Daniel Mendenhall is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Sunrise Mountain High School for AZPreps365.com

From the moment she stepped foot on the hardwood, Jennifer Tolle knew she had found her passion in basketball. Whether it was the relationships she built along the way or simply her love for the game, Tolle realized that this sport would be a part of her life forever.

Now, the current head coach for Sunrise Mountain’s girls varsity basketball team has built quite the reputation over the past decade. Most notably, she and her team brought back the first state title in the school’s history during the 2022-2023 season.

“It was awesome, I think that’s something that they were really proud of,” Tolle said. “I told them ‘Every time you come back to the gym, that banner is gonna be there.’”

Regardless of the improvements in team performance under her mentoring, Tolle credits much of the team’s success to her players.

“We’ve had a lot of great playoff games,” Tolle said. “When the gym is packed and the kids are playing really hard and it’s a close game, those are all my favorite memories.”

Her winning mentality and overwhelming passion stems from her long career as a basketball player herself. This is where Tolle’s foundation for team bonding was created.

“I grew up playing basketball and it was always something that I loved,” Tolle said. “Basketball provided me with a lot of great experiences. I got to travel, I got to go to college, and meet lots of people that have become really good friends and were really important in my life. My motivation as a coach is to try to provide those experiences to the kids.”

The personal goal for Tolle goes far beyond the court with her coaching position. She wishes to inspire the youth and she truly enjoys watching her team grow into amazing people, not just athletes.

“The winning and stuff has been cool, but I just enjoy the relationships that I get to develop with them over the years and I enjoy the competitive aspect from season to season,” Tolle said.

The culture that Tolle has created for Sunrise Mountain has been promising and effective both on and off the court.

The team has been performing very well as of late, achieving a winning record in the past six regular seasons. The Mustangs are currently battling for their second state championship win in a row.

“Since my sophomore year, she has really just taught me to not give up on myself and not give up on the team,” said starting guard Savanna Dotray regarding Tolle’s impact on the team.

Sunrise has grown very close throughout the years and this group has more chemistry than ever. This sense of family that has been created comes from the overwhelming love and support from their leader.

“My favorite thing about my coach is probably the way she has always been there for me,” Dotray said.

Regardless of the differences between ages or class groups, every member on the team has felt welcomed during Tolle’s 14-year run of coaching this program.

“With our JV players stepping up, whether we’re cheering on JV or cheering on freshman, we’re all really supportive of each other,” said sophomore forward Addison Wiemann. “I’m not always mentally confident in myself and I feel like she’s been really helpful with overcoming that mental fear.”