Panther Legacy #3: Caitlin Ciardella

Caitlin Ciardella (‘11) has had a full-circle Pinewood experience. 

Due to her father’s position as an athletic director at St. Veronica’s, she was constantly in the gym watching sports. 

   “My family was super involved with basketball. My older sister played too, so I was just exposed to it from five [years old] on,” Ciardella said. At a young age, she was also able to attend Stanford Women’s Basketball games and witness legends like Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird play at the University of Connecticut. 

   Through these experiences, Ciardella became more interested in the sport which motivated her to start playing for the Boys and Girls Club in South San Francisco. Her passion continued through junior high and high school, and it led her to join the basketball team at Notre Dame in Belmont during her freshman year of high school. However, she transferred to Pinewood after playing one season.

   “It was the best decision I ever made,” Ciardella said. “I can say that wholeheartedly, and not just with basketball, but just making life-long friends in the school community.”

   In addition to life-long friendships, Ciardella, a shooting guard, was able to create long-lasting memories after winning three Central Coast Section (CCS) championships, three Northern California (NorCal) championships, and two State championships. What made these moments even more spectacular? The Pinewood environment. This is evident when Ciardella reflects on one of her many NorCal games.

   “It was packed, and they had to bring in extra bleachers into the corners,” Ciardella said. “The atmosphere was electric.”

   Throughout the many highs, Ciardella experienced some lows as she was forced to sit out during her junior year due to injury. However, sitting on the bench gave her perspective. 

   “Even if you're not directly involved in the product, there are ways to support your team,” Ciardella said. She credits her perseverance at Pinewood for helping her succeed after high school.

   After graduating from Pinewood in 2011, Ciardella went on to play at the University of Redlands in Southern California. There, she experienced some culture shock.

   “The biggest adjustment was the practices,” Ciardella said. At Pinewood, there is an emphasis on conditioning through playing, while at the University of Redlands they conditioned by running. Ciardella was also not used to an offensive scheme that did not heavily rely on three-point shooting.

   After college, Ciardella took a break from basketball, obtained her teaching credential, and taught at a school in Northern California. After the COVID pandemic, she was contacted by Pinewood to be a kindergarten language arts teacher at Lower Campus. The proximity to Pinewood helped reignite her passion for the sport. 

   “I went to a [Pinewood] game up in Sacramento, and I spoke with Pinewood Head Coach Doc [Scheppler]. It all fell into place there,” Ciardella said. Now, she serves as an assistant coach for Pinewood’s girls basketball team.

   “It’s like a rebirth for her,” Scheppler said. “One of the things I have enjoyed and really come to respect is how good of a coach she is based on being a great Kindergarten teacher.”

    Ciardella has been a great addition to the team.

   “She pushes me everyday to do things close to perfection while checking in on me no matter the time or situation,” junior Diya Dharmashankar said.

   Ciardella’s message to other current players?

   “Be able to work by the pure sense of the love of the game,” Ciardella said. “If you have, you'll be able to play at Pinewood.”