Woodrow Wilson High School’s Girls Basketball Team has started the season well with a score of 7-11. Senior Leiloni Manns offers the perspective of the court, “I had to learn a lot better time management to make sure I was on top of all things school related, and also find ways to give myself free time. Resting and taking care of yourself is just as important as practice. My team and my family are also my biggest supporters, they’re always there for me after an off game or a rough practice and it really keeps me going.”
Teamwork and bonding also plays a big part in working hard, no matter the outcome. While there are a lot of different ways to keep this up, Beckley Girls Basketball prefers to do team bonding activities. “All the time we spend and things we do together just help to get the chemistry of the team up. It’s harder when you get to high school and have kids from all different teams. Coaching styles and learned habits can get in the way of everybody meshing well at first when it comes time to play. The team has come really far this season, and it’s awesome to see how everyone is coming together.”
Reflecting on previous seasons, Manns shares that the process is the same. “It’s always been the same process every year, but now being a senior I have to lead the freshmen to learn our drills. It’s less stressful once you have the experience, and the freshmen picked up everything really quick this year.” Along with tryouts, Leiloni was also asked about any advice she could give to newer players. “The best thing you can do for yourself is showing up. Pre-season is really important, and we have trainers come in for extra help, if you’re not there for that you won’t be in shape in time for the regular season to start.”