I joined basketball in 7th grade and have never looked back. At first I was skeptical as basketball was never a sport I was previously interested in. Joining basketball was the best decision I have ever made. I love it, find it to be medicine for my soul, and am even considering playing in college. Basketball is a challenging sport but with a lot of practice, determination, and drive it can be so rewarding.
This basketball season I played on the Junior Varsity team. I was labeled team captain and I’m the starting point guard. My co-team captain is Amelia Jordan and she too has played basketball for quite a while. This is my fourth season playing and every year I have played under the same coach. We call him Coach Dan and he taught me the game that I now love. However, unfortunately the previous varsity coach did retire last year and Coach Dan stepped into his position and now is coaching Varsity. That however left the JV team without a coach so Coach Doug, who has always helped out coaching basketball and has a daughter on varsity, decided to step in and be our coach.
This basketball season has been one to remember, and with only two games left I am left confused as to where all the time went. It felt like just yesterday was the first day of practice and I was tying my shoes and getting ready to grab a basketball and fall back into the rhythm of playing this sport. Throughout the season we have had one of our starters injure her knee and be unable to play for a couple of games. We also had one of our team captains injure her ankle, leaving her unable to play a game. We have fought through team sickness as it is winter, the wonderful time where everyone catches a cold, but through everything, my team has tried our best, never given up on the game, and so far we are leading with a 12-5 record!
Our team overall has been so thankful to have had Coach Doug step up to coach us as he has done a wonderful job this season. Coach Doug himself played basketball when he was younger and has previously been some of us girls’ softball coach. We greatly respect him and look up to him. The season would not have been the same without him as our coach. We are also very grateful that Mrs. Becker stepped up to help co-coach us, as she is always there with the med kit when we need it and we can go to her with anything, without question.
Once this season is over we will be losing three sophomores. Amelia Jordan, Lily Bain, and I will be leaving this team and going to start our varsity career, and while we are going to miss the younger girls on JV, we know that their 2025-2026 basketball season will be amazing as they are all hard workers and will have us at their games cheering them on. We are all excited to have Coach Dan as our coach once again and even though this season hasn’t even ended yet, we are already looking forward to starting next season.
The four years I have played basketball have all been unforgettable and I cannot even imagine what my life would be like without not only this sport but the coaches, friends, teammates, and role models that have come with playing. With two years left of Galway Basketball, I go forward with my head held high knowing that I can always be better than I was yesterday and I am fully willing to work hard, push myself, and prepare myself for what is ahead. I cannot wait to see what the future seasons bring and the memories they will hold.