Burlington Central hires Real as new coach

Updated: July 26, 2011 12:06PM

Burlington Central is turning to an all-time great to run its girls basketball program.

The school announced Monday that Jenna Real is the team’s new head coach. A 2003 graduate of Central, Real holds the program’s records for career points, rebounds and field-goal percentage and is a 2010 inductee into the Burlington Central Athletic Hall of Fame.

Real went on to play college basketball at Loyola and spent three years as a starter for the Ramblers. She returned to her alma mater in 2009, spending the past two years as Central’s sophomore coach under former head coach Stephanie Smith, who stepped down last month following two years at the helm.

“I’m getting really excited and looking forward to adding to what Stephanie started,” Real said. “I already know the girls and I’ve been working with them for two years.

“Just knowing who the players are, what their roles are and what to expect from them, I definitely think that’s going to be helpful for me this year.”

Real was a dominant post player during her career at Central, racking up 1,647 points. As a senior she was voted to the Associated Press All-State team after averaging 19.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists for a Rockets squad that finished with an 18-9 record.

In addition to her basketball prowess, Real was also a standout soccer player for the Rockets.

She inherits a Rockets team that finished 11-17 last season. The program hasn’t won a regional championship since 1990, but success could be on the way if the team buys into Real’s philosophy.

“The key for girls basketball really comes down to fundamentals,” said Real, who is an art teacher at Central. “I’ll really attack that and make sure we have good ball handling, good shooting and good passing.

“I like the fast-paced game, so I’m hoping to get a fast-break team going. We’ve got some very athletic kids coming up, and I’m hoping to utilize that this year.”

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