The Jump from Eighth Grade to Varsity Basketball
There is a huge difference between 8th grade basketball and Varsity basketball but Freshmen Emma Slotman and Leah Brink were ready for the jump.
Emma Slotman and Leah Brink are current freshman attending Hamilton High School. Both Emma and Leah were presented with the opportunity to play varsity basketball as freshmen. They both have expressed that there are many differences between the two levels of basketball such as the level of commitment needed, the work ethic, and the intensity of practices. This jump can be intimidating and scary to some but both Emma and Leah have proved that they were ready and willing to do whatever it takes to thrive on the team.
When I interviewed Emma and Leah, one of the first things we talked about was how the practices were different between the two levels. “I think that when transitioning from middle school basketball to varsity basketball, I had to bring a higher level of commitment and focus, ecspecially being a freshman on varsity to make sure that I have good practices and able to know whats going on.” Leah talked about the fact that she has to show more commitment and focus on the court. She talked about how her middle school coach did a good job preparing them for highschool basketball but she still feels as though she needs to focus a lot more to understand the new drills and plays.
Emma on the other hand talked about how “practices are more intense and laid out.” Emma can sense a more serious feeling about basketball with the varsity team. In middle school, everyone played because it was fun and they wanted to be with their friends and while this is still true about varsity basketball, there are people on the team who want to go far in life with basketball so everyone pushes eachother to do their best and brings a different level of intensity that they hadn’t seen before.
Emma expressed that she feels she needs to push herself way more than she did in middle school. She holds herself to a higher standard because she wants to prove her spot as the starting point guard. She wants to make sure that nobody questions the fact that she belongs on this team. While she did say that the team is very welcoming and made her feel like she belongs, she still wants to prove herself.
Leah feels the same way as Emma. Every practice and gameday, she feels the need to prove herself to not only he team but the coaches as well. Leah is a very hard working girl and only sees this as motivation to work harder and give 100% no matter what. She is very committed and always brings her best even on bad days.
Accountability was another big subject. Emma talked about how her teammates hold her at a higher level of accountability than before. Not only is she held accountable on the court such as always giving 100%, staying focused, pushing not only herself and others, but she is also held accountable off the court with things like keeping her grades up, eating healthy, and getting good sleep every night.
While middle school basketball and Varisty basketball may seem similar, there are definitely big differences with the intensity, accountability, focus, and maturity. Both Emma Slotman and Leah Brink always show up motivated to get better and always bring 100% to the table.