Tonight, the Eastland Lady Mavs will be facing the Early Lady Horns for the first District Basketball game of the season. JV will play at 5:00 PM, with Varsity following at 6:15 PM.
The Lady Mavs have been working hard during practice, and played their hearts out in the pre-district games. "Our Senior leadership has been unbelievable," Coach Sheffield stated. "We have six Seniors this season, and they've jumped on board, trying to be better teammates and better players."
We interviewed the Seniors about their opinions going into this first District game. "We've been working very hard and prepping for this game," Jaci Darr replied. This was echoed by the other seniors, with Macie Hood saying that this was the "Best year yet" for the team. "We've grown as a team, and that's the most important thing," Mya Wesley said. “They’ve worked hard through practice and the previous games,” Londyn Carroll added. “I’m very confident in their skills going into this game.”
When asked if they had a favorite piece of advice from a Coach, Jaci replied with "Don't care about anyone's opinion except your teammates." This was echoed by Macie, citing coach Schuman's advice: "Don't worry about who's in the stands or what they have to say, it's between you and your teammates." Dinah Rivera responded with "Keep the energy up, keep moving, keep going." Londyn quoted Coach Schuman with “No matter the setbacks, you can come back stronger.” Ari Montano replied with “Believe in yourself. If you don’t, you won’t have confidence.”
We then asked what their favorite thing was about their fellow teammates. "I can go in and talk to anyone about anything, like a family," Londyn said. Ari responded similarly, saying: "No matter what, they'll have your back at the end of the day." This sentiment was echoed by Dinah, who said: "They're dependable on and off the court. If I get hurt, on or off the court, I know they have my back."
We asked what the Seniors considered the greatest skill for a player to have. "Confidence," Jaci replied. "If you don't have that, you're going to make more mistakes." Mya responded with confidence as well, but added that "you have to be able to handle adversity. There's a lot you have to overcome." Ari responded that "having a good Basketball IQ and being adaptable and being able to adjust" were key skills. Londyn responded with "Being a team player, playing for everyone rather than yourself." This was echoed by Dinah, who said "Be selfless. you can't play a team sport being selfish." Macie added that "Without communication, it's hard to win a game."
Lastly, we asked if the Seniors had any advice for younger players who wanted to get into basketball. "It's fun if you make it fun," Jaci said, "but you have to work hard 24/7, and be prepared for bad days." Mya pointed out the importance of a positive mindset, saying "Some days will be hard, and you'll have to work past that. Remind yourself why you're there." Additionally, Ari, Dinah, and Macie stated that confidence was key for young players, with Maci saying "Work as hard as you can." Londyn continued that thought. "Don't give up when it's tough. Keep working hard, and you'll be better than you were."
After the interview, we spoke with Coach Sheffield. "It depends on the upperclassmen to set the foundation of the program. It started last year with our seniors. These girls this year are staying the course, pushing forward, even through adversity." We asked what the biggest challenge thus far had been. "Coming together and not losing belief in each other or ourselves. Knowing that we can do whatever is set out in front of us. Our motto is 'Team-Family-Belief.' Right now, we're a great team, in the process of becoming a family and believing in each other. Our Seniors, and our underclassmen as well have been showing a ton of leadership, and it's making the future look very bright."
For more photos of the Lady Mavs practicing after the interview, click here.