MMA Basketball Teaches Life Lessons

At Merion Mercy Academy, athletics is about more than just performance on the court or on the field. It’s also about developing a student’s character and confidence. To that end, Merion’s basketball program has implemented new programming that presents opportunities for growth. According to Director of Athletics Shannon Fisher, “Motivational Mondays,” “Wisdom Wednesdays” and “Thankful Thursdays” improve the team environment, encourage leadership and serve as inspiration. Assistant basketball coach Melissa Dougherty adds, “We want the girls to understand that it’s more than x’s and o’s. Although winning is the goal, the game has a lot of lessons to teach when we are open to them.”

During Motivational Mondays, a junior or senior presents a message to the group. Often it is a quote that speaks to them about where they are as a team and what they feel needs to be heard to keep everyone moving in the right direction. 

On its first Wisdom Wednesday, the basketball team heard from Maddy Siegrist, a professional player for the WNBA’s Dallas Wings and a graduate of Villanova University where Merion Mercy coach Shanette Lee ‘95 also played and coached. Siegrist is the Big East's all-time leading scorer in women's basketball and communicated that our “great” can take different forms on different days. The following week, Fisher shared her own high school and college experience and what it takes to have a winning team and program. Dermot Anderson, Merion Mercy’s cross country coach, also delivered an impactful presentation, encouraging the players to take one day at a time, control the energy they bring every day, be in the moment, and enjoy the journey. Future speakers include Colleen Kelly Finegan '94 and Jada Smith '17.  

For its first Thankful Thursday, the players wrote thank you notes to their middle school or grade school teachers or principals. One teacher responded that the player's note "made his year." Other ideas include thanking family members, coaches, and someone who has had an impact on them at Merion Mercy Academy.

One of the basketball team captains, Hailey Kenefick ‘26, had this to say about the new programming. “Through Motivational Mondays, Wisdom Wednesdays, and Thankful Thursdays, we have the opportunity to listen to others’ perspectives on the game of basketball and get to acknowledge the life lessons that come with them. These new additions to our practices give us inspiration to come together and work as one unit towards our team and personal goals.”