As the season of autumn has come to an end, so has Winthrop High School’s fall sports seasons. After saying our farewells to previous sports like cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, soccer, and volleyball, we can now welcome a new set of sports for the cool winter ahead of us. The winter sports that are currently being offered are basketball, hockey, swimming, and track. This week, I’ve decided to take a deeper look into specifically how the girls basketball team has been doing and what we can expect from them during this upcoming season!

Being able to bond and get along as a team is one of the most important factors to a successful season. The girls basketball team can prove this, as they are already starting to become a close-knit community. Freshman player Giada Gergerian states, “We’ve all been getting along pretty well so far. It’s the beginning of the season so we still have a lot of bonding to do and figuring each other out, but I know it’s going to get better as the season goes along!” To perform the best they can in every game, the team tries their hardest to include each other in order to create higher possibilities of winning. Giada says, “I have to say, one of the team’s strengths is definitely coming together to accomplish what we want to accomplish. When we work hard to get something done, it will. We just have to put our minds to it, and it will get done!” Freshman player Poli Tsiotos also remarks, “When it comes to the team’s skills, involving each other and passing to anyone who’s open is definitely one. We also don’t force shots and simply let them come naturally. We value selflessness, following directions, and working hard to get things done.”

The team finds it incredibly important to correct their mistakes and prepare in every way they can to make this upcoming season full of victories. Poli comments, “There are many things the team could improve upon so far, but most of all, I think we have to work on communication on the court. Everyone knows what they’re doing but they’re not saying it. Either way, we’re improving, and we are going to continue improving!” Poli further adds, “We typically prepare for each season by playing the Summer League. We additionally practice in the off season, and in the summer, two to three times a week in the morning. We also go to plays often and repeat things constantly so we can be the best we can possibly be.”

With every sports season that starts up again, so does an entire new generation of players that will influence the performance of their overall team after the upperclassmen have left. Inspiration, encouragement, and hospitality are some of the most important parts to making a team the greatest it can be. Freshman player Bailey Ferguson expresses, “One certain senior that I look up to is Maddie Stiglets. The two of us play the same position, so I generally hope to be a lot like her as I get older and continue playing basketball. She has tons of experience, and I just really admire her skills and hard work at practice every day.” All of the juniors and seniors on the team have been trying their absolute hardest to be as welcoming as possible, and it’s a definite fact that the underclassmen have been taking note of it. Giada states, “I look up to a lot of the upperclassmen. All of them have been working incredibly hard in the program and have been trying to bring the team all together. They try their hardest just to create a great team experience for everyone, and us underclassmen really appreciate it.” On top of that, Poli says, “I absolutely look up to every single one of the juniors and seniors, especially Hailey Forsyth and Kaylee Farrell.”

Clearly, the girls basketball team is full of some of the most talented and hardworking people around. They have absolutely everything it takes to flourish, so we wish them the very best of luck for their performance during this upcoming season!