Girls' Basketball Team Sets Goals for Season

By Jacob Tobey, staff reporter

  After losing 6 seniors this year, wouldn’t you think the Sturgis East girl’s varsity basketball team was looking at a rebuilding year? Well, that’s not Coach Henry Colon’s attitude. Yes, his team has no seniors this year, but surely there is still veteran leadership on his team. The preseason is over and the regular season is about to start. In the words of Coach Colon, “It'll be a roller coaster ride, luckily they all meet the requirements to get on and have their seat belts on tight!”

Leadership on this girl’s basketball team is no different than any other team. It’s valued, and it’s needed on a team to be successful.  Sturgis has two captains: Junior forward Brittany Gayton and sophomore forward Meaghan Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald burst onto the scene last season as she started as a freshman and was the most productive player on the team. Coach Colon commented on the leadership of his two captains, “They lead both on and off the court and have implemented a ‘big sister’ model for the girls that are new to the game. Both have led by example and I'm pleased by that.” 

Additionally, the captains will frequently try to have the girls bond with one another by having movie nights. Gayton is the oldest on the team and has a lot of pressure on her. Trying to lead the team and be one of the better and productive players isn’t easy, but she is certainly up to the task.  

From what I have seen at the girls’ practices in the preseason, they are working very hard, starting out every practice with conditioning to get ready for the long season. If you want to be a good team, you have to keep your energy and not get tired at the end of the game when it really counts. In their recent scrimmages, the girls haven’t won a game, but of course that’s not the point.  The point of the preseason is to get better and to build chemistry, and that’s what Coach Colon is seeing: “The preseason so far has been great. The girls are working hard on their skills and bringing 100% effort to practice and scrimmages. They are a very focused team which makes us as coaches very happy.”  

Each team sets its goals for the season, and I asked Coach Colon what his were for this team.

“The goal every year is to improve during the season and qualify for the tourney,” he answered, “Although we are very young, that goal will not change. We will need to work very hard to accomplish it.”  

Certainly, with a lot of hard work and dedication these goals can be reached.  Each and every one of these girls can continue to grow and get better and as a team to complete the goals that Coach Colon set out for them.