Anticipation and excitement for a new season has basketball and wrestling athletes focusing on gaining confidence, developing skills in their sports, and bonding with teammates.
Winter sports are getting ready for the season. WHS boys wrestling started practice on Monday, Nov. 7, and the WHS girls wrestling started Monday, Oct 31. Boys and Girls basketball practice started Oct 31. They are getting prepared for the season
Confidence is a big part of being a good athlete. An athlete has to have a good mindset to succeed in any sport.
“This season my focus is going to be on confidence and having the mentality that I can play all positions and make my shots,” junior basketball player Laney Arnett said.
Having team goals and personal goals for the season is very important. Having goals for the season helps athletes to push themselves and work harder.
“My personal goal is to win a state medal,” senior wrestler Nick Bagley said.
Bagley has made it to state three times.
“My team goal is to win more games than we did last year, grow as an individual player and as a team,” sophomore boys basketball player Garrett Ferguson said.
The boys’ basketball team won two games last season.
“A team goal I would like to make would be to not only have game energy during the games themselves, but put that energy into the practices as well, and never give up,” junior girls basketball player Rachel Henderson said.
No matter how good or bad a team may be, there will always be challenges.
“I’m worried that the girls will not give themselves a chance. I believe that they do not see themselves as winners and they are expected to lose and they will easily give up and I am hopeful that we can push through that,” assistant girls’ basketball coach Maci Parrack said.
Coaches hope to see much growth throughout the season.
“We have many new wrestlers this year who are learning the basics and fundamentals of wrestling. Growing the program from youth, middle school, and high school is going to help Warsaw to continue to make great future wrestlers,” head girls’ wrestling coach Aspen Longworth said.
The different coaching styles have a lot to do with how the team succeeds.
“My preferred game style is to RUN!! Never let the opponents have a break. Wear them down. I rotate players in and out, we have fresh legs coming in every couple of minutes, and the other team never gets a break. Traditionally, it is to play your best five players and sub a few here and there. My goal is to run the other team three quarters, and when the fourth quarter comes, my team is just as ready to play hard and fast as they were at the start of the game,” girls’ basketball coach Matt Henderson said.