Experienced player and coach takes over Prep B girls’ champions
By: Justin Feil
T.J. Costello always said his assistant coaches for the Princeton Day School girls’ basketball team were the best.
Leslie Darling, one of Costello’s assistants last season, now takes over as head coach for the Panthers this year.
"Obviously, I’m excited about the advancement from assistant to head coach," Darling said. "We lost four seniors, but we have some good young players. And this year, we’re in Prep A instead of Prep B. It doesn’t change the schedule, but it changes the outcome."
Last year, Darling was on a staff that guided PDS to a 17-9 record, a Mercer County quarterfinal berth, and the Prep B title in convincing fashion over Pennington. It was the Panthers’ first B championship since 1995, and barring another move, it will be their last Prep B title.
"I think they’re a little intimidated going to Prep A, but we’ll give it our best," Darling said. "Last year, we didn’t expect to win and we did. So you never know. I don’t think you should judge a season on whether you win Prep A anyway."
Darling won’t let her team shy away from the competition. She’s spent much of her life on the basketball court and feels ready to take over for Costello, who is now the girls’ head coach at Ridge High School.
Darling played collegiate basketball at the University of California at San Diego. For four years, she was a guard for the UCSD women’s team.
Darling stayed in the San Diego area to coach a junior varsity girls’ team at La Jolla High before moving to the Princeton area last year.
This summer, Darling coached the Bucks County (Pa.) Wildcats AAU team for 14-year-old girls. She also remains an active player in local leagues.
"Having played, having coached before I feel comfortable," Darling said. "Coaching the Bucks County AAU team made me feel prepared for the job. It was very beneficial to do. I have a lot to offer having played and having coached before."
Darling takes over a team that lost two of its top three scorers. But the Panthers return Christina Marshall-Parr, their top scorer last season and one of the top players in the area, as well as veteran guards Dorian Batt and Elif Sen, both who played considerably last season. PDS adds to the mix a solid group of freshmen and some unexpected surprises.
"I think it’s a fairly young team," Darling said. "It’s not for lack of talent though. We have a couple girls who didn’t play last year who came out, some seniors who didn’t play their junior year. They will help.
"We have a really strong, fast team. I know we lost some of our height. I think we’ll have to do some run-and-gun. And defense is going to be big for this team."
PDS has a scrimmage scheduled for today against The Hun School, and the Panthers open their season Saturday in the Stuart Invitational Tournament.
"I’m excited to get started," Darling said. "I’m looking forward to it."