A team that can support each other and learn from their strengths and weaknesses is of great importance when playing sports. By helping each other grow as a group, all teammates can learn valuable lessons that are useful in both the playing field and outside of it. Effective teamwork is crucial to succeed in sports as it allows players to have a support system that encourages them to put forth their best effort. A great example of this is ACP’s Varsity Girls Basketball team. On Monday, January 8th, they won a game 46-20 against Combs High School. As member of the team, Victoria Jagdon, mentioned, the win laid the foundation for future games after coming back from a two-week break. Their team felt proud and motivated about their victory, but kept in mind that they had a lot of responsibility and tough games ahead of them. The empowering victory allowed them to gain confidence after not playing together for two weeks, which created a positive and uplifting atmosphere within the team. 

When I asked Victoria to describe her team’s strategies that contributed to the win, she expressed, “We were able to make adjustments both offensively and defensively throughout the game in order to ensure that we were making the most of opportunities on the court. We also made sure to find the open passes to our teammates and create space for our teammates to shoot and drive to the basket.” As a team, there are always disagreements and frustration on the court, which is why communicating with each other and understanding everyone’s perspectives allows players to empathize with all teammates’ views and move forward as a unified team. An important aspect the team’s success depends on is the coach’s guidance and teachings. As Victoria stated, “The coaches are flexible with plays and allow us to be creative with them. They also make adjustments during games and advise us on what the best offensive or defensive setup is. Throughout the games, they constantly keep an optimistic attitude, which creates a positive atmosphere and brings up the team’s confidence. Along with that, coaches are always willing to give advice and offer great knowledge to make us better players and improve the team.”

The Varsity Girls Basketball team continues to demonstrate their unwavering dedication to improving their team and succeeding as a group with each game. Despite any hardships, their trust and reliance on each other allows them to grow and learn from their mistakes. Congratulations, Varsity Girls Basketball players, for your rewarding first game of the quarter. Go Knights!