Women’s basketball has always been a sport students of Viterbo enjoy attending and watching. Between their passion, aggression, and team spirit, the women’s basketball team dominates. This year, we are excited to see just how they will perform with new head coach, Jordan Skaar.
Skaar spent three years as the assistant women’s basketball coach at UW-La Crosse and served as the head junior varsity girls’ basketball coach and assistant basketball coach at Bangor High School prior to that from 2010 to 2015. Now, he serves as the head women’s basketball coach here at VU.
“Practices with the new coach have a faster pace and higher intensity. There’s a strong sense of structure and focus that helps everyone stay engaged and work hard throughout practice,” said returning sophomore, Lizzy Biller-Skogstad.
Between being pushed to go faster and harder and remain focused, Skaar challenges his players to focus on their mechanics all the while going at 110 percent. He also challenges his players to adjust to changes they are not used to, which tests their ability to adapt.
“He’s introduced some new drills, and I think as a team we’ve done a great job adapting. We’ve worked together to adjust and get comfortable with the changes, and he’s been really understanding and helpful throughout the process as well,” Biller-Skogstad added.
Apart from athletics, Skaar is big on academics and balance. He stresses that academics always come first, and to be a successful athlete is to be successful in the classroom first.
“Coach’s approach to accountability and discipline is firm but fair. He really emphasizes giving full effort all the time and holding ourselves to that standard, both in practice and during games,” said Biller-Skogstad.
Furthermore, Skaar is strict on the intensity and pace of practices, pushing his athletes to be the very best they can be. He wants his players to really think about their mechanics and fundamentals, taking extra time to perfect the little things in practice for games.
“He is focusing on the fundamentals right now, really making sure we get the details and footwork right. He’s also very defensive-minded and spends a lot of time focusing on that side of the game,” Biller-Skogstad explained.
As far as season preparation goes, Skaar feels confident in his main priorities currently. Getting his athletes in an aggressive mindset defensively is something that takes time, and he is excelling. His players feel strongly about him and feel this season may be one of their best ones yet.
