Like a lot of youngsters, Providence’s Gabi Bednar tried a number of sports growing up.
First soccer and track, but after her brother started playing basketball in middle school, she gave that a whirl. Bednar liked it so much she decided to stick with it exclusively.
That has changed the arc of her life, featuring the 3-point arc, and has now put her in a position to excel at the college level while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marketing.
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“Tough as nails,” Celtics coach Eileen Copenhaver said. “Gabi loves the game and gives great effort every day. She’s consistent, and then you expect this as your norm.”
The 5-foot-6 Bednar, a Lockport resident, played at Kelvin Grove Middle School under the watchful eye of former DePaul star Sally Anderson. It was just a part of her development.
The rest of it was pure hard work and commitment to the game.
Bednar, who’s averaging 12 points and shooting 40% from 3-point range, scored 13 points Saturday to lead Providence (11-12) in a 38-33 loss at the Coach Kipp Hoopfest.
All that makes her a solid complement to fellow scorers in junior point guard Molly Knight and senior shooting guard Sydney Spencer.
“I used to be in the gym all the time — shooting and shooting and shooting,” Bednar said. “Always making sure I had an arc on the ball. I always focused on those little details.”
That paid off immediately in her high school career as she made her varsity debut as a freshman. Sure, it was nerve-wracking.
The leadership of one teammate in particular, however, made all the difference. It came from Ashley Raymer, who ended up being a 1,000-point scorer for the Celtics.
“She took me under her wing,” Bednar recalled. “I felt more confident with her cheering me on and supporting me.”
Fast forward to Bednar’s senior year, and coincidentally, she’s also a 1,000-point scorer.
As far as leadership, she has paid it forward as well, taking freshmen forwards Taylor Healy and Carina Diorio under her wing.
Healy and Diorio were a bundle of nerves coming into high school, just like Bednar once was, but her goal was to make them as comfortable as they could be on varsity.
Spencer said Bednar was very welcoming, always there to guide them.
“I just like to be calm and collected,” Bednar said of her leadership style. “I like to think before I speak. I try to keep the mood as positive as possible.”
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The caveat to all that is her admission she can use a “sterner tone on and off the court,” but only when necessary.
Copenhaver confirmed that Bednar, a captain, sets a good example for Celtics with her work ethic. That includes, for instance, taking a leadership role in the weight room.
Her offseason regimen includes lifting, running, playing with her club team and, of course, shooting.
There’s another aspect of her leadership worth noting. Providence’s girls basketball program takes part in a unity day at the start of the season before the games begin.
Bednar and Spencer talked about important topics like communication and leadership.
“My speech was about how we need to stick together as a team,” Bednar said. “We need to think as a group and learn and grow from each other.”
Her leadership and ability to shoot is taking her to St. Francis in Joliet after graduation. She committed just before her final varsity season.
Some kids wait to commit, but that wasn’t an option for Bednar.
“I wanted to make sure I was going to have that opportunity,” she said, “and not lose it.”
Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.