they faced, the Rise were up to the challenge.   Monty Gordon, Inspired Athletics – The coach has quickly built his club from Fargo into a regional power. They have attracted excellent talent like [player_tooltip player_id='478362' first='Morgan' last='Korf'] and Lakyn Donnelly, provided high-level training, and set standards for excellence that are unprecedented in the state of North Dakota. Their results in Minnesota competition have been outstanding.   Sam Ebenreiter, [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 2027 Blue – Coach Ebenreiter led his Fury squad to a record of 35-9. They captured the Comets event in St. Cloud, won a state championship in convincing fashion, and finished with a UAA-affiliated national title in Pennsylvania and won The Finale in Cincinnati with strong performances from the likes of Olivia LaBlanc, [player_tooltip player_id='630245' first='Gianna' last='Carpentier'] and [player_tooltip player_id='578467' first='Amisha' last='Ramlall'].   RECENT WINNERS   <ul> <li>2022: Andy Berkvam, [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan']</li>   <li>2021: Keefe Zelinske, Southern [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury']</li>   <li>2020: Tara Starks, [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars']</li>   <li>2019: Marqus McGlothan, DTA Academy</li>   <li>2018: Dan Wolfe, Minnesota Rise</li> </ul>

Assembling a great AAU team is more art than science, a combination of understanding what you want, selling that vision to potential players, and then getting them all to pull together and move in the same direction. It's not easy. If you're looking for a team to benchmark, you'd be hard-pressed to find one better than the 2024 Metro Stars squad led by Coach Leah Szabla. The team went from being blown off the floor at the State Prelims to a Top 3 finish at the State Tournament before ending the season with a win over North Tartan EYBL in Iowa. It was quite the ride. For all that this Metro Stars team accomplished, we are pleased to recognize Leah as our Prep Girls Hoops AAU Coach of the Year.