Girls Basketball

The Return of Girls Basketball

After more than a decade, our athletic department welcomes girls basketball back.

WORDS by ABBY KIM ART by CLAIRE TOLLES

Girls basketball returns! For the first time in 13 years, Laguna Blanca reintroduced girls basketball as a winter sport.

With a strong roster, the team looks forward to getting back to competitive game play this year. According to Athletic Director Matt Steinhaus, the team did not have a full roster until late September which made scheduling games difficult.

“We had to work hard just to get our league games in because we announced that we had a team after everyone’s scheduling was done in the spring,” Steinhaus said.

Nevertheless, Steinhaus said he is “optimistic about getting the team into tournaments next year.”

In addition to the team’s future, examining its past is important.

Girls basketball was discontinued in 2011. “It became a numbers issue as more girls began to gravitate towards soccer,” said Coach Jason Donnelly.

Despite the interest of a few girls yearly, there were never enough girls to bring back the sport.

Girls basketball returned this year mainly due to the enthusiasm of juniors Fiona Hernandez, Victoria Goldman, and Jaleya Calloway.

Fiona said their motivation for bringing back girls basketball came from the realization that, “We weren’t going to have a team to play on in high school. We worked really hard to recruit girls this year and were able to get a roster and coaches.”

The influx of new students this year made the recruitment process easier. While recruiting players was difficult, Fiona said recruiting coaches went smoothly.

Head Coach Anthony Ramirez played a key role in recruiting and rebuilding the team. After filling the roster, Ramirez accepted the offer of being head coach. The season started soon after.

“Practice has been getting better and better. There was no standard set for the team and scheduling was rough, so practice was hard,” Ramirez said.

“However, as the girls are becoming more comfortable and motivated to play, practice has become more involved and I am excited to see how this team can grow.”

Scheduling practice was just as strenuous as practice itself. Scheduling conflicts with the boys basketball team was the main problem. “Our schedule was constantly changing, which makes it hard for people to make it to practice,” Victoria said.

The team brought the issue to Steinhaus. “We have a combination of increased enrollment, more participation, and fewer buildings. This year we have more basketball teams, but only one indoor gym and one outdoor court,” Steinhaus said.“Everyone wants the best space at all times, but people have to accommodate.”

Both teams now have set practices and games. Despite these challenges, the revival of the girls basketball is “a monumental advance in the athletic program,” Victoria said.

Junior Jaleya Calloway and Freshmen Danica Rux and Frances Blevins