Janelle Garber is working on changing her wardrobe from blue and white to black and gold. Garber, the new girls basketball coach at Solanco, played and coached at the Mules' Section Two rival Elizabethtown. She spent the past two season as the Bears' head coach while working at Gears Recreation in Elizabethtown. In August, Garber landed a job teaching 9th grade wellness at Solanco. "The position was open and I had been wanting to get back into teaching," she said. "I didn't know the basketball coaching job was open but I found out quickly."
Commuting from Solanco to Elizabethtown was not feasible so Garber decided to apply and was hired to coach the Mules. Garber was an All-Lancaster Lebanon League selection during her playing career at Elizabethtown and earned all-conference honors at West Chester. She scored over 1,000 points in both high school and college. Garber graduated from West Chester in 2010 with a health and physical education major and a minor in nutrition. She served as an assistant coach at Lebanon Valley College while student teaching. She then returned to her alma mater to coach the Bears. Garber is excited to begin a new chapter but will miss coaching in Elizabethtown. "I wish them the best," she said. "It was a privilege to coach them but I'm happy to be here and have a chance to coach these girls." Members of Lancaster-Lebanon League's Section Two, the Bears and Mules meet twice during the regular season. "It's a big rivalry," Garber said. "It's been that way and it will continue to be that way. I think they'll be out to get us and we'll be out to get them, just like any other rivalry." She prefers an up-tempo brand of basketball. "I love to run and gun," Garber said. "I love that style but I understand it's not always the best fit. In high school you have to fit your style to the girls." Garber, who had two long-term substitute jobs, is also making a transition to her first full-time teaching position. "It has been wonderful," Garber said. "The district is great and the students are great. I'm learning a lot." The Mules have been holding open gyms with practice officially set to begin November 18. "I get nervous for everything," she says. "The first day of school. The first day of practice. But I'm more excited than anything. It's a new challenge to work with a new group of girls." Garber, who compiled a 23-23 record at Elizabethtown, is replacing Tim Glackin who stepped down after one season. Solanco was 13-9 last year and lost a district play-in game. Comments are closed.
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