the boys blue freshman team starts simple to achieve success
by gabby petruzzello
Success isn’t defined by the number of games you win, but by the progression of both the individuals and the group as they move closer to their goal. As the coach of the Craig Blue Freshman team, Mr. Davis embodies this basic principle in his attitude toward individual practices and games. Coach Davis views each practice as an opportunity to progress by working on fundamental skills in order to see large improvements over time.
“Getting to work with athletes and see them grow and understand things is always fun,” stated Coach Davis.
This year, the Blue Freshman team tallied eight wins and fourteen losses, but has seen strides in their offensive and defensive abilities. Although the team did not meet their win-loss goal, they improved on layups and executing a swing offense. At the beginning of the year, the team was struggling to execute a strong offense; throughout the season, a piece clicked into place for the team, and the change was apparent.
“Running a structured offense is something we got better at,” emphasized Coach Davis.
Additionally, the team learned how to play team defense, move the ball better, and understand the game better through the reiteration of the fundamentals. Freshmen are often judged unfairly based on their performance. It is important to note the growth and improvement of the team outside their win-loss record.
The team won a few games at the beginning, three in the middle, and a few throughout the rest of the season. By looking at a group of games as a whole, it becomes clear of the work ethic of the team. At the beginning of the season, the team finished one game with only nine points. The following game, the same team fought back and scored 52 points.
“I was proud that wasn’t the end of the season,” commented Coach Davis. The next game, “We battled back and scored 52 points.”
The resilience of the team within the string of two games showed the strength and the work ethic of the individual members. The team could have thrown in the towel, but they chose to finish their season strong and keep fighting.
Coach Davis noted that a key skill basketball teaches student-athletes is that success is “not going to come easy” and that “you need to work hard to make things worth it.”
The point guards on the Freshman Blue team were Luke Brown, Andrew Jahnke, and sometimes Eli Shucha. The guards included Cole Bertagnoli and Carson Bruhn, while the centers included Markis Burks and Eric McLevige. The forwards were Jake Hansen, Dravius Raggs, Isaac Stried, and Jake Coulter.
Each of the players has a significance to the team. Cole Bertagnoli was the team’s leading scorer this year, while Andrew Jahnke and Luke Brown were some of the most improved players. Markis Burks was one of the players who helped to lead the team in addition to Eric McLevige. Coach Davis emphasized that sports in general, including basketball, teach students how to be a leader. The team relies on the leadership of specific individuals and the leaders are expected to select the right play at the right time for the benefit of the team.
The growth of the team this year can be traced back to the emphasis on fundamentals during practices. For some of the players new to organized basketball, learning the basics is the key to having a successful season. The practices of the Freshman Blue team included mounds of hard work and determination that produced physical and mental exhaustion.
“Working on basketball skills is important, but also working on mental skills,” explained Coach Davis.
The outlook for next year is uncertain. With a freshman team, the main focus of coaching is “getting a bunch of guys who haven’t played together to play together...that’s always a struggle,” said Coach Davis. The only certainty about next year’s freshman team is that the focus will continue to be on resilience, hard work, simplicity, and dedication paving the path to success.
“Getting to work with athletes and see them grow and understand things is always fun,” stated Coach Davis.
This year, the Blue Freshman team tallied eight wins and fourteen losses, but has seen strides in their offensive and defensive abilities. Although the team did not meet their win-loss goal, they improved on layups and executing a swing offense. At the beginning of the year, the team was struggling to execute a strong offense; throughout the season, a piece clicked into place for the team, and the change was apparent.
“Running a structured offense is something we got better at,” emphasized Coach Davis.
Additionally, the team learned how to play team defense, move the ball better, and understand the game better through the reiteration of the fundamentals. Freshmen are often judged unfairly based on their performance. It is important to note the growth and improvement of the team outside their win-loss record.
The team won a few games at the beginning, three in the middle, and a few throughout the rest of the season. By looking at a group of games as a whole, it becomes clear of the work ethic of the team. At the beginning of the season, the team finished one game with only nine points. The following game, the same team fought back and scored 52 points.
“I was proud that wasn’t the end of the season,” commented Coach Davis. The next game, “We battled back and scored 52 points.”
The resilience of the team within the string of two games showed the strength and the work ethic of the individual members. The team could have thrown in the towel, but they chose to finish their season strong and keep fighting.
Coach Davis noted that a key skill basketball teaches student-athletes is that success is “not going to come easy” and that “you need to work hard to make things worth it.”
The point guards on the Freshman Blue team were Luke Brown, Andrew Jahnke, and sometimes Eli Shucha. The guards included Cole Bertagnoli and Carson Bruhn, while the centers included Markis Burks and Eric McLevige. The forwards were Jake Hansen, Dravius Raggs, Isaac Stried, and Jake Coulter.
Each of the players has a significance to the team. Cole Bertagnoli was the team’s leading scorer this year, while Andrew Jahnke and Luke Brown were some of the most improved players. Markis Burks was one of the players who helped to lead the team in addition to Eric McLevige. Coach Davis emphasized that sports in general, including basketball, teach students how to be a leader. The team relies on the leadership of specific individuals and the leaders are expected to select the right play at the right time for the benefit of the team.
The growth of the team this year can be traced back to the emphasis on fundamentals during practices. For some of the players new to organized basketball, learning the basics is the key to having a successful season. The practices of the Freshman Blue team included mounds of hard work and determination that produced physical and mental exhaustion.
“Working on basketball skills is important, but also working on mental skills,” explained Coach Davis.
The outlook for next year is uncertain. With a freshman team, the main focus of coaching is “getting a bunch of guys who haven’t played together to play together...that’s always a struggle,” said Coach Davis. The only certainty about next year’s freshman team is that the focus will continue to be on resilience, hard work, simplicity, and dedication paving the path to success.