Leah, 18, is living Spanish sporting dream
Livingston girl reaches the top with Spanish side
Livingston basketball star Leah stewart is proving to be a sensation in spain. the 18-year-old helped her Zaragoza team to be the No.1 seeds in their league after they won their 15th consecutive game.
the scotland youth international signed a dream deal to team up with her former West Lothian Wolves coach Luis Romero in the spanish city and they are now well on the their way to qualifying for a shot at the national title. and the youngster is enjoying her time in sunnier climes – both on and off the court.
Leah said:“I’m loving life and the experience in spain.
“I feel very proud of my team but we have to keep working hard for the rest of the season.”
Livingston basketball sensation Leah Stewart says she’s “loving life” after sealing the top seed for her Spanish side - Mann Filter Zaragoza.
The 18- year- old penned a dream deal with one of Spain’s top youth teams last summer and has roared to a 15-0 record in the Aragon Conference to seal the top seed going into the play-offs.
The Scotland international, who has teamed up with former West Lothian Wolves coach Luis Romero at her new club, is averaging 5.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
And she said that, while she’s delighted with the way the season has gone so far, there’s plenty of work to do if they are to seal a place in the Spanish Championships with only the winner in each conference progressing.
She commented: “I feel really proud of my team. We have a great bunch of girls and it’s amazing to confirm the number one seed already but we still have to keep working hard to finish the season.
“I think that I’m performing well and I’ve gained plenty of confidence so I’m starting to play more freely.
“I do feel like I’m improving in each game but it wouldn’t be possible without the help from my team-mates and coaches who trust in me.
“It’s great to be sitting with this record but we need to keep doing what we are doing just now - but at an even higher level.
“The team has bonded together really well and we know where to find each other on the court. For me, that’s a huge advantage compared to the start of the season.”
She added: “I’m loving life and the experience in Spain. Being around different players that are better than me helps me improve. I’m also learning the game in different perspectives thanks to different coaches every week.”
Proud coach Romero admitted he has been “absolutely delighted” with Leah’s transition to life in Spain - both on and off the court.
“I’m extremely proud of her. Anyone who has followed Leah’s career knew she was going to succeed on the big stage, but even so I’m absolutely delighted with Leah’s performances.
“It was a big learning curve for her to go from being the ‘go to’ player in Scotland to having to fight hard in every single practice session just to get some game time.
“She’s constantly improving and is now totally comfortable being in this high performance environment.
“Off the court, adapting well to living abroad has made her confidence grow. She can speak a new language and experienced a different culture but we cannot forget that basketball is a universal language and things like coaching the local under- 14 team have really helped her break through that wall.”
He added: “I can’t lie, I’m really the happiest coach in the world right now. Becoming the top seed in the Aragon Conference and being undefeated after 15 games wasn’t really part of the plan.
“But it’s important to remember that our ultimate goal is to win the Conference 8 final, where it’s all or nothing. You can go undefeated in the regular season and then lose in the play-offs and it’s all over.
“We have to make sure Leah and the rest of the team keep working hard to reach the ultimate goal.”