On Nov. 2, the girls’ basketball team showed off their teamwork skills and kicked off the preseason with a scrimmage. During the scrimmage, the girls showcased their proficiency on the court and showed their dedication to improving and growing their strengths.
“We’ve had 3 scrimmages to date and within each one we progressed and improved on things we worked on during the week,” Coach Julie said.
Throughout each scrimmage, the girls showed strong teamwork in each play, leaving room for growth as the team continued to practice working together.
“Our team’s biggest strength is how close we are to one another and when we all have confidence we are good at working the ball around including offense,” Ava Cuffari said.
With new faces and returning players, the scrimmage was a great way to show off how important it is to collaborate as a team.
“We need to work on overall teamwork…we are very young, and all in different grade levels, so we just have to learn to get along, which we can do through team bonding exercises and discipline,” Elizabeth Doup said.
“We want to continue to improve each day…improvement does not happen in one practice or one game, it is a process that we will continue to hone in on,” Coach Julie said.
As the team continues to make goals together overall, each player contributes to the team’s success by also focusing on their own goals for the season. Whether it is their shooting, defense, or leadership, each personal goal for the girls helps contribute to the team overall. Connecting what they want to see improve for themselves along with the rest of the girls’ goals unifies the team, working together towards a strong season.
“My personal goals are to be a good leader for my team, to make some good passes this year, and be a good teammate as well because we lost a lot of people,” Doup said. “I just want to get better and get my team to be better.”
Looking ahead into the season, the scrimmages give the team and the fans who come out to the games and support a glimpse of the upcoming season while the players continue to strengthen throughout practices and games. These games show individual growth and team effort as they continue to work on their skills, gearing up towards the official start of the season. The girls continually test out and design new plays and learn from them to enhance their collaboration and strategy.
These preseason games set the foundation for the upcoming season, preparing players for when the season officially starts.
“While our roster skews younger this season with varsity experience, our commitment to growth and competition continues to remain strong,” Coach Julie said. “Each practice and game is an opportunity for our athletes to develop their skills and competitive spirit. We will bring energy and determination to each game and will embrace each challenge as a chance to grow.”
As the girls’ basketball team kicks off the season, they have many things to look forward to.
“Next month we are going to Columbus for the weekend which is going to be good bringing the seniors and the lowerclassmen together,” Cuffari said.
“I’m just excited to be able to play this year and show what I have to offer, and I’m excited to work with my team and hopefully win some games,” Doup said. “I’m excited for the lock-in this Saturday. We’re also going on an overnight trip right after Christmas.”
As the girls get ready to officially start the girls’ basketball 2024-2025 season, their commitment to improving their skills and teamwork sets them up for a fantastic season.
“Our team is different from others in many ways, one being that we all care about each other,” Cuffari said.
The preseason scrimmages helped build connections, work on playing together as a team, and test out new strategies to prepare them for a successful year. Every practice and game is a chance for the team to grow. Fans can prepare and look forward to a season filled with progress and hard work as the girls continue to improve their skills individually and together on the court this season.
