Fencor 1989s

DelleDonne family seems prepared for the future Keith Prince kprince@thenewsstar.com July 20, 2004 Upon learning about Elena DelleDonne - the 6-4 dynamo from Delaware who is already considered one of the nation's top prep basketball prospects at age 14 - my first thoughts turned to her parents. Elena and her folks, Ernest and Joan DelleDonne, are here this week with her AAU team, Fencor, attempting to win the 14-and-under national title. As a parent, I wondered how Ernie and Joan are dealing with the fact that their daughter is suddenly living in a "celebrity whirlwind" and will quite likely be there from now on. From all indications, she will possibly be the nation's most highly recruited player in the next several years. How has this dynamic changed their family's life? What can her parents do to help Elena the most? And, truthfully, will they be a help or hindrance in this entire process? Ernest and Joan DelleDonne talked about their unique situation Monday morning at Fant-Ewing Coliseum prior to Fencor's pool-play game. "First, it is true a lot of things are happening quickly to Elena," said her father. "We believe one of our biggest responsibilities is to warn her of the pitfalls that are out there. "But I can tell you we haven't changed as a family - and Elena hasn't changed as a person. The main way she combats all the attention is to focus on her own game. Her goal every day is to improve." Ernest DelleDonne also feels that his wife plays a huge role in keeping things moving smoothly at home. "Joan is remarkable. I don't see how she does all that she does to help all three of our children," he said. "She keeps everything normal for everything and at our home 'normal' means many different things." Added Joan: "Our world doesn't center around just Elena. It can't. And she would never want it that way. "However, I can tell you that her basketball career has already been a great joy ride for all of us." Elena's older brother, Gene, is an outstanding quarterback and has already committed to Duke as he heads into his senior season at Salesianum High School. Also, however, Elena's 20-year-old sister, Elizabeth, who was born deaf and blind and also has cerebral palsy, provides a true leveling agent for the DelleDonne family. "Elizabeth is my inspiration," Elena said. "She is what keeps me grounded. When I see the struggles she has every day, there is no way I can get overly impressed with anything I do in basketball." As with many girls who get involved in sports, her dad was her first big influence in that area. "We spent a lot of time together playing basketball when I was young. He got me involved in YWCA basketball at 5 and I loved it from the start. "My dad is still there when I want to work on something special and we still lift weighs together," she said of her 6-6 father, who also played college basketball. "Mom is the one who is always there to talk to. She can lift my spirits if there is a problem, but also keep me on an even keel at the right time." As for his daughter's phenomenal progress, Ernest said, "AAU has played a tremendous role in her basketball. I definitely put it ahead of high school basketball from a developmental standpoint. "In high school, you may face two or three good players in a game. In AAU, especially when you get on the national level, the talent pool is much better throughout a team's lineup," he said. Also, the fact that Fencor's team is playing together as a group for the fifth year helps tremendously. "I came home from the Nike Camp with a much greater respect for our AAU team," said Ernest DelleDonne. "Our girls play together so well and all nine of them are talented." Elena DelleDonne said her team "is like a group of sisters. We enjoy each other and do a lot of things together. We all support each other totally. "I wouldn't want to be going through this without them," she said. Despite the growing attention, it appears Elena DelleDonne and her family are well prepared to pass the "whirlwind test" they face over the next four years. Keith Prince is a staff writer for The News-Star. Contact him at 362-0235 or at P.O. Box 1502, Monroe, La. 71210. ©The News-Star July 20, 2004