Maddy Grenon, a sophomore, knew her half-court buzzer-beating shot was going in from the minute it left her hands on Tuesday, January 7th, during the varsity basketball game against Portland. When she made it, the entire gym erupted in cheers.
It’s moments like this that have left an impact on players like, junior, Jacquelyn Ciarleglio, a teammate of Grenon. “Maddy [Grenon] has a huge impact on our team,” said Ciarleglio. “Her dedication to the sport really shows in how she plays. Her ability to make shots that not a lot of players can make is super impressive and makes her stand out. Her future is bright for our team, and I am happy I have a teammate like her.”
Grenon began playing basketball in her driveway at the age of four. When she was six years old, her mother enrolled her in the Park & Recreation basketball program—a Clinton-based nonprofit that promotes community health, enjoyment, welfare, and comfort through programs, memberships, and facilities. Despite having many coaches in the seven years of playing, Mr. Fishman was the most helpful coach. She learned a lot, especially the fundamentals.
Now, two years later, she has returned as a coach, this time for boys in third and fourth grade. Grenon chose this, thinking it would have a big influence on the kids’ basketball experience, especially because all were new to the sport and eager to get started. She says coaching boys is more difficult because they don’t listen as well as girls and don’t take anyone, including coaches, seriously.
Grenon is also a member of an AAU team, joining to compete against more advanced players than she did in travel Park and Recreation. She did not, however, leave that group; she continued to play there while also participating in AAU in the spring. She played for the Connecticut Cobras in sixth grade, the Connecticut Storm since seventh grade, and the Connecticut Falcons in the upcoming season.
However, balancing both has not been easy. Practices for AAU are at Mercy High School in Middletown, around 40 minutes distant from Grenon. The bulk of competitions take place in a nearby state. Some come from other states and are further away. “The farthest I have been was Pennsylvania and Atlantic City,” Grenon said. But, despite the challenges, the experiences have been beneficial for her team and her career. “Those tournaments helped our bond as a team, and we got to play teams from all over. We played a team from Canada at Atlantic City. There are also college coaches on the sidelines of all these games looking to recruit people,” Grenon said.
Overall, her experience across all the leagues has taught her one thing: “I have learned that everyone is at different levels in basketball, and the younger generation needs to learn new things from high schoolers like me,” she said.
At Morgan, she is halfway through her sophomore year, and her anticipated second season for the basketball team has begun. With a full schedule, team practices are commonly held after school, around 2:30 or 4:30 p.m., and run two hours. This year, they have 20 games, and their current record is 8-1. Grenon said, “my role is mainly to hit shots and knock down threes. I have been very successful, averaging about 15 points a game.” Morgan’s team has a home game, Tuesday, January 14th, against Westbrook. Varsity is at 5:30 PM and JV is at 7:00 PM.
Despite her success, Grenon is not ready to rest. “During the school season, I just train and do strength and conditioning. Most of the time I do those after practice and on the days we don’t have practice.”
Grenon’s best varsity game was against Suffield on Thursday, January 9th at 7:00 PM, scoring 20 points.
As time progresses, she says her main goals revolve around her team, “[I] want to get to the shoreline final game and win. I also want to get to the state final game, which is played at Mohegan Sun and win that.”
