As winter draws near, girls basketball makes a return with a squad that is more optimistic than ever about their season. James Wright, coach, shared his enthusiasm for the forthcoming season and for watching the continuous  improvement of the team. 

“I think they’re starting to see the future of the labor of their hard work, which just makes me excited for the season,” Wright said. 

Specifically, Wright is looking forward to gaining more support from the student body, and hopes to see a strong and spirited turn out for the girl’s basketball team to boost morale on the team.

“Some of the changes I would like to see are more student participation; coming to games, seeing the girls, I think that would be the number one thing,” Wright said. 

This year, the team chemistry has improved. 

“We’re all getting along, everyone is friends and we’re all on the same page. This year is a whole new ball game,” said Faith Robertson, senior and team captain.

Pre-season practices and team bonding increased the squad’s vigor which was demonstrated by their success in the fall league. Since the start of the season, the team has gained important leadership skills during the team bonding exercises they’ve participated in this year. 

“We did something with the national guard this year where we did leadership type of things. Going to a UW-Marquette basketball game, just the fact they’re together outside of the normal atmosphere of at Shorewood, [helped them] learn more things about each other,” Wright said.

The strategy and individual approaches of the girls have made them successful, but Wright also points out that the squad is still aiming to get better and that the team can keep up with the improvement by sticking with their goals.

“I think one of the things that makes this team [special] is our senior leadership. Our senior leadership and the way girls play with our style stands out,” Wright said.

Along with Wright, Roberston plays a big role in team management and success. 

“The responsibility I have is getting the team on the same page; telling them when practice is, what we’ll be doing, and during game days I remind them everything they need to bring,” Roberston said. 

Wright described how a typical practice goes, adding that the group works hard and pushes themselves to their limits.

“If you dip your head in there, they’re yelling, they’re screaming, they’re just excited and giving a lot of energy,” Wright said. 

Wright and Robertson both emphasize the value of remaining a cohesive team.

“‘We believe’ is our motto this year, so we believe if we can stay together and get everyone involved it will be a nice ride,” Wright said. 

“We have a strong team, we’re unstoppable and I’m excited. I want to go upstate and I think this is the year to do it,” Roberston said. 

Robertson commented on what differentiates the SHS team from other competitors. 

“What makes us stand out is that we’re tougher, and each and every one of our players can play every position… not every team can do that,” Robertson said. 

Isabela Papara, freshman and junior varsity player, is looking forward to the team’s growth as the season progresses.

“Everything we’re doing is going to help us do better as a team, and watching ourselves over the next few months, seeing us get better and better is what I want to see,” Papara said. 

Overall, the team is pushing through the intensity of the season in order to see their efforts pay off in future games, and a close-knit community of hard work and growth.

“The Shorewood girls basketball team is not really known for winning, so it’s gonna be good for the whole school to hear about us,” Robertson said.