Jenna, Saylor and Matthew Mitchell photo by Victoria Graff.

By LARRY VAUGHT

Jenna Mitchell has become extremely active with the Children’s Advocacy Center and hopes that continues.

“I had always had a desire to give back and volunteer. The timing was great. As soon as we had moved to Lexington, I met a group of people — actually I think maybe the week we had been back, we were invited to go to the Derby with some friends, or with some people we hadn’t met,” she said. “That afternoon I got introduced to it and I think started volunteering with them the very next week. I had always had a really strong desire and the timing was just perfect. Just kind of dove right in as soon as we had moved back here.”

Expectations for team

She admits the more Kentucky has won, the more every loss now seems to hurt.

“So just as the fans have the expectations, the players have those expectations, and Matthew does, and the staff, and we have those expectations to perform,” she said. “Right now, we’re at the point where if you don’t win it all, there’s going to be disappointment, which I think is a really fortunate place to be. I think Matthew’s doing a great job. I think he’s doing what he’s put on this earth to do. I absolutely feel privileged to be on the sidelines watching him with the girls on and off the court. Hopefully we can win it all soon.

She says the way fans have taken to the program has been a blessing as well as getting to live in Lexington.

“It’s been so much fun. As far as coaching basketball, we couldn’t be in a better city in America. But even if we weren’t coaching basketball, we love Lexington. This is home. We moved around a bunch growing up and I think maybe the most I’ve lived in one city was I lived in Gainesville for five years,” Jenna Mitchell said. “We’re going on our sixth season so I think this is the longest I lived in any city.

“And this is more home to me than any place I’ve lived, and I hope we’re here for another 20 years. But the fan support is unbelievable. We really have, I think, the perfect job in Kentucky. People are really supportive, and there’s not too much pressure, like this poor guy (motioning to John Calipari’s office). There’s still the pressure to perform. We want to perform, but it’s the perfect city as far as the support.”

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