Girls Basketball Returns to the Court
After not having a season last year, girls basketball team starts off their season strong.
By Katie Scripoch
After not having a season last year, girls basketball team starts off their season strong.
By Katie Scripoch
While many sports had shortened seasons last year as a result of safety concerns surrounding COVID-19, the girls basketball team was unable to have a season at all. The last time the team took the court before this season was February 22, 2020.
With little preseason training before the anticipated 2020-21 season, girls basketball is back this year having already played eight games, with 18 more to come in the regular season.
This season has been different for the team due to the absence of last year’s season. Returning players like Ciana Mayorquin, 11, noticed that the team had some work to do at the beginning of the season.
“We definitely have less experience with each other obviously, because we have more players who haven’t played with our team and how we run things,” said Mayorquin.
After losing many seniors last year in addition to not having a season, the team is mainly composed of new players, with two grades never having been on the team before. Girls varsity coach Rob Zaccheo feels like the team is starting fresh again.
“It feels like we’re just starting all new again,” said Zaccheo. “We got a group of players that haven’t played together, so it feels very new.”
Many players on the team have expressed their feelings toward not being able to play last season, including Carolina Velasco, 12. Velasco felt that not being able to participate in their sport has had an impact on them.
“Basketball is like an outlet for me and I really enjoy playing, so just not being able to play, period, just really took a toll on me,” said Velasco.
Not only is this the freshmen on the teams’ first year at Pioneer, it’s the sophomores’ first year as well since their chance to be on the team last year was taken. Riley Shigemoto, 10, had planned on playing for the team last year but now as a sophomore is she able to be on the team.
“I intended on playing for the girls basketball team last year because I’ve been playing basketball for most of my life and have a great passion for the sport,” said Shigemoto.
Other players, like Riley Oba, 10, feel that missing the season affected their stamina and skill levels.
“My endurance is down and I would say I’ve lost some skill, but not all of it, due to muscle memory,” said Oba.
There have also been concerns about where the team is in comparison to other teams, because they didn’t have a season last year. Velasco said that other teams may already have relationships within the team, when they have to start from scratch.
“I know some of the other teams were able to play last year, so that’s my only concern seeing as they might already have some relations established whereas we are trying to forge ones currently,” said Velasco.
Zaccheo said that there’s a lot of talent on the team, and the players are working hard to improve. He also acknowledged that there will be some hardships at the beginning of the season.
“We’ve got a good group, a lot of talent, a lot of eager people that really improve, they have that thirst for improvement and that’s going to take us far so I’m excited,” said Zaccheo. “We’re just going to build, and we’ll be alright down the line, but there will be some struggles here at the start.”
Zaccheo encourages the Pioneer community to come support the team and see how hard they work on the court.
“Come out and support the girls, it’s a good group, I think they’ll play some exciting basketball, and I think people will really enjoy how hard they play and the spirit we bring,” said Zaccheo.
With little preseason training before the anticipated 2020-21 season, girls basketball is back this year having already played eight games, with 18 more to come in the regular season.
This season has been different for the team due to the absence of last year’s season. Returning players like Ciana Mayorquin, 11, noticed that the team had some work to do at the beginning of the season.
“We definitely have less experience with each other obviously, because we have more players who haven’t played with our team and how we run things,” said Mayorquin.
After losing many seniors last year in addition to not having a season, the team is mainly composed of new players, with two grades never having been on the team before. Girls varsity coach Rob Zaccheo feels like the team is starting fresh again.
“It feels like we’re just starting all new again,” said Zaccheo. “We got a group of players that haven’t played together, so it feels very new.”
Many players on the team have expressed their feelings toward not being able to play last season, including Carolina Velasco, 12. Velasco felt that not being able to participate in their sport has had an impact on them.
“Basketball is like an outlet for me and I really enjoy playing, so just not being able to play, period, just really took a toll on me,” said Velasco.
Not only is this the freshmen on the teams’ first year at Pioneer, it’s the sophomores’ first year as well since their chance to be on the team last year was taken. Riley Shigemoto, 10, had planned on playing for the team last year but now as a sophomore is she able to be on the team.
“I intended on playing for the girls basketball team last year because I’ve been playing basketball for most of my life and have a great passion for the sport,” said Shigemoto.
Other players, like Riley Oba, 10, feel that missing the season affected their stamina and skill levels.
“My endurance is down and I would say I’ve lost some skill, but not all of it, due to muscle memory,” said Oba.
There have also been concerns about where the team is in comparison to other teams, because they didn’t have a season last year. Velasco said that other teams may already have relationships within the team, when they have to start from scratch.
“I know some of the other teams were able to play last year, so that’s my only concern seeing as they might already have some relations established whereas we are trying to forge ones currently,” said Velasco.
Zaccheo said that there’s a lot of talent on the team, and the players are working hard to improve. He also acknowledged that there will be some hardships at the beginning of the season.
“We’ve got a good group, a lot of talent, a lot of eager people that really improve, they have that thirst for improvement and that’s going to take us far so I’m excited,” said Zaccheo. “We’re just going to build, and we’ll be alright down the line, but there will be some struggles here at the start.”
Zaccheo encourages the Pioneer community to come support the team and see how hard they work on the court.
“Come out and support the girls, it’s a good group, I think they’ll play some exciting basketball, and I think people will really enjoy how hard they play and the spirit we bring,” said Zaccheo.