Changes in leadership boost girls basketball team

BY ISABEL VALLES

THE MIRROR ATHLETICS EDITOR

At the end of last year, Coach Steve Eshleman moved to Burbank High School and left the girls basketball team high and dry a day after their season ended. That’s when Coach Sara Marroquin stepped in.

Usually when a coach leaves, a team feels a sense of sadness, especially after having spent a whole season with them. But instead, the female athletes felt a weight lifted off their shoulders.

Last season, many players struggled with their relationship with the coach. He would yell at the players during games, and this caused them to lose respect for him.

“He would yell at us a lot for no reason during practice, but it was worse during games,” junior Karan Grewal said.

Due to the yelling, the team felt disrespected and patronized. Not only did the girls feel embarrassed, but the coach’s incessant hostility distracted the players.

With Coach Maroquin as head of the team, the girls have significantly im- proved as they prepare for their season beginning in November. Some strategies that Coach Marroquin has implemented are new drills that improve ball handling and defense skills.

The team has prepared for the newseason by practicing every weekday over the summer. The girls attended practice games on the weekends, winning the majority of them. They even entered tournaments in which they won first place a total of three times.

“I think our new coach has definitely brought an improvement to the program,” senior Cara Dechathong said. “You can see all the development and improvements in most of the players that have been here. She has a functioning structure for our program.”

Despite their significant growth, some team members believe that there is still much to be done, such as team bonding.

“There is always room to improve,” junior Karen Grewal said. “We definitely have to work more on team chemistry on the court.”

Last season, the team qualified for the playoffs where they won 15-13 overall and won 7-5 in their league. While the team put up a good fight against El Camino Real High School in their first playoff game and final game of the season, unfortunately the team lost with a score of 59-35.

Judging by the tenacity with which the team has been getting prepped, it seems like the girls basketball team may have a chance of winning the playoffs this year.