THE COMEBACK QUEENS – Why it’s Time the World Meets Center Point High School

Nike introduces the Support Her Sole x Hibbett Sports campaign, which encourages Gen-Z girls and millennial women to knock down boundaries and showcase the power that comes from athletics. Ten schools were chosen to receive a $10,000 grant to support their women’s basketball programs with athletic needs from shoes to equipment to travel. Center Point High School, located in Center Point, Alabama, is one of the honorees.

Tamara Gills is ready to rebuild.

Gills, who is the women’s basketball Head Coach and math chairperson at Center Point High School, has big plans for the 2021-22 basketball season.

After all, Center Point is a fairly new high school, but they have a history of dominating on the court. The team went to the state final four in 2010-2012, and won the state girls’ basketball championship in 2011 (when Gills was assistant coach).

This year’s team is mostly freshmen, which means the Lady Eagles are starting fresh with a new generation of champions. So far, Gills said, the girls have gone above and beyond.

“Their hard work and dedication to the program stands out,” she said. “This summer, we did our workouts at 6 a.m. They were there. Now we have a week before our first official practice. Between the weight room, the running, the conditioning, everything, they’re really putting in the hard work to be successful at anything.”

Developing excellence from the inside out is Center Point’s secret to success. The coaches and teachers work hard to develop the young ladies’ athletic talent, but also their personal development.

“I teach them to be themselves, that it’s okay,”Gills said. “You’re an athlete, but your academics come first. You’re a ladder in this school, you have to carry yourself a certain way.”

Last year, COVID dealt the program a hard blow. The team faced quarantines and loss of practices, and the passing of their assistant coach and Coach Gills’ close friend—a devastating loss that shook the program and the entire school.

“The loss of my assistant coach, the hurtfulness, brought us together,” Gills said. “That was the time I saw all the girls rally behind me, and we persevered together. It was really eye-opening for me. We always talk about how this is not just a basketball team; it’s a family.”

In addition to a strong season, Gills is hoping to use this season of rebuilding to get more involved in the community. She envisions a program where her players read to the younger kids at Center Point’s feeder schools; plus, the girls already take part in a yearly community cleanup with the entire athletic department and the Center Point City Council.

Community outreach is all part of Gills’ goal of forming well-rounded student athletes. After all, that’s what basketball did for her.

“Sports saved my life,” she said. “If you get girls involved in something like a sport, they see it all go hand in hand. Being competitive, hard-working, and positive, that carries on throughout your life from the sport to the classroom. To the community. To home.”

For young girls, athletics can be invaluable in building integrity, character, discipline, accountability, and motivation. That’s what Gills is starting to see from this year’s Lady Eagles already.

“I see we are a family, and I’m enjoying it myself,” she said. “I’m enjoying their bond. That’s what it takes for not just athletes, but for all women, to bond. Someone you can trust. Don’t let anybody come between you because you all are a family—you are a sisterhood.”

Between rock-solid rapport and a strong female coach who never gives up, the Lady Eagles are prepped for a year to remember.

“This Center Point program will eventually be nationally known because of the coaches and the players,” Gills said. “In this, our rebuilding year, I have a group of young ladies I’m ready for the world to meet.”

Congratulations to Center Point High School on being a Support Her Sole recipient.