Get your head in the game

A look into how the boy’s basketbal team gears up on gamedays

Avery Roe roeave000@hsestudents.org

The amount of energy that the Tiger Cage adds to the atmosphere during good plays is something that would seem to be distracting, however, Senior basketball player Aidan Zimmer mentions how their energy amplifies his own. Junior Taden Metzger agreed with Aidan about the crowd bringing a lot of energy to the court. The team and players have worked to find unique ways to stay focused before and in the midst of games.

One of the ways the team works to stay focused throughout game days is by keeping a schedule that always remains the same. The team does one round of warm-ups before the JV team plays, and when they come back into the gym for their game, they do a second round of warm-ups.

“The pre-game consists of shooting drills, working on each position individually, and then we have layup lines and defensive shell drills,” Zimmer said.

Metzger highlighted head coach Garrett Winegar when he talked about the passion the coaches have when it comes to their craft. The coaches work to keep the team focused during game days and make games feel like any other day. Zimmer and Metzger both agreed that the coaches have the players’ best interests at heart.

“The coaching style is a lot of constructive criticism and having fun while playing basketball,” Zimmer said. “Our coaches want the best for us and will always be honest with us to make us better players. I have seen a lot of improvement in my game and myself as a man throughout my time at Fishers.”

Zimmer connects his focus on the court to the rest of the team. Zimmer states that as long as he is on the same page as his team and is communicating with them, then he will be focused. Kirby also agreed that his teammates play a role in his focus during games.

“If I am going through a slump my teammates always have my back and I can count on them to keep me locked in for the next play and keep me motivated to keep doing what I’m doing, even if I am not doing the best,” Kirby said.

While Kirby and Zimmer emphasized how their team keeps them focused, Metzger finds his focus just by being on the court.

“I always pray during the national anthem,” Metzger said. “Other than that, I just try and keep my mind still.”

Not only does the routine of the team warm-up stay consistent, but so does the process of getting dressed and prepped in the locker room. Metzger mentioned that while the team puts on their uniforms before games, they are “blasting” music. Sophomore Justin Kirby specified the team’s love for playing ‘Just Wanna Rock’ by Lil Uzi Vert to get the team hyped up.

“The team’s dynamic on game days is a mix of being focused and being loose,” Zimmer said. “We will listen to music and then as it comes closer to game time we go through the scout for the team we are going to play.”