We often hear from players and coaches about their wins and how good it feels, but it’s also important to talk about their losses and what keeps them going.
The transition from football to basketball season at Athens Drive is practically seamless. The student section remains just as loud, and the stands are packed on both sides of the gym.
Basketball season at Athens Drive brings a whole new wave of school spirit as students pack the stands and the gym gets louder than ever before. It’s quite clear that the Jaguars are ready to make their season one to remember.
Freshmen at Athens Drive don’t typically get a full sense of the Drive until football season or basketball season. Sports at Athens Drive are typically what bring the majority of the student body together. Students show up and show out, especially with the themed basketball games.
Basketball season continues the rivalries between schools like Athens, Apex, Cary and Rolesville. Athletes across all sports, varsity or not, give their all at every turn.
Oftentimes, society puts people in boxes, whether it be by gender, height, weight or race. Basketball has often in the past been a male-centered sport, butwomen have been breaking the glass ceiling and playing just as well, sometimes better than men.
Women’s basketball player Brooklyn Jackson offered up her expertise on all things varsity basketball at Athens Drive, and even what led her to try out and keep at it.
“Since I was little, I always wanted to do the things that girls usually weren’t supposed to do,” said Jackson.
It’s easy to start a sport or an activity, but it’s keeping up with the sport that people often struggle with. Especially in high school, student-athletes have to deal with outlying factors such as family, pressure from peers, and a number of other things.
“I wanted to stay in shape, and I wanted… to make my family proud,” said Jackson.
Teams need to have things that bring them together, especially during trying times mid-season, because when things get rough, these are the people you’ll turn to for support.
“Things like eating together and you know, just spending time with each other outside of the sport,” said Jackson.
Everyone, and every team, has its own ways to deal with losses, both together and independently.
“Personally, I like to just forget, move on, and worry about the next plan or whatnot, and our team focuses on our personal goals, our team goals, and setting new ones after we’ve met previous ones,” said Jackson.
Motivation, especially in sports, is very important because, as previously mentioned, teams must come together and push for a win.
“Energy, commitment, and looking at your teammate and knowing you’re not just doing it for yourself but you’re doing it for them as well,” said Jackson.
Balancing academic responsibilities and being a student athlete often comes with challenges, such as late-night practices, lengthy projects due, exams, and tests after a long game.
“School always comes first in my household. If school is not right, then I can forget about sports. I just do what I have to do during the time that I have to do it, that way, when I have time for sports, I can focus on that instead of worrying about school,” said Jackson.
The women’s basketball coach is Ally Stephenson, a jack of all trades. Stephenson does so much around Athens Drive, like helping to issue lunch detention passes and working with the academic recovery program, yet still has the time to step up to coach Women’s basketball.
“So I played basketball my whole life, but what really got me into coaching was I have had four knee surgeries, and my last year in college, I had to quit early because I had torn my other ACL. I just decided it wasn’t good for me to play anymore,” said Stephenson.
Despite her injuries in college, Stephenson remains dedicated to building girls up, especially in a typically male-centered sport.
“I love the kids, I love the sport, and you know I love empowering women,” said Stephenson.
Losses in sports are just as hard for the coaches as they are for the players, but even with losing as a coach, you are still expected to pick up the pieces and your players.
“I kind of compare it to life. You play sports to learn life lessons so you know everything’s not gonna be a win in life all the time and you gotta learn from it you gotta let it motivate you,” said Stephenson.
As the coach, it’s on Stephenson to decide who makes the team, especially with limited spots and often lots of interest from prospective players.
“Here at Athens, I’ve been lucky we haven’t had that many girls try out. I wish there was more interest, but in terms of cutting people, I haven’t had to do much of that…” said Stephenson. “Obviously, I look at skill, but even over skill, I look at dedication. Did you come to workouts? Are you coachable? Are you gonna be responsible? Are you a good teammate? So I do look at skill, but I also look at those other factors as well.”
When being a student athlete, academics are the most important. If grades are bad, you don’t play, or you just might not make the team.
“I mean, they have to be eligible to play, so that’s a big thing, but I definitely emphasize students first. We run if you don’t have A’s or B’s… I tell them – you know – you’re not average, you need to be above average, so I do look at grades. I try not to judge their past for what they have now. I try to work with them,” said Stephenson.
As a coach, having to motivate others when you might rather not talk about the loss or think about it is often something many don’t acknowledge or commend coaches for.
“There’s been plenty of times where I just haven’t felt motivated, whether it be for the same reason the kids aren’t motivated, or I have personal things going on, but what I’ve learned is that I’m the leader,” said Stephenson. “I’m what they look at first, so I have to put my feelings aside to make sure that they understand that I have to be a role model for them, no matter if I had a bad day or no matter if I’m not motivated today, I still have to show up and give my best that I have.”
Being able to balance your day job with coaching a sport is a talent among coaches and student-athletes.
“I just finished my seventh year as the head varsity women’s coach. Before that, I coached or helped with JV and Varsity for five years, so I’ve been doing it since I’ve been at Athens. It’s definitely hard, especially during the season,” said Stephenson. “I really just try to separate my daily work from basketball. I have an office downstairs, so if there is a day that I need to spend a period downstairs, I try to go down there and just do my basketball stuff and separate it from what I have going on up here, just so I don’t spend my day just on basketball. I definitely do try to make my academic job the priority.”
When all is said and done, and the court has been cleared, the relationship between a coach and their players will never fade. The bond between teammates and the effort left on the court is forever.
