The basketball team endured a few hiccups last season, including a shake up with the coaching staff. T.C. hired Coach Sullivan to steer the team in the right direction following last year’s 8-13 record.
Sullivan has been coaching basketball since 2007, and his resume includes stops at both high schools and colleges. He was involved with the basketball program at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and served as a full time assistant at Lynchburg College.
Describing his approach to practice, Sullivan said, “We work with form every time we are in the gym. We [also] go over the same basic drills over and over to improve muscle memory, and work on game shots from game spots at game speed.” He believes this type of training will be very important for the competitiveness of the T.C. basketball team.
Chemistry is an important aspect of any sports team, and Sullivan said, “Chemistry is one of those things you can’t measure, but directly applies to wins and losses. It’s important to have guys enjoy playing for the team, enjoy showing up everyday for practice, and things like that, because it should be an enjoyable experience.”
Sullivan also spoke highly of his players’ work ethic. “They are very committed, very positive, and I love the energy. So far so good. I started in April and didn’t know much about the program or personnel… but so far, it has been fantastic working with the players.”
Academics for T.C. athletes have been a bit shaky recently, but Coach Sullivan encourages his student athletes to take academics very seriously. During the offseason, there is an athlete study hall four days a week. Counselor Ms. Morris serves as the academic liaison for the basketball team.