The Winter Athletic Season does not begin for another two months, but the Sidwell Friends girls basketball 2024-2025 season’s preparation is already underway.
A group of around 10 girls come together to train each week and increase their fitness before the season begins. Their workouts include conditioning, running and agility, offensive and defensive drills a nd scrimmaging. The girls mostly play five-on-five and it is typically a fun exercise, but the threat of running laps as punishment for losing encourages the girls to push themselves in each match.
Junior Maggie McDonald commented that beyond the fitness aspect, the open gyms, “are a place for us as a team to grow as players, make mistakes and strengthen our relationships in a setting that is not as stressful as normal practice.”
Some girls who have not been a part of the varsity squad in the past mentioned that attending open gyms is a way for them to “ease into the season” and get a “grasp at the team culture.” The team culture is enhanced through open gyms, because it allows the girls to meet one another and get used to each other’s style of play.
Over the past couple of years, the Sidwell Friends girls basketball team has been on the rise, consistently playing at local and national levels. However, their growing popularity and success brought along stressful practices, high expectations, and busy schedules. These open gyms have been helpful for these student-athletes as they return to school after the summer and are still adjusting to a normal day-to-day schedule.
Since the environment is less stressful than a normal practice, these open gyms allow players to enjoy themselves and the game to which they commit so much of their time and energy.
Jordyn Jackson, a junior guard, mentioned that the open gym practices are still full of energy, but are more relaxed than regular practices, allowing room for improvement before the team is submerged in the stress of the winter season.
Freshman players commented that before the school year began they were afraid about meeting the team and getting along with the girls. Having open gyms provided an opportunity for the younger girls to get to know the team before being thrown into competition.
It is especially helpful for the girls to be able to understand and experience the high intensity and standards that the girls expect of themselves and of their teammates.
The team will face challenging opponents in the coming season, so using open gyms will serve as an environment to prepare for that. Junior Ava Yoon, a point guard who has been on the team since her freshman year, stated that the open gyms are an opportunity to increase their “team chemistry.”
Additionally, college coaches have been attending their open gyms and are able to watch the players perform in a low pressure environment, giving the girls opportunities to showcase their skills.
