One work in progress for Baden is her lone senior, Brianna McGowan. Photos by Scott H. Shook Baden likes the effort she’s getting from her lean-by-numbers squad. She believes in the sports based metaphor that the legs feed the wolf, emphasizing the importance of stamina and determination in achieving success. The saying was used in […]
One work in progress for Baden is her lone senior, Brianna McGowan.
Baden likes the effort she’s getting from her lean-by-numbers squad. She believes in the sports based metaphor that the legs feed the wolf, emphasizing the importance of stamina and determination in achieving success. The saying was used in the 2004 movie Miracle, where Kurt Russell plays the role of Herb Brooks, the U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey team’s head coach. Brooks led the U.S. to an improbable Olympic gold medal over a heavily favored Russian team.
For now, Baden is enjoying the process she’s going through with her team.
Past MIA-Everglades City contests have been known to get physical. Baden said her team does not shy away from physical play.
”I think that the greatest thing hereis we’re starting to get together,” Baden said. “We’re starting to work on offense together. We are tenacious on defense. We are like wolves. We’re just on top of it. It comes very natural to them.”
The Rays (3-2) are all in great shape – they have to bewith only one player on the bench at any time throughout the game. So, Baden has to make sure her players don’t get in foul trouble.
Baden likes her team’s progress at the midway point of the season. She has goals moving forward.
“We’re kind of the Fab Six right now,” said Bethann Baden, “and we’re starting to gel. We’re young. We only have one senior, we have two juniors, and we have three freshmen.”
Surprisingly, no penalty was called when Brianna McGowan collided with a Donahue Catholic defender at the baseline.
“They have great attitudes and they’re positive,” Baden said. “They’re getting the game each day, which helps build confidence. The biggest thing is instilling confidence at this level. And the more they believe in themselves and the more game minutes we get down, the better we’re going to get.”
Will Baden be around to see her freshmen become seniors? Like many coaches, she likes to take it a step at a time.
Baden said her freshmen, Riley High, Aubrey Webber, and Kira Petit, are blossoming.
“I coach college, and I coach high school,” Baden said. “I did 28 years. I coached eight years at college at the University of New Haven, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, Georgia State. Then, I was a coach out in Arizona. The last four years, I’ve just been enjoying life. As a coach and a teacher, I was very blessed to work with some wonderful people. I did love it. It runs through my blood. I had a great opportunity.”
Baden admits that she could use at least one more player.
“Legs feed the wolves,” Baden said. “Like they said in that movie with Kurt Russell. When you have to play that much, you’ve just gotta mentally say, ‘Hey, I’ve gotta hang in there. I’ve gotta push myself mentally as well as physically.’ And they’re doing it. They’re meeting everything. And I love the fact that they’re positive. We’re just trying to get better every day because our goal is to get the highest seed we can in the conference tournament next month. Coming back against Everglades City and responding defensively as well as offensively. I’m most proud of that effort. Every day, we just talk about coming out and playing hard no matter what the score is. We’re trying to play quarter by quarter and then eventually get to where we’re playing with effort four full quarters. Play as hard as you can, andleave it on the court because the learning is going to come. The improvements are already there. We just have to look at trying to push ourselves every day to get better.”
A call from MIA athletic director Jerry Miller brought Baden out of retirement.
“We have a little bit more experience at the younger level,” Baden said, “but Brianna McGowan is just an unbelievable athlete. Every day, she is coming into her own. She plays hard. It’s effort. She makes a move and she’s learning that she’s better than what she thinks she is. And every time she touches the ball, it just clicks. I wish I had her one more year. She’d be an all-league player if I had her one more year.”
“We’re halfway through,” Baden said. “We’re 3-2, so we’re above .500. Our goal is to beat Everglades City because we lost to them by seven. Our goal is to win all of our games and be the second seed in our in our conference tournament.”
“I’m lucky,” Baden said. “That comes very naturally. That’s one thing I don’t have to teach because they’re naturally aggressive and they are tenacious. They’re tenacious on the ball and aggressive on defense. The goal is for defense to produce offense. If you can play defense and don’t have to set up a half court set, that produces 15 to 18 points a game.”
Freshman Riley High is a high scoring ball handler for the Rays.
The Rays return to action January 9 when they travel to Everglades City for a 5:00 PM game.
“We’re going to take it game by game,” Baden said. “I came out of retirement to help out.”
“Aubrey Webber is a natural defensive player on the ball,” Baden said. “She is so tough on the ball and she has such a nice touch. Riley and Aubrey are best friends. Those two, in the next couple of years, are going to be a force to be reckoned with. They are going to carry it, and they get it. And they’re like little sponges. It might take a little bit, but then boom, they take off. They’re going to be one heck of a backcourt in the next three years.”
“Jerry Miller called and said they had lost their coach,” Baden said. “So, I’m here to help.”
“Yeah, we’re working on that,” she said. “It would be nice. We might be able to catch somebody. We just need one more girl. One more girl to help them out a little bit. Give us a different look in the second half of the season. That would be great.”
“The freshman are getting it,” Baden said.
Baden’s two juniors are Bianca Fernades and Jenna Snover. Snover’s older twin sisters, Cadence and Jocelyn, were solid players for the Rays who graduated in 2022.
“Jenna comes from a good line of basketball players,” Baden said.
Marco Island Academy girls basketball coach Bethann Baden has a roster of six players who she calls the Fab Six. Fortunately for Baden, all six can hold their own on the basketball court. On Monday, December 16, the Fab Six closed the first half of the 2024-25 season with an easy 51-16 home win over Mason Classical.
Baden feels the Rays’ backcourt of freshmen Riley High and Aubrey Webber are going to make a name for themselves at MIA.
Baden has a long history in the coaching business, including a stint in the college ranks.
