Girls' Basketball Brings Excitement
Team gets bumped up to higher league and new JV coach added to coaching staff.
By Jisela Negrete
Team gets bumped up to higher league and new JV coach added to coaching staff.
By Jisela Negrete
With winter sports beginning, the girls’ basketball teams have started their new 2022-23 season. The teams vary in size with varsity having 12 players and junior varsity having just nine.
This year the JV basketball team gained a new head coach, Mark Higashioka, who is also a PE teacher on campus. Both teams will compete in the Mount Hamilton Athletic League, competing against Christopher, Evergreen Valley, Silver Creek, Branham and Oak Grove High Schools among others outside of the MHAL.
“This year our team has bumped up to A League which is going to be a challenge, however, I think we are capable of doing well this season as long as we put the hard work and effort in,” said varsity guard Riley Shigemoto, 11.
So far, the team has gotten along well thanks to the time spent together during their team activities like practice and conditioning, but also the time spent outside of practices and games.
“I have bonded with my team. Both on and off of the court my team spends time together. My teammates always seem to make me laugh and we talk about the most random things. We also go out to eat sometimes as a team and just hangout,” said Shigemoto.
Higashioka has noticed the increase in time the team has been spending outside of practice and really enjoys it.
“It's really important to build chemistry for the players when it’s not forced,” he said.
The teams practice every day of the week except Friday and Sunday. In addition to the hours they spend at practice, they also still have homework which leaves little time for the players’ personal life. Jocelyn Cosgrove, 11 and other athletes have worked to balance their days to make room for self care but have noticed that sometimes it may be challenging.
“I don’t have a lot of time for myself to relax or to do things that I love to do in my free time,” said Cosgrove.
Girls’ varsity head coach Rob Zaccheo has noticed good progress for the girls in the early weeks of their season.
“We have competed strongly in our Glenn Ventura tournament we just had. We came really close to a good Homestead basketball team, and we had a couple other wins against Santa Teresa. We’re 2-2 so far, so it’s been a good start,” said Zaccheo.
This year the JV basketball team gained a new head coach, Mark Higashioka, who is also a PE teacher on campus. Both teams will compete in the Mount Hamilton Athletic League, competing against Christopher, Evergreen Valley, Silver Creek, Branham and Oak Grove High Schools among others outside of the MHAL.
“This year our team has bumped up to A League which is going to be a challenge, however, I think we are capable of doing well this season as long as we put the hard work and effort in,” said varsity guard Riley Shigemoto, 11.
So far, the team has gotten along well thanks to the time spent together during their team activities like practice and conditioning, but also the time spent outside of practices and games.
“I have bonded with my team. Both on and off of the court my team spends time together. My teammates always seem to make me laugh and we talk about the most random things. We also go out to eat sometimes as a team and just hangout,” said Shigemoto.
Higashioka has noticed the increase in time the team has been spending outside of practice and really enjoys it.
“It's really important to build chemistry for the players when it’s not forced,” he said.
The teams practice every day of the week except Friday and Sunday. In addition to the hours they spend at practice, they also still have homework which leaves little time for the players’ personal life. Jocelyn Cosgrove, 11 and other athletes have worked to balance their days to make room for self care but have noticed that sometimes it may be challenging.
“I don’t have a lot of time for myself to relax or to do things that I love to do in my free time,” said Cosgrove.
Girls’ varsity head coach Rob Zaccheo has noticed good progress for the girls in the early weeks of their season.
“We have competed strongly in our Glenn Ventura tournament we just had. We came really close to a good Homestead basketball team, and we had a couple other wins against Santa Teresa. We’re 2-2 so far, so it’s been a good start,” said Zaccheo.