HIGH EXPECTATIONS

The ball bounces up and down on the shiny gym floor. Sweat drips down the players’ faces. The buzzer on the wall counts down, time ticking away. Two teams face off, and on one side you can find the Charger basketball team. Similar to our other sports teams, the athletes on the basketball team are hardworking and talented.

While the professional players in the NBA can make basketball seem like a fast-paced, difficult, rough sport, that is unplayable by student athletes; Suncoast’s basketball team proves otherwise. You can find them practicing in the gym after school.They prove that playing basketball is not always easy, but they make it look fun while working hard.

Some students participating this season hope to be successful and improve their skills. In order for both the girls and boys basketball teams to be successful, they have to practice rigorously. The team “first practices with layups and then do dribbling drills, different drills for games, like learning tactics,” according to Kiara Fernando, who is on the junior varsity team. They do a lot of running to be conditioned for the games, where there is constant movement up and down the court. There is also a lot of skill training for specific points, like dribbling, shooting and blocking.

The basketball teams show that you need athleticism, good sportsmanship, and the will to play. You can find these traits on almost any basketball court. “School [basketball] is similar to travel [basketball,]” said junior varsity basketball player, Jacob Gale, who has been playing basketball since he was six. The talent on the teams range from athletes who have just started basketball to long-time basketball players, which is a great mix to create a solid season.

In past seasons, both teams tended to do well with few losses. In the last five years, the boys varsity team won more games than they have lost. Last year, their stats were seventeen to eight and zero. The girls varsity stats were about the same and have won majority of their games. Last season, they were ten to fourteen and zero.

The boys basketball team has a freshmen, junior varsity, and varsity team this season. These teams work on drills and plays for their games and they hope to do well this season.“The team chemistry is great. I expect the season to go well because we look good in practice. This will lead to a good season,” Nick Norman, a freshman team player said.

The girls basketball team is composed of the junior varsity and varsity teams. They worked hard to prepare for their upcoming games. “We make a lot of jokes. We have been practicing hard,” said Fernando. She is confident that her team will do well this year.

Basketball started out with a peach basket and a soccer style ball in the 1800s. It has come a long way since then. Today, it is played with two hoops and a basketball by both men and women. It is recognized as a sport in the Olympics and definitely is an important sport at our school.