JV girls’ basketball team reflections on a triumphant season and their secrets to success

This interview was conducted by Naureen Kamal (‘23). The interviewees were Annie Blake (‘23), Hannah Casey (‘23), Elise Gosset (‘23), Maria Klug (‘23), Emily Lavin (‘23), Parker Neumeier (‘23), Gabriella Rise (‘23), Elizabeth Rusch (‘23), and Kate Sutton (‘23).

Full Team Roster: Annie Blake (‘23), Hannah Casey (‘23), Elise Gosset (‘23), Maria Klug (‘23), Emily Lavin (‘23), Parker Neumeier (‘23), Maya Pagel (‘23), Gabriella Rise (‘23), Elizabeth Rusch (‘23), Kate Sutton (‘23).

After a season full of victories, the JV Girls Basketball team opened up on their secrets to success, what led them to it, and what allows them to continue. This team has an unparalleled connection and hunger to win. Throughout the interview, a common theme of strong bonds and trust were prevalent. When asked what inspires them to continue playing, players unanimously agreed that it was their teammates who uplifted them and led them against adversity. Parker Neumeier (‘23) explained that, “We never let each other stay in a bad mood.” For this team, their connection to each other is the strongest factor of their success. Hannah Casey (‘23) used the word “family,” to describe their relationship. Neumeier bolstered this statement later on, “you guys are my best friends.”

After a freshman year with an undefeated season, the players expressed the feelings of dejectedness they faced this year after entering their second season on a rough start. Elise Gosset (‘23) agreed stated, “Germantown game was the first game we lost after our undefeated season and I think we were all kind of down on that because we were hoping to continue our winning streak, but… after that game, we all picked each other back up and even though it was our first loss ever as a team, I think we all knew we had to move on and keep working.” Resilience is unwavering in this team and they continue to work hard. Casey later reflected, “It was a hard start to the season and we weren’t used to having a loss. The first thing we did after that game was talk to each other. I remember on the bus ride home, we were asking each other what we were going to do to improve because this wasn’t how we wanted to continue. I vividly remember all of us coming together because we all had the desire to win, and also to have fun and to continue to improve.” The desire to work hard and play harder ultimately led the girls to a successful season despite their rocky start. 

Ultimately, these players wouldn’t change anything about their 2020-2021 season. They embraced lessons they’ve learned from drawbacks and many players remarked on the lessons they’ve learned from losing matches. Most influentially, they agreed that their respect for each other was greater than anything else, and this principle allowed them to remain steadfast in their love for one another. When asked what advice they would give their freshman selves based on lessons they’ve learned on and off the court, each was able to offer a profound lesson. Annie Blake (‘23) revealed that she would tell her younger self “To be less nervous. In the end, it was so worth it and I’m so thankful for the relationships I’ve gained, the improvements we made, and just what a great season we had.” Emily Lavin (‘23) agreed, “Enjoy every moment… If you really enjoy going to practice every day, then you just have to like physically be in the moment. Eventually, it will just end, and all you’ll have left is the memories.” Resilience is a common theme among the players, as both Kate Sutton (‘23) and Casey echo their players’ beliefs that despite challenges, this team is worth it. Sutton said, “I would say it gets better, don’t stop. These are lifelong memories that we are making, enjoy them while they’re happening.” Casey agreed that the key to overcoming adversity “is to just love your teammates, have the best time, and enjoy every single moment, and don’t take anything for granted because it’s truly just the best experience.” Rusch agreed, “just embrace it, have the best time, and just be yourself. Have the best time that you can and just enjoy and love what you’re doing, then nothing’s going to stop you.” Neumeier ended the interview noting, “Now they’re like my best friends, you guys are literally my best friends ever. So I would say, just don’t be nervous, invite new experiences, and remember you’re not alone because everybody else is going through stuff too.”

According to this winning team, the keys to success are truly loving your teammates and sport and never being afraid of hard work and opportunities. These Central athletes definitely have successful careers ahead of them and their hunger for success is incomparable. Without a doubt, this team’s chemistry and undeniable talent hold the key to success. One can only imagine what’s in store for these players both on and off the court.

Naureen Kamal: What inspired you to start and continue playing basketball?

Annie Blake: What inspired me to play basketball was probably just seeing my friends do it and what inspired me to keep playing, although it’s been hard and there have been times where I’ve questioned not playing, my friends and my coaches have inspired me to keep going cause they’re so fun to be around.

Emily Lavin: I agree with Annie and I also think that what kept me playing basketball is the relationships I have made and my love for my team.

Hannah Casey: The reason I started playing basketball was because of my brother. He was like, “why are you not playing basketball,” and that’s why I started. I keep playing because of my teammates and because it’s my favorite season. The relationships you form with a team is just incomparable because on and off the court, they become your best friends.

Kamal: What was the highlight of your season?

Kate Sutton: One of my highlights was probably the first DSHA basketball game, that was the beginning of a positive outcome for our season. It was a rough start to our season, and my hopes were down and my friends were just keeping me positive. However, when that game came along and we won and afterwards it was a lot of fun which in turn, gave me high expectations for the rest of the season.

Elizabeth Rusch: By far, one of my most favorite memorable moments of the season was the last Brookfield East game. Everything about that game was just super fun, super positive. I was the one who gave the speech in front of everyone before the game, and I feel like that was a really big moment for me and I truly enjoyed doing that so much. You guys are my best friends and you guys build me up and I feel like that was a great way to end that season. Everything about that game and how we played and we worked together was just super fun, and I enjoyed every moment of it. 

Parker Neumeier: I agree with Lizzie and I think the last Brookfield East game was the best one we played because it’s always fun to win games by a lot, but that game was just really close and I feel like we were all just feeding off each other’s energy and we were all getting super “hype”. At the end when Emily had the final steal in her layup, she was really the one who sealed the win for us, we all got super excited. The atmosphere was just great that day and I think we all felt it and we avenged the beginning of our season where we didn’t get off to the best start but we finished it really strong so that was definitely my favorite memory.

Kamal: What was the most memorable event on or off the court during the season?

Lavin: The most memorable moment for me when I think of basketball is right before games in the locker room when we just hype each other up and listen to music and I just feel like that’s probably one of the most memorable parts of the season. Also, the bus rides because we’re also listening to music and hyping each other up and that just gets us ready for the game and that’s what I will always remember when I think of the basketball season. 

Casey: “Let it go,” is our theme song.

Rise: I remember funny moments from games. In the West Allis Nathan Hale game, Hannah fell on the other side of the court and she was still laying on the ground on the other side of the court because she thought she was hurt, and then all of a sudden, she pops up out of nowhere and Kate chucks the ball down the entire length of the court. Hannah gets fouled but banged both of her free throws. That was an iconic moment that I will always remember.

Kamal: Who or what was the biggest influence of your season?

Neumeier: “Sam Price Hoops 3.”

Sutton: This season specifically, it was my teammates who continuously kept me going, like, sometimes things get hard and there was problems I was facing at school or at home, but every time I went into practice it was so much easier to just like let myself go and then during that time, I was able to put everything onto the court and enjoy myself. It wasn’t like a stressful situation where I dreaded practice, but it was really one of those things where I genuinely enjoyed being with every single one of them and that always influenced how I played.

Elise Gosset: I’d have to agree with my teammates and I wanted to add that the Germantown game was the first game we lost after our undefeated season and I think we were all kind of down on that cause we were hoping to continue our winning streak, but obviously we all realized that that can’t go on. After that game, we all picked each other back up and even though it was our first loss ever as a team, I think we all knew we had to move on and keep working.

Maria Klug: I have to agree with Kate and Elise, our team just picked each other up and we all realized we have to inspire each other to do better every time. 

Rise: Like what everybody else said, it was hard. Our teammates really came through for each other; you could come into practice in a bad mood and immediately everybody else and the energy around you would just pick you back up, every time.

Neumeier: I would agree that my teammates were the ones who really inspired me this season, to keep me going and motivate me to do better. Coaches come and go, coaches aren’t constant, but our teammates are the only thing that’s constant. We’ve been playing with each other for a while and we all know each other so well that we’re able to just build each other up and the reason that we were able to bounce back so fast after that Germantown game like Elise said, is because we obviously know each other and we don’t like to lose and we push each other to be better, we push each other to get back in the saddle and keep going.

Casey: It was a hard start to the season and we weren’t used to having a loss. The first thing we did after that game was talk to each other. I remember on the bus ride home, we were asking each other what we were going to do to improve because this wasn’t how we wanted to continue. I vividly remember all of us coming together because we all had the desire to win, and also to have fun, and to continue to improve. Also, practices were just outlets. I had very stressful days with school and different things and when I came to practice it was just two hours of a free outlet where you got to release all of your energy and have fun.

Neumeier: We don’t let each other stay in a bad mood.

Kamal: What is one word you would use to describe your season? 

Casey: Family. 

Blake: Chaotic (in a good way).

Kamal: Who or what would you say you owe your success, or part of it, too?

Rise: Our freshman coach, Sam Price, because she really taught us how to work together as a team and I think she showed us all a new love for the game of basketball because of the way we worked together and how we wanted to work; not only for ourselves but for each other as a team.

Neumeier: I would have to agree with Gabby that our freshman coach, Sam Price, is definitely the reason that our success started in the first place and she did that through forcing us to be a team and do stuff together. She pushed us so hard in practices and sometimes we literally thought we were going to die because she pushed us so hard. However, in the end, I think we all saw the effect it had and how much better it made us and we’re all thankful for that and we would do it a hundred times again if we had to. She would do so much for us in terms of team bonding things; she’d assign us partners and have us set goals every week, and I  truly think she gave us a good foundation for having success.

Rusch: I would also like to say thank you to Gabby’s dad, Scott Rise, because he was our Junior Lancer’s coach for five years. I came in not knowing what I was going to get myself into and I only knew a couple people, but he really pushed me and gave me a solid foundation to build off for my basketball career and I’m very thankful for that.

Lavin: I would have to agree with Parker and Gabby about our freshman coach and I also agree that she motivated us. Even though she wasn’t our coach this year, she continued to motivate us and we would still go to her when we were having problems with the team. I think she played a big role in our basketball careers.

Sutton: To go off of Lizzie, I agree that Scott Rise was definitely the one person who really set the foundation and made me start my love for basketball. However, Sam Price really sealed the deal and now I really enjoy my seasons. Some seasons got really long, but it didn’t matter as long as I was working hard every day with her and my team. 

Gosset: When Sam came in, a lot of us had played Junior Lancers basketball together and maybe it’s because we weren’t spending every day together, but we weren’t as close then as we are now. I feel like she really just brought us together and she matched our vibe. We worked really well with her and trusted her.

Kamal: How has this season differed from other seasons, specifically due to Covid or other factors?

Blake: This season, due to covid, it was definitely an adjustment to practice and masks especially when we were running. We really had to be more conditioned this year especially in practice and games when we had to run with masks on and it was a challenge we had to adapt to. But now, looking back we’ve come a long way and at least we had a season this year. I’m so grateful we still had a season this year and I still got to be with my team.

Gosset: It sucked that we had to wear masks but I think we were all grateful that we got to have a season, as long as normal years, especially compared to other sports who lost so much time.

Klug: I’m glad we had most of our seasons and we were able to overcome the challenge of the masks.

Blake: We don’t have anything against masks, it just made it hard to breathe.

Kamal: What are your future aspirations for BC basketball or your own personal athletic careers?

Neumeier: I think we can all agree that we all want to make varsity next year and we’re all pushing each other. I think that’s our first step to achieving our bigger goals that might come later. I know we’d all like to win state eventually, if it’s not junior year, it’s senior year. I also think you don’t necessarily have to be the most talented person or player to win state; you have to have good team chemistry, you have to work together and overcome adversity and I think our team has that and not a lot of other teams have that. I think I speak for a lot of us when I say winning state is definitely one of our biggest goals.

Rusch: I believe that we can bring our team chemistry even to the next level. Now we’re all on JV, and making it to varsity would be completely different. Varsity has a new atmosphere, new people, new team chemistry and if we continue to bring our team chemistry to the next level, I think we have a really good chance of making it farther into the league and eventually state.

Gosset: Being ranked number one doesn’t always predetermine the outcome of a game, we’ve seen games where the apparent underdog just wanted it so badly and it shows that any team can beat any team, it just depends how strong your team culture is.

Kamal: Are there specific lessons you learned from bad moments during the season, if any. What have you learned? 

Gosset: A lot of people would know that I’m really competitive and there was a team that we lost against. After that game, we were really upset because we knew we had the ability to win. Personally, I knew we should have won and all of our successes the season before didn’t show through. I was really upset and I closed myself out and I was angry because I knew we could have done it. From that game, I learned that I should have let it go. We played much better and I really learned that I shouldn’t have taken it out on everybody else.

Rise: From the same game, I learned that we should never underestimate the ability of the other team; even if we think we’re much better than them or we know we’re better, it’s important we prove it, rather than thinking we already proved it.

Rusch: After that loss, we understood that we were the better team and it gave us more motivation to do better in practice. At the next practice we worked so hard and we played our best and that was reflected in how the rest of our season went.

Casey: More than just a basketball lesson, I learned to not be afraid of failure because that’s where you see the most growth. For a while I struggled with thinking that I had to do everything just right and perfect and otherwise you’re not worth it, but knowing your self-worth and being OK with failure is important, because you’ll grow from that.

Kamal: What advice would you give yourself freshman year during all your experiences due to basketball?

Blake: If I were to give my freshman self advice, it would definitely be to be less nervous. Coming into it, I definitely didn’t know how much fun it was going to be. I thought it was going to be so difficult because practices and coaches are hard. Ultimately, in the end, it was so worth it and I’m so thankful for the relationships I gained, the improvements we made, and just what a great season we had.

Lavin: Some advice I would give my freshman self would be to enjoy every moment. Although it is a longer season than other sports, it does go by so fast and if you really enjoy going to practice everyday, then you just have to like physically being in the moment. Eventually, it will just end, and all you’ll have left is the memories.

Sutton: I would say, it gets better, don’t stop. These are lifelong memories that we are making, enjoy them while they’re happening.

Casey: After our first freshman practice, we ran like seventy down and backs and I came home and I cried. I ran on my treadmill in fact because I thought I wasn’t ready for this. I was just so caught up in this and I was so worried about what the season was going to entail. My advice is to just love your teammates, have the best time, and enjoy every single moment, and don’t take anything for granted because it’s truly just the best experience.

Rusch: Just embrace it, have the best time, and just be yourself. As you’re going through your high school career, basketball is just going to get tougher and tougher as you progress so if you just embrace your skills and abilities, have the best time that you can and just enjoy and love what you’re doing, then nothing’s going to stop you.

Neumeier: I would tell myself to not be nervous, because I was coming in as the only one who hadn’t played with everybody else before because I didn’t play Junior Lancers, so I was literally  more nervous than I had ever been in my entire life. After the first week of practices, I was just having a hard time and I would come home and cry because I thought I would never fit in, and that I would never learn the plays or be able to mesh with my teammates. Then I found out that everyone else was struggling to learn the plays and that I wasn’t alone and that everybody else was in the same place as me. Now they’re like my best friends, you guys are literally my best friends ever. So I would say, just don’t be nervous, invite new experiences, and remember you’re not alone because everybody else is going through stuff too.