Bellwood-Antis girls basketball coach Kyley Longo-McGarvey has been around the game most of her life, but this season she will view it from a perspective unlike any other.
Earlier this year, Coach Longo-McGarvey was hired as the head basketball coach, replacing the legendary Jim Swaney, who led the Lady Devils to two PIAA championships during his 13-year career at B-A.
Longo-McGarvey had been an assistant coach for 13 years at Bellwood.
“I was hired straight out of college for my 1st grade teaching position in June of 2010, and at the same time they had a basketball opening for a volunteer assistant and I jumped at the opportunity. I am grateful to Coach Swaney for allowing me the opportunity as a young 23 year old college kid to try my hand at coaching,” said Mrs. Longo-McGarvey.
Longo-McGarvey is a tech ed. teacher in the elementary and middle school at Bellwood-Antis. She graduated from Hollidaysburg where she played basketball. She earned a scholarship and attended Seton Hill and later Waynesburg to continue her academic and athletic career. Mrs. Longo-McGarvey had a dual major in Elementary Education and Special Education and then went back to school to earn her Masters of Education at Saint Francis.
She understands that there will be some adjustments now that she is the head coach and no longer an assistant as there are different responsibilities and roles.
Longo-McGarvey has great relationships with her upperclassman, but realizes the underclassman may be a little hesitant.
“I am sure that the underclassman are unsure of me because they haven’t had the chance to really get to know me yet, but I am confident that with the investment and dedication I plan to bring to the table they will learn my style of coaching and who I am as a person and we will have a smooth transition,” she said.
Mrs. Longo-McGarvey got her start in coaching in 9th grade when she was given an opportunity thanks to Coach John Swogger. Longo-McGarvey was set on becoming a coach after this experience.
“From that moment I realized that I wanted to, one day, impact the game beyond the player side of things. I wanted to be the reason athletes had great experiences,” she said. “I love building relationships with my athletes and it’s important to me that I show them that I care so when I tell them that I do they know they can trust that.”
She also loves coaching because it allows her to continue learning about the game. Longo-McGarvey is always ready to learn and try out new drills, strategies, and philosophies. She was able to make great connections with Michigan State University during Alli Campbell’s recruitment process and got to visit their coaching staff and watch the ins and outs of their programs. Longo-McGarvey got to learn how legendary coaches like Suzy Merchant, Maria Fantanarosa, and Tom Izzo run their practices, scout, and prepare for games.
“I love coaching because I love learning,” Mrs. Longo-McGarvey said. “I love the intricacy of the game, I love what the game gives but also what it takes,” said Mrs. Longo-McGarvey.
Longo-McGarvey expects her team to put their heads down and get to work this season. This is the first year the team is in the expanded LHAC, which will give the team some tougher opponents on their regular season schedule. Regardless of who they play, she said, they want to play F.A.S.T. (focused, accountable, selfless, and tenacious), which is their team moto for the year. She wants the team to work together to get better every day and strive to make the conference and district playoffs and lastly embrace the challenges of the LHAC.
B-A opens its season on Wednesday at Hollidaysburg.
