Captains of the Week: Girls Basketball

Captains and seniors Jac Doucette and Bridgette Martin in Love Gym. Solei Silva-Carin / The Exonian

By JOONYOUNG HEO ‘25

On most days of the week, the Love Gym rings with cheers and thumps as a ball strikes the polished wood floor. This is the girls varsity basketball team, and under the leadership of senior captains Jac Doucette and Bridgette Martin, it has seen great improvement and an impressive record this season. 

The captains are driven by experience and passion for the sport. “I’ve been playing basketball since the first grade,” Martin said. “Since I came in as a new upper, leaving behind a duo captainship at my old school, I’ve worked really hard as a teammate.”

“I’ve been playing basketball since I was in the second grade,” Doucette said. “Ten years in total.”

Their strength on the court and in their role as captains has left an impression on the entire team. “Our captains complement each other well,” lower Eveland Sherman said. “That shows on and off the court. Bridgette and Jac are kind and they care about everyone on the team.”

“They’re very good at keeping the team level,” head coach Katie Brule said. “The team is focused on what we need to do, and Bridgette and Jac are two people who remind us of that every time. Bridgette’s a very vocal captain, whereas Jac leads by example a bit more. That works well in their pair dynamic.”

“One of the main things they’ve done is include the lowerclassmen and lead with love and understanding,” assistant coach Kerry McBrearty said. “They somewhat struggled with that in the beginning, but now they’re really in a good place. They’re encouraging, they’re helping, they’re going out of their way to make sure the preps and lowers are seen and heard and know they’re a valuable part of the team. They allow the team to move forward together as one confident, cohesive unit.”

This team approach was largely inspired by the work of previous captains. “The captains last year brought a unique energy to the team, and they were very good at making lowerclassmen feel welcome and included,” Doucette said. “That’s made it very important for me to try to do the same thing and make the team experience as fun as possible for everyone.”

“The past captains have shown me how to be empathetic, as well as to love the game,” Martin said. “Sometimes I think we get a little too wrapped up in the results, and at the end of the day, I really just want our team to feel happy about what we’ve done together.”

Their effort shines through during practice. “One of the lowerclassmen had the ball, looked at the rim, didn’t take the shot, and then turned around to see who was open,” McBrearty said. “And Jac went right up to turn her around and told her, ‘You can take the shot, we want you to take the shot.’ That’s a perfect example. The captains really care and they try their best to get the lowerclassmen involved.”

“They’re able to stay focused,” Brule said. “I appreciate the way they come to practice ready to work on specific skills and ask a lot of questions. But at times, when something happens, we’re able to laugh about it. It’s not just a super intense environment the entire time. The captains know that — and they know when to bring everyone back to focus.”

“We have a small team, so everyone knows each other pretty well,” Sherman said. “It makes it fun to have a close team environment.”

A close-knit team has allowed for better communication and a comfortable place to learn. “One thing we’ve been struggling with is communicating on the floor, which is important especially when you’re playing defense. Jac and Bridgette are very open about it, telling people exactly what they want from them on the court, and the players take their feedback.”

Good practices have made for much better games. “Last year’s record was not indicative of their ability,” McBrearty said. “The biggest difference now is their confidence. They’re playing confidently every single day they come to practice, and that translates into much more success. They embrace failure as a learning moment, and they realize that the only play that counts in sports is the next one.”

The players and captains recognize how far they’ve come. “The team this year has improved so much from last year, and I think that’s due in part to our working as a team,” Doucette said. “People took the off-season seriously, and it shows this season in our improved record and our teamwork on offense and defense. We work hard, and we go into games with confidence. We’re comfortable around each other, and that’s helped us become more coordinated.”

“Our team has done a really good job of working together through tough situations,” Martin said. “We’ve had a few really difficult games where we heavily rely on the bench for hype, and they’ve delivered. We also have a buddy system that helps our team stay close. We’ve gotten better at remaining composed in those tight situations as well.”

As for the rest of the season, there seems to be a common goal. “We need to beat Andover again,” Brule said. “And it would be awesome to keep our winning record. The third step of that goal would be making playoffs and that would be incredible. Considering last year, where we only had four wins in the whole season, turning that around and getting into playoffs would be a dream. That might be a stretch, but if we keep working hard and building on what we’ve done, I think we can do it.”

“When all’s said and done, I want every player on the team to look back and have enjoyed the entire season,” McBrearty said. “Some days are going to be good, some days not so much, but to be able to turn around and remember that they gave it their all is so important. We won all the games we could win, and in the games we lost, the other team was just a little better. Whatever the final outcome is, I want people to be proud.”

“Our team really has improved,” Martin said. “We can put up a fight, and we’ve come a long way in proving it.”