Page 14 - North Haven Magazine Issue 36 Holiday 2024

he North Haven Girls Varsity knowledge and experience. An
Basketball Team had a very East Haven native, she had been a
Tmemorable season last year. four-year starter at Sacred Heart
After finishing the regular season Academy where she earned all SCC
with a 13 – 7 record in the highly Honors in 1997-98, 1998-99 and
competitive Southern Connecticut 1999-00. In her senior year she was
Conference, they advanced to the also selected to the Tap Off Club
Class MM semi-finals held at Mo- All County Team. Upon her gradua-
hegan Sun before succumbing to tion from high school, she went on
eventual state champion Northwest to play Division II Basketball in the
Catholic, finishing with an overall NE-10 Conference for St. Michael’s
record of 18 - 9. Many basketball College.
aficionados expressed surprise that
North Haven had achieved such
success. However, the Varsity Girls
Basketball coach, Jessica Neuwei-
ler, was one person who was not
at all surprised. She could see how
hard each player was working every Coach Jessica Neuweiler
day in practice and how committed ons. In the five years that she spent
they were to each other and to the at Plainville, her teams achieved a
team’s success. She could see how level of success that had previously
they had overcome adversity during been so elusive.
the course of the year and how each Coach Neuweiler congratulating one of
setback only made them more de- her players Since arriving at North Haven, Jes-
termined to succeed. She knew that After working for seven years in sica has focused on building a pos-
her team was playing its best bas- the Boston area, she moved back itive team culture based on the de-
ketball as the regular season ended to Connecticut and began coaching velopment of character, hard work,
and that they would be a difficult Travel Teams in East Haven before and team chemistry. Her goals for
team to beat in the CIAC tourna- being hired as the JV Coach at Sa- this year’s team are the same as
ment. cred Heart Academy in 2013. Three they have been from the start of
years later in 2016, she accepted the her tenure. As she stated during our
Girls Varsity Basketball position at recent interview, “As we get ready
Plainville High School. Taking over a to enter the 2024-2025 season,
program that had gone 3 – 17 in the my goal for our team is to compete
year prior to her arrival, she quick- day in and day out. We look for our
ly established a winning culture. players to work hard every day and
During the time that she spent at focus on helping them to believe in
Plainville, she guided the program themselves, their teammates, and
to its first back-to-back winning sea- the goals we set together as a team.
Coach Neuweiler addressing the team sons in 10 years, and led the team We always take our preparation one
during a timeout to three state tournament appear- day at a time, and this upcoming
Jessica Neuweiler arrived at North ances. She also guided the team season we will look to do the same.
Haven two years ago just prior to to two consecutive Rybcyk Holiday Our goal is to focus on improving
the 2022-2023 basketball season, Tournament Championships, and, in every day, and working hard togeth-
and brought with her a wealth of 2017, they were division co-champi-

14 North Haven Magazine - Holiday Issue 2024