On Friday, September 6, Xavier College Preparatory hosted the Olympic Fall Sports Rally. Each class and its respective student council was assigned a different Olympic game to emulate.
The Olympic theme runs deeper than just a fun rally topic for many at Xavier. Jennifer Gillom, varsity head basketball coach, played in the 1988 Olympics and coached for team USA for many years. She was mainly a power forward during her years as a player, though she was able to play many positions. As a coach, Gillom was in charge of scouting other countries and their players, and assisting the head coach during games.
Her experience on a global level has helped her tremendously when coaching women’s basketball. “I have learned from other coaches who have also played at the highest level, not just about Xs and Os, but about how to work with players and their different personalities,” Gillom said.
Every experience she has had regarding the Olympics has added to her life in some way, from improving her skills against the world’s best players to understanding a player’s thought process. This has been especially helpful when coaching high school athletes.
Gillom believes the Olympics are an important event for young women competing in sports. “Xavier always talks about excellence, and you can’t get more excellent than the Olympics,” Gillom said.
Michal Cagungun, executive president of student council, shares Gillom’s beliefs of the importance and inspiration of the Olympic games.
“The Olympics are a big influence on society, especially for young women because they put female athletes in the spotlight as role models. They also help build confidence and promote opportunity for women everywhere,” Cagungun said.
