When the St. Joe's women's basketball team won the Atlantic 10 Championship in 2013, members of the program participated in the tradition of cutting out part of the net.
Also joining the team in the celebration were two girls, Kaylee and Hannah Griffin, who are several years younger than the players on the team.
“Running on the court, hugging my mom and being able to cut down the net was one of my fondest memories, and it definitely stays with me even now as I play,” Kayleigh Griffin said. “It's what we're doing,” he said.
Kaylee and Hannah's mother, Cindy Griffin, just completed her 23rd season as the head coach of the St. Joe's girls basketball team. A former Hawk herself, she has been involved with the program for half of her life, taking the head coaching job during her engagement and a few years later when she started a family. Her children have been in the program all their lives.
growth of griffin
In addition to the A-10 championship, Cindy Griffin said the Griffin girls have grown by attending practices, traveling with the team whenever possible and interacting with players who serve as role models. She believes their upbringings helped them develop into the college basketball players they are today, with Kayleigh Griffin a senior at St. Joe's College and Hannah Griffin a freshman at Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts. ing. Cindy Griffin and her husband Curtis Griffin also have a son, Curtis Griffin Jr., who is a freshman at St. Joe's Prep.
“They remember all of those things, and I think the girls wanted to have that experience for themselves, whether it was at St. Joe's or somewhere else,” Cindy Griffin said. . “I think that sparked their interest in playing basketball at the next level.”
Kaylee Griffin emphasized her mother's point about the players she grew up with. After all, not every 10-year-old grows up watching his future WNBA guard practice.
“I've had a lot of role models over the years since I was a kid…people like Erin Shields and Natasha Cloud. [having] These honorable people are truly special,” Kaylee Griffin said. “And of course growing up with her mother and having her be a role model for me and even all my friends is really great. And that really shaped who I am today. It was.”
branch out
Kayleigh and Hannah Griffin stood out in soccer and basketball at Gwynedd Mercy Academy, but chose to pursue the latter, and Hannah Griffin credits her upbringing and passion for the game for playing a role in that decision. He said he bought it.
“If I had played in college, I would have been able to see what my next step would be, and playing in college now is something I've always admired and always really wanted. ” said Hannah Griffin. “It’s really special to actually be able to do that.”
There was another layer to Hannah Griffin's college choice: stick with what's familiar or branch out. Ultimately, Hannah Griffin said she chose Holy Cross because she wanted to push herself out of her comfort zone.
“When I came here for a visit, it really felt like a family community, and I really wanted to be a part of it,” Hannah Griffin said. “I know St. Joe’s is going to have a community of families, but I just wanted to expand that.”
Hannah Griffin found herself having a historic season (21-13) with the Crusaders. Her season also included a Patriot League championship and an NCAA Tournament berth, but they lost to Iowa in the round of 64. Her mother says she is “very proud” of it. She's for her.
“Being far away from home and not knowing everyone, knowing some people, being very open-minded and very open-minded when it comes to 'How can I help this team?' I think she's able to be selfless.'' She has the right mindset about her role and what they want from her,'' Cindy Griffin said.
“We have the same love for the game.”
Meanwhile, Kaylee Griffin is experiencing her own historic season while following in her mother's footsteps. The Hawks went 28-6 this season, the most wins in program history, and Cindy Griffin became the third coach in conference history to reach 200 conference wins in the A-10.
“[Kaylie] She wants to win championships and that's why she came to St. Joe's,” Cindy Griffin said. “She wants to help us win championships, and we won the Big 5 Championship and we won the Hawk Classic Championship as well. [but] It was not as good as the A-10. She has one more year to accomplish that, which is really special.”
Although she didn't bring home the A-10 title this year, Cary Griffin can only describe achieving this record and being able to share all of her college experience with her mother as “special.”
“It's very personal, it's very close to my heart, the same love for the game and wanting the same experience,” Kayleigh Griffin said. “She understands the process as well, especially since her mom went here. She understands what it's like to be from St. Joe's and to be a St. Joe's women's basketball player. .”
stay connected
With her family of three split between two schools, Hannah Griffin says constant support for each other and a shared love of the game are just some of the things that keep her family together. He said no.
“I call my mom all the time,” Hannah Griffin said. “She's always been there for me and given me the basketball IQ perspective. But as a mom, when I need something, she's always there, I just have to talk to her. And it's the same with my sisters. Whenever I don't want to or don't want to talk about basketball, they're always there.”
This line between family and coach is one that Cindy Griffin and Cary Griffin alike said they had to learn how to abide by, but distinguishing the roles can be done with practice. became.
“I'm just like any other player, when there's a correction or something that needs to be said, I say it as a 'coach,'” Kaylee Griffin said. “But when I go to her office and we're talking, 'Are you coming home for Sunday dinner?'” I knew it was my mom talking to me, not my coach. Masu. ”
And basketball seems to have found a way to sneak into the conversation, even during Sunday dinner, where Cindy Griffin plays the mother.
“We talk about basketball a lot, but sometimes we try not to,” Cindy Griffin said.
After all, basketball remains part of the Griffin family's DNA.
“You can love something yourself, but being able to share that love for something with the people you love the most is really important,” Kaylee Griffin said.
A previous version of this article was originally published as Published by Philadelphia Inquirer April 16 as part of the Inquirer's University Correspondent Program.