Vigornia Exclusive: Interview with Coach of the Year, Dan Sullivan
Fresh off a fantastic season culminating in a NEPSAC Class AA championship, the Vigornia sat down with first-year Head Coach of the Worcester Academy Varsity Girls’ Basketball team, Dan Sullivan. This marks the first championship for the Girls’ Basketball team since 2019 and signifies the start of what Coach Sullivan hopes will be years of great success.
By all accounts, the season began slowly, as the team started with a record of 5-8. Coach Sullivan noted that from an outsider’s perspective, it was easy to write the team off; however, what outsiders did not see was how the team got better and better every game they played. In addition, the team purposely scheduled their toughest opponents early in the season to challenge themselves. By tuning out external criticism and realizing that slowly but surely the team was getting to the point of play they knew they were capable of, the Girls’ Basketball team was able to turn their season on its head. Coach Sullivan gives all the credit to the players, as he notes that after a particularly brutal loss to Tilton School, it could have been very easy for the team to “throw in the towel;” instead, they were able to channel that frustration into drive. The team’s “breakthrough” moment came after a quality win over eventual NEPSAC Class B champions The Rivers School. From that point on, WAVGB simply kept winning.
As alluded to above, the season did not pan out without its challenges. Coach Sullivan has been a long-time assistant coach to the Boys’ Basketball team, and he notes how stepping into the role of Head Coach came with a learning curve. Coach Sullivan talked about how, as head coach, he became increasingly aware of the energy he was giving off to his team, and by coming to practice with a positive attitude, the team’s performance improved. Coach Sullivan also made sure to credit his assistant coach, Mr. Bolden, as a pivotal part of creating such a successful team. According to Coach Sullivan, the team’s mindset was the most crucial part of overcoming any challenges they faced, a belief that they could overcome whatever obstacles came their way and create a winning culture.
The team benefited from strong senior leadership, as senior captains Saige Youngberg and Elyse MacDonough were both named to the all-NEPSAC team and are NEPSGBA Class AA All-stars. Coach Sullivan acknowledged the importance the seniors had on the team this year, but also made it clear that the team’s success was a group effort. Coach Sullivan correctly pointed out that losing important team members is a topic at the end of every season, recalling how “if you think back to last season, there was plenty of talk about losing Cam Rust and Kailee McDonald and how the team would play as a result of those losses.” Despite their departure from Worcester Academy, the team was able to capture a Class AA title. With so many talented juniors and sophomores on the team, Coach Sullivan has no doubt that the team will be in great hands for years to come.
We ended the interview by discussing Coach Sullivan being named Class AA Coach of the Year and what it meant to receive such an honor in his first year as Head Coach. Coach Sullivan began by saying, “Any good coach needs a good team, a team that comes to practice every day with a positive attitude and gives their all in every game.” He continued by crediting the rest of the coaching staff and athletics department for their support all season long. Coach Sullivan said that receiving such an honor only sets the bar higher for next season, as he hopes to build on the success his team captured this season.