Video Credit: Mimi Geller

“It’s now or never!” The lyrics of the famous High School Musical song ring loud through the athletic hallway. The players of the Girls Varsity Basketball Team sing this song with pride in order to hype themselves up for the game ahead of them. This is a pre-game tradition that has held strong for years.

Among other traditions are “a dance called gigolo before every game to get us pumped up,” junior and team captain Erin McNamer said.

These pre-game traditions assisted The Girls Varsity Basketball Team and helped them improve their record from the previous year.

“We really focus on improving the social aspect of our team, which [we believe] will improve our record again this year,” McNamer said.

Being a new or younger player on a Varsity team can be a challenging or even scary experience. McNamer and her teammates recognize this and made inclusion a team focus.

“We always say we are a family, and it’s true, these girls are my family,” 9th grader Audrey Egly said.

Sophomore Nina Ciresi also shares a similar experience: “We’re all connected between Varsity and JV, we all practice together so it’s more like a family,” she said.   

The Girls Varsity Basketball Team extend their shooting arms to the new GVB manager Libby Woodson as well.

“They included me in everything so I know they have the same inclusive attitude towards new players,” she said. “As a manager, I felt like I had been a part of the team for years.”

Girls Varsity Basketball ended their last season run with a record of 9-18. This year they aim to turn last year’s record around and improve it.

“A big goal this year is to improve our program and to get rid of a losing mentality,” Ciresi said.

The Girls Varsity Basketball Team is making significant strides to do this, “Last year we doubled our wins from the previous year, and we want to continue that into this year, and double our record again,” McNamer said.

Teams that play together, stay together. Behind all of the cheesiness within that statement, it is founded on truth.  

“We are a team and we like to recognize how well we work together and compliment each other,” McNamer said.