As basketball season comes to an end, there is a light shined on Morgan Gentilucci. She is a senior here at Doherty who is an inspiring, talented, and hard working Captain of the girls basketball team. Lucky to have been a teammate of hers, I am thankful for her agreeing to do an interview with me.
Going into the interview, she shared how she has been playing basketball for about thirteen or fourteen years and plays basketball all year round. While there are reasons a person does everything in life, she states, “I have played basketball basically my whole life. I think around three I officially started learning how to play. My entire family played basketball, my three siblings all played basketball and my mom played basketball all the way through college and then coached. My aunt also played basketball and still coaches to this day.” Supplied by the question of why she started playing basketball, it was definitely influenced by what she calls a “sports family.” She continues by explaining, “My older brother Ryan is now a junior at WPI and plays basketball there. He also played football throughout high school and baseball while growing up. My sister Keira is nineteen and she played basketball, field hockey and softball up until high school and now she plays club basketball at Coastal Carolina. My younger brother Connor is a sophomore at Doherty and plays basketball, football and rugby.”
Her family has been involved in numerous sports and Morgan has been in their shoes too. She clarifies that she had played softball until her sophomore year of high school. Junior year she had cut the career short due to traveling for AAU basketball because it simply didn’t fit into her schedule. On top of that, Morgan has played both field hockey and track for a year. But she doesn’t think much of these sports. They gave her a way to stay in shape and have fun. She carried through with adding that she also “Irish danced almost my entire life up until COVID when I decided to take basketball more seriously.”
Morgan has been going strong on her basketball journey for many, many years, and said her spark came from loving to play basketball and her teammates. Although, Doherty is not the only team she has played for. She has experience playing for Worcester Team United, Rising Stars, Sting, and the Huskies. She is a well rounded player who typically plays “point guard, shooting guard, or small forward.”
Playing basketball can be challenging mentally and physically, but when stepping on the court for game time Morgan thinks about “the love for the game and being able to be competitive while still having fun.” She continues by saying, “I think keeping a positive attitude and making sure the rest of the team does as well can be challenging, especially after a loss or a bad game.” On the topic of challenges, I had asked her how she balanced her basketball life with her regular life. She expressed that,”I think I balance them pretty well. I try to get most of my work done in school or right when I get home from practice so that when it’s time for practice or a game I am fully focused on basketball.” As one can see, Morgan is a responsible individual who prioritizes what needs to be done. Moreover, she describes how being a student athlete has helped her a tremendous amount with schoolwork. She believes being a student athlete has helped her manage her time a lot better.
Since Morgan is the captain of the Doherty girls basketball team, one might ask how she leads her teammates. Morgan said, “I just try to keep everyone positive and make sure they are having fun and feel included,” adding on with, “I learn a lot from my teammates both on and off the court. Their actions and words can help me be a better leader as well.” Going further, playing basketball has led her to meet her best friends. When asked what is the best part of basketball, she doesn’t hesitate to say that “the people and friends I have made from basketball have definitely been the best part.”
For Morgan, basketball is not just a game with a ball and a hoop. She explains, “Basketball has taught me that there are going to be hard days in life just like there are bad games, but you have to move on and look forward to the better days to come.”
Wait, but it doesn’t stop there! Off the court, she plans on attending college. She knows that she “would like to continue to play basketball in college whether it is on a varsity team or a club team.” Being a student at Doherty who is in the Engineering Technology Academy, Morgan wants to study Engineering in college as well.
Morgan has proved to be a powerful woman with a bright future ahead. When asked if she is thankful for anybody in particular for helping you succeed in life or in basketball, she answered strongly with her parents. She lovingly illustrates, “they have pushed me both on and off the court to be the best player, student, teammate, friend, and person that I could be. They also made it possible for me to play AAU basketball at a high level by driving me to practices and tournaments and dedicating their time to watch me play.” So, yes, Morgan is a wonderful person and she has also had wonderful parents backing her up in her corner.
Before the interview ended, Morgan gave advice to future players at Doherty.
“I would just say make sure you are having fun. Give it your all and go into every game with a positive mindset.”
While the girls on the basketball team are sad to see their beloved captain leave Doherty, we know Morgan is meant for great things. Her devotion does not go unnoticed. She is a born leader.
