Faith Tubergen, Journalist
March 4, 2024
Starting at square one is never easy, but that’s exactly what the Boys Varsity Basketball team had to do this year after all but three players from the previous season had graduated. After last year’s exceptional season of establishing themselves as conference champions, the incoming juniors had big shoes to fill.
Last season, the Varsity team had excelled on and off the court, winning game after game with a strong team dynamic. Unfortunately, the loss of last season’s players caused a lapse in leadership roles. Justin McIllwain, senior varsity player, added his input on the issue, saying, “This year, a lot of the juniors who haven’t played varsity basketball need someone to look up to and that… is something we’ve been working on because we were lacking in that area.” The returning Varsity players have been putting in their best effort to be a leader to their fellow players, and that has been appreciated by the new team members. When asked about how the juniors are doing on the team, Justin added that, “they needed time to settle in, and now that they have, we are ready for districts coming up.”
At the beginning of the season, the team already had a head start on working on team dynamics, since many of the players had known each other long before playing together. Considering that they already had much of the team familiarity down, it allowed for the team to make space for improvement in other areas. When asked if he had seen improvement throughout the season, varsity player Londin Cooper, first time junior varsity player, confidently said, “Absolutely.” Coach Kronemeyer, fifth year varsity coach, seconded his statement, saying, “I think we’ve gone through growth this year, I think we’ve gone through some hard times… but at the end of the day I’m fully confident in our team.”
Specific areas of improvement have been seen by team members as the season progresses. Riley VanDerHulst, first time junior varsity player, commented on the team’s passing ability, saying, “At the beginning of the season we were not passing as much but we worked on it a lot at practice on passing the ball around so I’m definitely seeing improvement.” Justin McIllwain noted the improvements in the junior players, specifically their boldness on the court. “I think when we came in a lot of juniors were timid to play varsity basketball.” He included that once the team had gotten the chance to adapt, they have done well. Many players seconded his opinion, saying that there has been lots of improvement on the JV team throughout the season.
After all of these advancements, the team has flourished as they prepare for districts. Londin Cooper noted that during the game against Spring Lake, “the energy was amazing and everybody was having fun, and if we can build off of that I think we’ll be in a great spot.” The team has seen firsthand the effects of hard work in a team, and they are reaping the benefits of their diligence. When comparing the team at the start of the season and now, players said that their development throughout the season has been tremendous. Coach Kronemeyer worded it best, saying that “the things we’ve gone through to this point will either shape us or break us.” Luckily, this season has shaped them rather than broken them, and they are forging their path to a strong team identity in next year’s season.
Looking towards the future, the Varsity team is headed towards a successful season next year. All of the current juniors will be seniors with varsity experience, and as a result, next year’s team is set up for success. Justin McIllwain had an experience similar to this his sophomore year, where there were lots of juniors who, as seniors, thrived with lots of leadership and varsity experience. Justin hopes for the best for the juniors next season, saying, “I think these guys will learn from this year as juniors and be ready for their senior season next year.” Coach Kronemeyer agrees with him that now that the juniors have proven that they belong on the team, they will be better prepared for the upcoming season. “This will be our final ride together,” says Londin Cooper. “I think everyone will do what it takes to work together and win.”