This story was originally published by WCAX on April 15, 2025 by Sophia Thomas
ST. ALBANS, Vt. (WCAX) – A Vermont State University Castleton freshman has gone the extra mile to show her community love.
As a Mount Mansfield middle schooler in the Mini Metro basketball league, Madelyn Skar struggled with confidence around teammates and on the court.
“I was a little nervous, kinda shy. They thought I was mean because I wouldn’t talk to them,” Skar said. That changed when she met Coach Shelby Lawrence. “She believed in me. She brought me out of the funk that I was in.”
Lawrence was a sophomore at Bellows Free Academy when she started coaching Mini Metro. Now a VTSU Castleton student, Lawrence drives two hours to St. Albans every weekend in the fall to coach.
“It’s a very big achievement to watch the girls improve as people in their everyday life and players,” Lawrence said.
