DALEVILLE, Va. – In the five years I’ve been at WSLS, I’ve covered dozens and dozens of signings. But what I’ve never seen is an entire senior class on one team committing to play at the next level... Until last Sunday.
Sports fans, players, and coaches know how hard it is to make it to the next level. In fact, the probability is incredibly low. The chances of a girls basketball player heading to the NCAA is less than 2%, making this story at Lord Botetourt so much sweeter.
“All five of our kids are going on to play a collegiate sport, and four of those in basketball. So, to have every senior do it all together, these girls are like family and absolutely love each other. They wanted to do something special, so why not take advantage of that? Because it happens so infrequently I guess,” head girls basketball coach Renee Favaro said at their signing in late April.
Situated at the base of Tinker Mountain, the small town of Daleville isn’t necessarily a recruiting hotbed for girls basketball. But head coach Renee Favaro knew that there was college-level skill in her senior class, so she put word out where it would travel the quickest - on Twitter.
Favaro, a former college hoops player herself, understands that recruiting now is much different than during her time. At the core - teams want student-athletes who succeed in the classroom, excel on the court or field, and are upstanding citizens in their community. A coach at any level can win games with these kinds of players, and Favaro wanted to make sure teams knew those players were at Lord Botetourt.
So, she used her platform on Twitter, doing something as simple as writing a 280-character scout, playing a part in all of her senior athletes getting to live out their dreams.
“Coach G could not be more helpful, I would not be where I am without her,” Lander commit Ainsley Anderson said. “I know she called Lander University and had the conversation. So I wouldn’t be here without her, so it’s been really helpful. Especially because it is overwhelming, so especially to have someone who has your back and knowing this is for you is helpful and I couldn’t thank her more.”
“It just shows how great this program is at LB and how much Coach G [Favaro] will push you to become that better player,” USC Aiken commit Gracie Huffard said. “If you just want to play basketball for fun and do whatever, LB, don’t go there, don’t even consider it. Coach G will push you to be a better version of yourself to go to the next level if that’s what you want.”
Renee Favaro, thank you for your part in growing women’s sports.