There’s scheduled practices, workouts, and commitment; but then there’s love for the game—when you stay extra after practice, make time to work by yourself, and pour your heart into getting better everyday. Leadership consists of showing up everyday and putting in effort to compete. The work shown on the court during games comes from unseen hours of individual consistency. A ball going through the net, numbers on the score sheet, and then score on the score board, are only the results. These results come with form shooting, 100s of reps, dribbling up and down the court, and keeping yourself accountable.
”You have to have heart, put your heart on the floor, and leave everything out there every time you play. The extra work just shows the love for the game and no one’s sees the work you put in behind closed doors,” said Frida Acevedo.
Discipline: If you want to play in college as a student-athlete you must work twice as hard. In college, the transfer portal allows current athletes to transfer during college seasons which gives college coaches easier ways to find advanced players. Because of this, the transfer portal has made it 10x harder to get a scholarship to a team you dream of as a high school athlete. You have to stay grounded and disciplined everyday when eating, working out, and having time management.
”It’s hard to get where I want to be because of the transfer portal. It’s tough because the transfer portal makes recruiting in high school way less reliable,” added Frida.
Outlet: Showing up and working on your game by yourself for some may be just to reach a goal, although; for some it’s an escape. From family problems, relationship failings, school stress, and overall life worries, basketball is an outlet to shut those thoughts off for a couple hours. It might look like a ball going through a net or sweat coming down off a player’s face, but in reality it’s a way of expression and a coping mechanism for things that are causing their heads to spiral.
“I could have the world in chaos around me, but once I start playing, everything goes away. Basketball keeps my brain in check from overthinking the smallest things and it keeps me healthy. It also gave me some of my best friends. Basketball is a huge part of my life and I’m so grateful I’m able to play,” said sophomore Kiara Miranda.
