By Chloe Wilson, Staff Writer
As the basketball season gets closer, players are getting ready for the new season. For some, preparing means getting ready to play another year with their team. For others, it means working hard before they earn a spot on the roster.
Ninth grader Nik Jairath is getting ready to try out for boys basketball. Even though he hasn’t tried out yet, he’s working on his game getting ready for the season. “Basketball in the offseason is about working on your game, working on new skills for the season and doing strength training/plyometrics,” Jairath said. On the other hand, senior Saniya Carter enters her senior year with high hopes. “I’m most excited for my senior year. It’s my season, my breakout season,” Carter said.”
For Jairath, preparation for the season starts long before the games. During the preseason, Jairath works on his basketball skills, and in the offseason he works on “strength training and polymetrics” to get stronger. Carter takes a similar approach, working through the off season to perfect her game outside of the sport she plays and studying film almost everyday to improve her game and her teammates as well.
Hard work has both players feeling confident about the season ahead. Jairath is confident on what the team can accomplish this season. “I think our record will be undefeated.”
Watching a lot of film is how Carter improves her game during the offseason. She watches film of her team’s game almost every day. “The only reason we probably have Hudl is because me and another coach watch film all day, every day,” she said. “That’s how I perfect my game, and that’s how I help my other teammates perfect their game as well.”
For Carter, that preparation is also about building team chemistry before the season begins. “Last year I got to play with my best friends, so I just try to cherish the moments.” That connection helps her as she tries to make this new season her best year yet.
As the season approaches, Nik Jairath and Saniya Carter focus on working on their game and improving their skills as they prepare for the season ahead. Jairath is building his strength and sharpening his skills before he attempts to earn a spot on the roster, while Carter is studying film to perfect her game to make her senior year a breakout season. For both players they are putting in the work during the preseason and the offseason before the season begins. When the basketball season starts, Nik Jairath and Saniya Carter will be ready to show off their hard work.