Student Athlete of the Week – Amor Toland
Amor Toland. Her first name means love, and that she does.
“Oh my gosh, I love everything about my team, every aspect you could think of," she said. "I love the way we all work together. We’re really like a family, it’s really beautiful. I love watching us play... on film, on anything.”
“She’s very emotional, a very emotional person," said her coach Thadd Bosley. "So to see her be mature, be a senior, and hone her skills, hone her emotions into positivity, and make sure we’re where were supposed to be, it’s been a really fun journey. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
You might also recognize her last name. Amor is not the first Toland sports star here in the desert, following her sisters on the basketball court and her brother on the football field.
“I’m very proud of it," she said. "I know there’s a lot of expectations when you hear that last name, and I just feel like we prove it every time you see us. It’s a performance, we’re fun to watch, we work very hard. The last name, you know, it’s expected.”
Xavier Prep's only four year varsity player, Toland embraces that role in the family.
“She’s the mama bear," said Bosley.
“Oh yeah, everybody calls me the team mom," Toland said. "They call me 'mom' because I take care of everybody. I make sure we’re all good to go before the game, after the game, getting us mentally prepared, everything. I make sure everybody’s good. You know, I’ve got to make sure my team’s good so we can go out there and win.”
“Probably my biggest compliment about her is that when she’s not here, you can tell," Bosley said. "I mean, the girls don’t know who’s supposed to break the huddle and who’s going to be that word of encouragement to them or keep them in line. She sets the ship for us vocally.”
Heavily involved in her school community, her coach calls her the life of the party.
“She’s the aux cord queen, she makes the playlists," he said. "She runs everything. She tells the girls what to do, when to do it and they listen.”
Citing her a Type-A personality.
“She’s going to manage something someday, I can promise you that,” he said.
Basketball or not, her natural-born leadership, energy and work ethic will translate to whatever she decides to do next.
