Taylor Holohan

Back in the third grade, Taylor Holohan wasn’t sure what her favorite sport was.

“I played every sport,” she said. “If you name a sport, I probably played it.”

But fast forward about a decade, and Holohan is now on a full basketball scholarship at Northeastern University after bringing a state championship and three regional titles home to Averill Park. What happened in between was the result of strong friendships and a commitment to improving Averill Park basketball.

Holohan grew up playing basketball with the same girls that would eventually lead their high school to a championship. It was those girls and the relationship they built early on that would entice Holohan to stick with basketball and bring them success down the road.

“The girls I played with were the ones I started with in third grade,” she said. “My best friends were on the team. They made it 40 times better than it would have been with anyone else.”

As a sophomore, Holohan led the Warriors to a Class A state championship and was named a tournament all-star. She also helped Averill Park win sectional championships every full season along with three regional championships. In her final season, Holohan and her teammates accomplished a perfect 20-0 regular season record.

“I’ve seen growth in myself from both a mental and physical standpoint,” she said. “I grew a lot and contributed to my team everything I could. I gave them everything I had.”

“The past two seasons Taylor was the leader of the team, and a leader in every sense of the word,” said Averill Park Athletic Director Mark Bubniak. “She was an encouraging, demanding and supportive teammate doing anything that was needed for the team to be successful. She handled everything that was thrown at her, from opposing defenses to media requests.”

Holohan said she found motivation from local kids who were just like her. As a coach with Averill Park youth basketball, she had the chance to mentor young players in her community in the same way the high school players did when she was in the youth program.

“One of the things that pushed me the most this season were the younger girls that watched me,” she said. “I remember when I was in second grade – I wanted to be just like the girls on the team. To see these kids before and after games, the energy they brought, they have no idea what they gave us. It’s an honor to be a part of this program.”

“As a coach, Taylor worked with the children to improve their fundamentals, provided them with a sense of self-worth, and set a good example for her players to follow,” Averill Park head coach Sean Organ said. “Taylor’s wonderful personality has made her very popular among the youngsters who participated on the teams she has coached.”

From her time in the youth program, Taylor Holohan has dreamed of growing up and representing Averill Park on the basketball court. After five years in the program, she’s represented the team well and will continue to do so at the collegiate level and beyond.

“Taylor leaves Averill Park as arguably the greatest basketball player in school history,” Bubniak added. “She is a terrific leader and a tremendous basketball player.”

“This award is another boost going into college,” she said. “It gives me the confidence to be able to continue in life and accomplish even more. You’re never done, you always have something more. A lot of the girls I looked up to and still do have won this award and it’s cool to see me in their footsteps. There are younger girls in the program that will hopefully get this award too.”