Athens Academy’s girl’s middle school basketball team is on a roll. How is the girl’s team undefeated so far? What separates the team from others? Keep reading and we will interview Katelyn Theime and Sally Swan to get a peek into what it’s like being a part of the team.

The girl’s team is led by their head coach Joseph Tillman and the assistant coaches Matthew Mastandrea and Coach Fred. The coaches value effort and hard work while preparing them for varsity level. The team has worked hard since the beginning of November and kept the streak alive thus far.

They have nine girls on their team including  Cate Kilgore (#30), the only seventh grader on the team.  The other girls on the team are  Caddie Grow (#2), Kendall  Lawson (#3),  Millie Pugmire (#4), Katelyn Thieme (#15), Eliza Ewing (#22) Chloe Love Bell (# 23), Shania Sharper (# 24), and Sally Swan (# 32).

According to Thieme, the best thing about basketball is that it will take your mind off of things. Her tips for people are, “to not give up, to be determined, and set goals for yourself.” As we continue wondering what it is like to be a player, Thieme says that it is fun and it helps build strong relationships. 

You can continue looking for her as she says she will continue playing. For Thieme, when she plays, she feels stress-free and focused on the present. Her goals for the rest of this season are to improve on more stuff and be more confident. 

Thieme has played many different sports, and for her and says that volleyball has helped her the most because it helps her with her jumping. Thieme started playing basketball when she was 5 years old and is motivated to play by her grandmother, who she calls Grammy.  

The Middle School basketball team has played Bethlehem Christian Academy, George Walton, Loganville, Oglethorpe, Westminster, Prince Avenue, Athens Christian, Banks County, and Commerce this year. Theime says “out of all the teams we have played the Banks County game was the hardest with a whopping score of  48-27.” 

Although to Swan, “Prince or Commerce was the hardest all around.” In the semifinals, Athens Academy won against Oglethorpe to go to the championship. They won 52 -10.

When Swan plays she usually thinks about the plays and tries to figure out the weakest links and figure out the plays they are trying to run. Swan played soccer and was a goalie. She said, “Soccer helped me because I was a goalie and had to have fast reflexes.”

At first, Swan didn’t like basketball but her parents pushed her to play. Most of her friends played so she decided to as well. They kept winning, so it became more and more enjoyable for Swan, who admits to being very competitive. 

Swan says that she loves to get Chick-fil-A before every game and it is one of her favorite parts. She has bonded with her teammates and became good friends with them. She says, “I was lucky to play with such great girls.” Her goals for basketball are to make varsity. Most of the other girls are trying out for a new travel basketball team, which she hopes to also make.  

In an amazing way to end the season, the team won 29-16. Millie Pugmire with 10 points, Kendall Lawson with 10 points, Shania Sharper with 7 points, and Sally Swan with 2 points.