April 9, 2010
Corpus Christi girls basketball
Team with 82-game winning streak known for ‘unselfishness’
Maddie Schneider, Taylor Anderson, Alex Wilhelm, Maura Muensterman, Caroline Scales and Megan Woodruff are members of the eighth grade girls basketball team at Corpus Christi School in Evansville. The team which has been together since third grade have amassed an 82-game winning streak. Click for a larger version.
By MARY ANN HUGHES (Message staff writer)
When Terry Muensterman talks about the eighth grade girls basketball team at Corpus Christi School, he doesn’t focus on their shooting skills or their passing skills or their ball handling skills.
He could, because they have them in abundance.
What he does talk about is their sense of teamwork, how well they get along — and most of all, how unselfish they are.
He’s been their coach since they were youngsters in the third grade. Since they began, they have amassed an 82-game winning streak, which is a better record than the women’s team at the University of Connecticut.
They’ve had five straight undefeated seasons, they are five-time regular season champions in the Mater Dei Feeder League, and they have won four straight diocesan tournament titles.
The team includes Maddie Schneider, Taylor Anderson, Alex Wilhelm, Maura Muensterman, Caroline Scales and Megan Woodruff. Tim Schneider is the assistant coach.
Of the team, Terry says, “Together they are talented.”
More importantly, “they get along. We practice hard. We work on fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals.”
When he started coaching the girls, he stressed that it was important that “that everybody had a role, and they stuck to it.”
They learned to listen to the coach and “do anything I asked without worrying about who’s getting credit. They were very coachable, and they did listen.”
And best of all, he says they were “unselfish.”
The team’s success story, which began back in the third grade, includes two losses. “They got beat two times as third graders, and then they won the league. They liked winning. That first season they had 10 wins and two losses, and the losses were very close games.
“They did not like it. Then they won the league and got trophies,” he said, enjoying the memory of “all these third grade girls running around with their trophies.
“We didn’t get beat in the fourth grade, in the fifth grade, in the sixth grade, in the seventh grade, and in the eighth grade they pulled it off.”
He mentions each player by name, telling about her individual skills:
- Caroline Scales is a great defensive player, very quick feet because of her soccer skills and great hands. Caroline concentrates heavily on soccer but still does a great job in basketball because of her athleticism.
- Taylor Anderson has come further than anyone on the team. In the third grade she was the tallest girl in the class and a little awkward. Now she runs the floor very well and is a great rebounder and defensive player.
- Maddie Schneider is the daughter of assistant coach Tim Schneider. Maddie was our second leading scorer. She improved tremendously since last year. Maddie is also our team clown — there is never a dull moment with Maddie around!
- Alex Wilhelm was the first player at every practice. She worked hard and would do anything the team needed her to. Alex developed into quite a good rebounder and defender over the years.
- Megan Woodruff announced before the season started that she would not be playing this year. The other girls were very upset and convinced her that the team needed her. It would just not be the same without her. We would not have wanted to play without Megan.
- Maura Muensterman. It is not always easy to play for your father. Maura did a great job of handling that throughout the years. Maura does a little bit of everything for the team. She has also been our team leader. The girls feel a lot more confident when Maura is on the floor directing traffic.
Maura says the team has “always gotten along very well. We never had any conflict, and we couldn’t have done it without all the girls.”
Maddie agrees, adding, “I’ve learned a lot.”
When asked if it’s been fun, they giggle, and nod.
They also share lessons they’ve learned about being good sports — and representing their Catholic school.
Maura said, “He makes sure we are good sports. If we do anything unsportsmanlike, we are taken out. We always have to watch everything we do and say because we are from a Catholic school.
“He makes sure we play our best, and still keep in mind where we are from.”
The entire team is heading to Mater Dei High School next year where Terry anticipates that two members will play high school basketball. The others will probably get involved in soccer and softball.
He’s a little nostalgic as he closes out his career as coach. “It’s a good group of girls, and they were never jealous.
“It’s been a lot of fun, and it’s hard to believe it’s over. I can remember when they were in the third grade.”
He credits his wife, Mary Ellen, with “taking care of everything, including the rosters and the uniforms. Basically all I’ve done is show up for six years.”
Marty Craig is the principal at Corpus Christi School. She said the girls on the basketball team are members of a “good eighth grade class. That class is very co-operative, and they set a wonderful example for the school. They care about each other and they care about others too.”
Of the coach, she says, “He brings out the best in the girls. He’s taught them discipline. He has high expectations, and they rise to those expectations.”