Seconds tick away on the shot clock to the beat of the bouncing of the ball. The court resounds with pounding as players rush to and fro, passing, shooting, and scoring. Cheers and chants fill the gym as they play, the FIS basketball team working as a team to win points, games, and tournaments.
One such tournament was one that the junior varsity boys team competed in in Brussels. “We went undefeated in the tournament and had some tough challenges, yet we prevailed,” Henry, a sophomore, describes. “It was early in the season, so it gave us confidence for the season to come and really bonded the team.”
This bond is part of what makes these teams so special. Each player has to work with the others in order to succeed, making it so that each team member has to trust and rely on one another. And surely enough, this is what happens.
“Everyone on the team looks out for one another,” Henry says, “and we all have fun traveling together.”
Rino, a player on the junior varsity girls team, agrees. “At first, there were times when people would get mad at others for mistakes. But now, we support each other and help each other improve on our weaknesses.”
Like Henry, who originally played in the US, Rino isn’t new to the game. “I had a great coach at FISW,” Rino explains, “and I really enjoyed playing basketball there.” These feelings didn’t change when she switched over to the Oberursel campus, and Rino continued to play for the team. She, along with her fellow teammates, has been working hard to improve ever since, learning to use her height to her advantage and growing in her confidence to score more points and take more shots.
These improvements aren’t unusual for players on the team, the competitive atmosphere helping them grow.
“Throughout this season I have been able to challenge myself with a different level of competition,” Ashleigh, a player on the varsity girls team, expresses, “[one] that is completely different from what I experienced in middle school where there were many girls who had been playing for their first time ever.”
However, for Ashleigh, this year is certainly not her first time playing. “I have been playing basketball on different teams since middle school but first got my hands on a ball in 3rd grade,” she recounted. “Having first played in the US, there was always competition and someone who could push you to be better at the game, and that pressure is similar to what the level of play that varsity has.”
Hence, together with teamwork and competition, these players are able to grow and improve. “Yes, getting better is hard,” Ashleigh decides, “but in the end, when that hard work has helped you and your team win, it’s so fulfilling to get to celebrate every single win with them.”
Naturally, these moments are some of the most exciting parts of the sport.
“My favorite part of playing basketball is working together as a team to win games,” Henry expressed, “and just working with my teammates in general and seeing us all get better together.”
“My season highlight so far has just been moments in the locker room with my team after big wins; it’s always exciting,” Ashleigh adds, “and I hope more of those moments will come at ISST’s.”
Because whether or not their team wins or loses, that is what matters in the end: the joy, sense of belonging, and bonding that comes with being a part of a team.
And that is always a win.
