The varsity girls basketball team has snagged an invitation to the Hoopfest Tournament.
The annual Thanksgiving Hoopfest tournament is an invitational tournament from Nov. 29 to Nov. 30, where only the top 21 girls’ basketball teams in a 12-state region are invited. In the tournament, Kinkaid’s girls varsity basketball team will be able to play against the highest-ranked programs in the nation.
When the players found out they had made the tournament, they were ecstatic about the challenge.
“All of our hard work had paid off. It will be a good challenge for us. We’ll be able to see where we are and where we are going to go from there,” said senior Bess Brazelton, captain of the girl’s varsity basketball team.
The senior was not exaggerating when she said “hard work.” The team has been learning complex plays, shooting drills and enduring the intense conditioning of coach Terri Hairston’s dreaded “Terri Time.”
“It was a wake up call,” said freshman Jaelyn Sowells on her first time training with the team. “The amount of talking they did, the plays and all the running. I was just not ready for that.”
Carefully crafted drills simulate game-like situations and encourage friendly competition among the players. The team’s rigorous training was intentional and clearly effective.
Hoopfest Basketball, which hosts basketball events for elite teams across the country, has promoted the tournament under the slogan: “Where Stars Are Born.”
Boasting hundreds of D1 athletes and WNBA players such as USC’s Juju Watkins and University of Oregon’s Deja Kelly, their lofty tagline has rung true.
The intensity of the varsity girls’ practices has gone up in the last few years, which Lyllian Walton, senior captain, said is due to the coaches having more faith in the players as they have grown their ability with commitment and effort.
“We don’t stop. We never think ‘Oh, we did good last year, and we are just going to stay the same.’ Every single day we are trying to learn something new and be better,” Walton said.
Every year, the coaches choose a theme, carefully decided based on the challenges and players on the team.
“Similar to a fingerprint that is unique to each person, each theme is unique to that team,” said Mrs. Stacey Marshall, head coach of the girls varsity basketball team.
Last year, the theme was S.O.S., ‘Squad Over Self.’ This year, the coaches have chosen the theme ‘Strength in Numbers.’ These themes have allowed the players to adopt a mindset that values teamwork, which is seen in their playing.
“The way we play is very team focused rather than player focused,” Brazelton said.
The team’s success lies largely in their closeness and community.
Coach Marshall maintains that in a strong team.
“The leaders are first servants and should work hard to help new players feel welcomed,” she said.
Freshmen, like Jaelyn Sowells, have viewed the seniors as role models.
“We’re more connected than other teams. When they play in the games they’re not connected,” Sowells said.
And now, their dedication to their team, as players and as friends, has led them to one of the most prestigious tournaments they could participate in.
“I just feel so lucky to be part of it,” Brazelton said.
Coach Marshall said she sees the Hoopfest tournament as a symbol of the girls’ diligent work and she believes they will continue to be nationally recognized as one of the top private schools’ girls basketball teams.
“The community should come to support our girl’s basketball team,” coach Marshall said. “We are talented athletes and strong leaders and our team plays a style of basketball that is fun to watch.”
