Reversing the trend: Belkowski takes Britons into uncharted waters, record books

February 20, 2004
by Jake Lloyd
Sports Editor

On Doreen Belkowski’s desk sits a picture titled “The power of belief.” The picture, which is of a person standing on top of an overhanging cliff, accompanies an Eleanor Roosevelt quote that says, “Believe in yourself. You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face…You must do that which you think you cannot do.”

Since Belkowski took over as Albion’s women’s basketball coach three years ago, her players have exhibited strength, confidence and courage on the basketball court, helping to turn around the program.

The year before Belkowski became coach, Albion went a depressing 4-21, its ninth straight losing season. Prior to Belkowski’s arrival, Albion had recorded just seven winning seasons in 30 years.

But now the Britons are in the midst of their third straight winning season and one win away from eclipsing the school’s all-time mark for wins in a season of 19.

Forward Jocelyn Zappala, Mount Pleasant senior, who was here for that 4-21 season, said the attitude of the team has changed drastically since Belkowski came.

“The attitude freshman year was kind of just like, ‘When is this all gonna be over?’” Zappala said.

The attitude was vastly different the following year. “We were looking forward to every game, and our tradition became winning,” Zappala said.

The Britons got off to a 9-1 start Belkowski’s first year and finished 17-9, twice knocking off perennial Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) powerhouse Hope.

Belkowski said of Albion‘s second defeat of Hope, at Hope, “I think I even heard parents on the other team saying that it [Albion] was just a totally different team from [those in] the past that walked in there.”

The Belkowski-coached Britons have believed in themselves since their first victory against Goshen College in overtime. After the win, the Albion players said, according to Belkowski, “‘Coach, we won, we never win.’”

Belkowski said her biggest challange upon arriving at Albion was getting the players to compete because they were so used to losing.

“Winning early and gaining confidence was huge, and I think everyone’s attitude changed,” Belkowski said. “Winning made them believe they could play with anybody.”

Belkowski brought with her a new system that focuses on defense, and it has paid off. The Britons led the league in fewest points allowed the past two seasons and this season the Britons have held five opponents under 40 points. Only two teams have scored more than 70 points against them.

According to Zappala, Belkowski has gotten the most out of her players’ abilities, especially during her first year. “She just utilized our talent a lot more than we had in the previous year,” Zappala said. “She put talented people where they could use their strengths.”

By the time Belkowski’s second season rolled around, several talented players from winning high school programs were coming to Albion. Jaime Fornetti, Iron Mountain sophomore, as well as Liz Marcuz and Kellyn Glynn, Rochester sophomores, who went to the same school, all came from successful teams and added to the winning attitude that had been established a year earlier. “They definitely know what it takes to win,” Belkowski said.

And this year Belkowski added Ruthie Sventickas, Livonia first-year, who has been a huge addition for the Britons, providing an inside presence on both ends of the court.

“She’s done a really good job recruiting,” said Zappala.

Zappala said Belkowski has good basketball smarts and can come up with plays in key situations that no one else would have thought of. During Belkowski’s first season, against Anderson University, Albion clung to a three-point lead with two seconds left and Anderson inbounding the basketball from under its own basket.

When Anderson called a timeout, Belkowski told Albion’s defenders to stand outside Albion’s three-point arc. As a result, Anderson tossed the ball over the Britons’ heads and laid it in, but it didn’t matter. The clock ran out and Albion escaped with a one-point victory.

“She’s very, very smart and very prepared and always has something to counter against people,” Zappala said. “They’re [the coaching staff] doing a great job preparing us, and they’re very good practice coaches.”

By getting the players to believe that they are capable of anything, Belkowski has turned a team that didn’t care that much about wins and losses three years ago into a team that expects to win.

“Now that we have started winning, we expect ourselves to win,” Zappala said. And with that, the third-year coach has hopes for this week’s MIAA tournament nearly as high as the cliff in that picture.

“I think the way we’re playing right now, we’ve got a chance,” Belkowski said. “There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind if we play the way we’re capable, we can beat anybody in the league.”