Kaleigh Skowronski was a fifth grader when Round Lake girls basketball coach Molly Hennig first met her.
Skowronski was no-nonsense back then, Hennig recalls. The 5-foot-10 senior forward hasn’t changed.
“She was very serious,” Hennig said. “She’s always been very serious and taken basketball very seriously. Her love for basketball was evident.”
Skowronski credits her father, Martin, for her serious approach to the sport. He played basketball at Grand Valley State.
“It’s mostly because of my dad,” Skowronski said. “I grew up watching basketball with him. He inspired me. I wanted to be just like my dad.
“I wanted to take the commitment just as he did, and I felt that if I took it seriously, I would be able to be just as great as him. I love my dad very much.”
Skowronski’s father routinely sends her videos that she considers instructive. Highlights of Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić are a particular favorite.
“Luka knows what he’s doing and when to do it,” Skowronski said.
Knowing those things is critical, she said.
“I feel like IQ in basketball is also a very important factor because if you don’t know the sport mentally, then you can’t perform physically,” she said. “If you mess up, it’s just a matter of keeping your head up and not letting anything take you down.”
With that mindset, Skowronski has been named one of three captains for the Panthers, who are looking to improve upon their 10-23 record last season and be more competitive in the Northern Lake County Conference.
“I felt very honored,” Skowronski said. “Now I have to take that authority to show underclassmen what it means to be a varsity player.”
Skowronski was prepared for that responsibility. She had been watching.
“Even at a younger age, she was trying to understand what some of our seniors were doing,” Round Lake assistant Jeff Robinson said.
Even so, Hennig discussed leadership with Skowronski during the summer, outlining what would be expected of her. Of course, Skowronski took it seriously.
“Kaleigh is one of the hardest workers in practice every day,” Hennig said. “She’s definitely coming into her own as a vocal leader too.
“She’s built really good friendships, and her leadership in the program has really evolved from being the little kid looking up to the older kids. Now the younger kids are looking up to her.”
The older Skowronski is noticeably stronger too. She started weightlifting halfway through her sophomore year. Since then, she has set three team records in the weight room: 125 pounds on the bench press, 130 pounds on the power clean and 130 pounds on the split jerk.
“I’m hoping to break 135 in all three by the end of my senior year,” she said.
Skowronski’s weight training has paid dividends on the court.
“With that work, she’s really become a better rebounder this year,” Hennig said. “We see it in her strength going up for rebounds and in playing in the post against taller opponents. But now she’s stronger than them and can finish at the rim through contact.”
But Skowronski, who averaged 4.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals last season, has expended her game further.
“She’s turned into a complete player,” Robinson said. “We used to look at her as just a post player, but now she’s able to help out in the backcourt too.”
Skowronski also plays flag football. Hennig is the coach of that team, which debuted last year.
“She persuaded me to join,” Skowronski said. “I was like, ‘Why not give it a shot?’”
At first, Skowronski viewed flag football as a chance to improve her conditioning for basketball and have some fun. But she has made a big impact. She had 32 catches for 529 yards and six touchdowns this past season.
“We were like, ‘Wow, we didn’t know you were so fast,’” Hennig said. “Sometimes, she’d just leak out from the center spot and get a big touchdown when we needed it. She went from just doing it to have fun to becoming a viable offensive option.”
Skowronski earned all-conference honors and helped the Panthers win a regional title.
“I genuinely started to enjoy flag football for what it is, instead of thinking of it as preparation for basketball,” she said.
But it has better prepared Skowronski for basketball. As the season begins, she can focus on the finer details, like free-throw shooting.
“They’re free points,” she said. “I should not be missing them. I’ve always had a bit of trouble with free throws, especially when it’s a close game.
“As a varsity player and captain, I need to show that I can get the easy points. I try to do things not just for myself, but also to be an example to everyone this year.”
Sam Brief is a freelance reporter.
