Slinger High School Girls Basketball: Accomplishing Raised Goals on and off the Court

Post date: Feb 28, 2020 2:51:11 PM

By: Abby Walter, Staff Writer

Posted February 28th, 2020

Merriam Webster defines basketball as “a usually indoor court game between two teams of usually five players each who score by tossing an inflated ball through a raised goal,” but to the Slinger High School girls basketball team, this season has been about more than winning games by scoring more points in the “raised goal.” Wow, Merriam Webster, hurry up and get with the game!

All bad sports terminology aside, the players, whether JV or Varsity, Freshmen or Seniors, would all agree that this season has been one to remember. For the Varsity team, it’s a little early to refer to the season in the past tense, for the team is preparing to conquer the court at home this Friday, February 28. In this case, the word “conquer” is certainly not an exaggeration; between the team’s skills and cohesive energy, the team’s fans are prepared to call this game a victory. In fact, the daily announcements included the statement, “Your Slinger Owls Girls Basketball team will be playing their first Regional game at home TONIGHT!! When we win tonight, we will be playing again on Saturday both at 7 pm!!”

While their ever-supportive fans are getting ready to paint the whole region Slinger red and blue (which is fair considering the team’s impressive 14-3 conference record), the Varsity players themselves are staying humble. In fact, when asked to give a quote about the season so far and the girls basketball program as a whole, Senior, Taylor Rhodes didn’t once mention the team’s skill level. Instead, she described the community-oriented culture built around the team and the program, a factor so influential it often outweighs talent. Taylor said, “So grateful to be part of a program that teaches its players that there is more to life than basketball. It’s all about the friendships you have with your teammates on and off the court. This team definitely has that and I am so blessed to be surrounded by an amazing group of girls!”

The JV team has recently finished their season, and they, too, were extremely successful not only in the traditional sense of winning games but also in the sense of following Varsity’s lead by prioritizing a positive mindset and lasting relationships over victories. Jamie Rhodes, a Freshman on the team, summed up both when she said, “I enjoyed getting closer with my teammates both on and off the court. Our team had ups and downs this year, but in my opinion, I think that's what made us stronger. I was glad that we ended the season on such a high note by beating tough teams! I'm really looking forward to playing for three more years of high school basketball and making new basketball memories!”

The idea that the combination of a positive mindset and dedication contributes to victory isn’t only shared by a pair of sisters in the program. This concept is the very foundation of Slinger girls basketball itself, and when the coaches display it, the players carry it with them. Leila Ebeid, another freshman in the program specifically recalled JV coach, Kevin Debroux saying “Tomorrow’s a new day; the sun will rise so make the most of it, and be better today than you were yesterday.”

Evidently, Slinger girls basketball is about more than winning by “tossing an inflated ball through a raised goal.” it’s about raising goals for success and achieving them through the inflation of a positive mindset.