Five freshmen were brought up to the varsity girls basketball team this year and the team is hoping to have a season as eventful as last year.

“We went to the Elite 8 last year and we graduated six seniors, so that is why we had a lot of room on the team,” Christopher Bennett, varsity head coach, said.

The freshman being brought up to varsity has to do with the Bennett’s strategy to bring up young kids in order to prepare them for the next three years in the program.

“When we bring up young kids, it isn’t necessarily for them to play but it is in preparation for their next three years [on the team],” Bennett said, “but it is a decision for each individual kid.”

The 5 freshman are working hard and continue to encourage their peers [freshman] on the team and the upperclassmen while they play.

 “I didn’t really think I was going to play basketball this season” Amelia Young, freshman on the team, said. “This is a great opportunity for me! I am learning a lot of new things and for future years, it will prepare me to do things like start. All the upperclassmen have been like my coaches and I love having them there.”

Maddy Piggott, senior on the team, has been on the varsity team for three seasons and has trained with these new freshman at camps, summer league games and open gyms. According to Piggott, during camps and open gyms, all the upperclassmen treated all the freshman like equals.

“I think we helped to push them [the freshman] and get them ready for tryouts and the season,” Piggott said. “It is probably one of the youngest teams I’ve been on but all the freshman are being integrated great. They are catching on very fast and making practice very competitive.”

Bennett also believes in the young team’s skill, saying that the coaches really look for coach-ability, competitiveness, potential and the skills they have coming into the program.

“We [also] look for advanced ball handling, maturity, and effort towards working as a team,” Bennett said.

To Piggott, these skills the younger players have shown will help the team out in the long run, and she hopes to make a playoff run similar to last year’s.  

“Our team has a lot of potential to make a run. We have 6 returning players and all the new members will add a lot, and this year since we have lost our big post player we are focusing on playing faster and taking more outside shots,” Piggott said. “I know this team can do big things like we did last year.”