For the third consecutive year Kaity Healy will be the captain of the Seton Hall women’s basketball team.
Healy dubbed the accolade an “extreme honor” and is up for the challenge. Head coach Anthony Bozzella also spoke highly of Healy’s character and outgoing personality, which he said made her deserving of the captaincy yet again.
“She has handled all the things a captain needs to do, not just ‘Let’s all get huddled up together’ or ‘I’ll go shake the hands of the referees’,” Bozzella said. “That’s not being a captain. Being a captain is what Kaity does now, handling the locker room, handling the coaching staff, handling the players.”
Bozzella has been watching Healy’s game and growing the two’s relationship since her sophomore year of high school, which makes his confidence in Healy even more special for the Freehold, N.J. native.
Healy believes part of her success as captain comes from the way she tries to lead by example. Healy likes to be the first one into the gym and the last one to leave in order to try and inspire her teammates to work hard each and every day.
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Photo via SHU Athletics[/caption]
While Healy leads by example, Bozzella thinks that the way she is vocal with her teammates helps her be a good leader.
“She is very blunt.” Bozzella said. “She is kind, but she is blunt, and she is not afraid to say anything. She is clearly the captain of the program. Her leadership style is fair but blunt and there are no excuses.”
Healy credits her parents for helping her feel comfortable in a leadership role, as they instilled a blue-collar work ethic since she was younger. Bozzella agreed, saying that her parents, who were also collegiate athletes, fostered her and empowered her to have leadership skills.
This year’s team also makes it easy for her to feel comfortable as captain.
“We really are a family this year more than ever,” Healy said. “I think we all know we have each other’s back, so if one person’s slacking it’s not only on me.”
Healy credits Kaela Hilaire for always knowing what to say when the team is having a hard time, Victoria Cardaci for always being positive after a rough play and Inja Butina for facilitating the ball and getting everyone involved on the court.
Healy hopes that her dedication on and off the court will help fuel the team toward success this year after a couple of rough seasons.
“I want to leave them all with a little impact on their life, even if it’s just encouraging one another,” Healy said. “Just anything I can do to make their days better and give it to the next girl that comes up.”
The most important thing for the team this year is instilling and instituting a championship culture and that starts at the top.
“Kaity cares as much as the coaching staff. She is probably one of the few players I can say that about,” Bozzella said. “It matters to Kaity if we win or lose and how hard she plays.”
On top of his team-related goals, Bozzella sees a different kind of recognition in Healy’s future if she continues on her current path.
“Kaity is going to go down as the best captain if she continues doing what she is doing this year.”
Brittany Tomore can be reached at Brittany.tomore@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @BrittTomore.
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