The varsity girls basketball team is full of inspiring young women who strive to be the best they can be on and off the court. They constantly strive for greatness and their hard work is unparallelled.The team is a tight-knit group of players who are by each other’s side constantly. “Like your family, we’re best friends,” says senior Phoenix Sneed. It is vital for a varsity team to have a great relationship with each other; making sure that everyone feels like they belong is the key to great plays, practices and games.
Each player has their own reason to step on the court, but each player has something in common: The love for the feeling basketball can give you. In Sneed’s case, she was raised with it. Both of her parents played it in college, and her father managed to play professionally. For freshman Brooke Mansour, it was her two older brothers that inspired her to pick up the ball. “My biggest influence in basketball is my older brother Cade because he works really hard, and always gives me tips to make me better,” says Mansour.
Getting on the varsity basketball team is not an easy feat, but each player has their tips and tricks to get on the team. “When you put all your heart and mind into the game, you’ll see your confidence grow,” says senior Madison Williams. “Stay passionate and work on your skills every day, whether that’s perfecting your shot, improving your footwork, or building endurance. Never stop believing in yourself.” She stresses that as long as you put in the work and set your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. Mansour believes that the most important thing that you can do is not try to be better than others, but be the best you can be.
Creating a pre-game routine involves a number of things. Some are a little superstitious and others prepare themselves mentally, but everybody’s game day routine has a little bit of both. For Williams, she says that she stops by McDonald’s for fries and a sweet tea to keep her grounded. After all is done, she prays to God. This helps calm her mind and body before the game so she is ready to give her all. Others prep their bodies for the rigorous activities they are about to do. “To prepare for a big game I always do static and dynamic stretching and warm up by myself and with the team,” says Mansour. “Our team always prays before the game and gets in the mindset early so we can be locked in.”
When investing yourself into a sport or any extracurricular activity, you must be prepared to receive some sort of life-altering impact, whether that be negative or positive. Mansour’s most memorable game was against Yates High School. This game decided if Lamar would be third or fourth place in the tournament. “Our team played really well together, and I feel like I played my best,” says Mansour, “Me along with my teammates Ari and Phoenix were awarded with medals for the All Tournament Team and it was awesome!” Lamar ended up beating Yates in the tournament and won third place in the district.The women’s varsity basketball team is truly a team to be reckoned with. This team is positive and hardworking and never backs down from a challenge. No matter what it may be, they are ready to take on what is coming their way, no matter the odds.
