With the regular season winding down, Outside the Huddle reached out to a handful of area senior boys basketball players. These players have spent 3-4 years on the varsity level. We asked them to tell us, in their own words, what they’d do different if they could go back to the start of their varsity careers, reminisce about their legacy and look forward to their final prep postseason. This is one such story:
IF I COULD GO BACK
Going back as a first-time varsity player, I knew there would be things I would have to adjust to in order to play. The speed of the game would be the biggest change in the game coming from eighth grade to a freshman playing varsity. The speed was extremely faster than middle school, so I had to put in the extra work and time to get use to running up and down with the big boys. Another key thing that I knew would be difficult for myself was the level and intensity of each practice every day. High school practices would be more competitive and constant moving. All season I knew that if I wanted to even stand a chance at the varsity level, I knew I had to come in day one of practice and show that. In the off-season I worked extremely hard, so if I did get the chance to play varsity, I wouldn’t be behind, and it would come to me a little easier.
The last thing I would tell myself as a little freshman is that I would have to hit the weights heavy if I wanted to play at any level in high school. Going up against players maybe 3 or 4 years older, I knew that I would have to get stronger so I wouldn’t get pushed around on the court.
Hitting the weight room was a big difference for me in the off season because I had never lifted 3-4 times a week before, so I would be very sore at first. Getting use to lifting became fun because now I knew that I would be ready to compete and I wouldn’t get pushed around.
MY LEGACY
The impact and legacy I wish to leave on the Bishop Luers program is to always work hard even when things don’t go your way at times. Success will always come through hard work. If you work hard and hustle every day, you have no reason not to be successful every time you step on the court. Having a championship mentality is key to having a successful season. If you set goals and push for them each day as a team, you will have a high percentage to achieve these things. The most important thing I want to leave is to always thank God every day for giving you the ability to play the sport you love and always remain humble.
MY FINAL POSTSEASON
This postseason, I plan to make it as far as possible and get to the state stage. No one on my team has had the chance to experience a sectional championship, so I plan to win our sectional so we all can get that wonderful feeling and get some net. After high school, I plan on continuing my academic and athletic career.
– Jalen Causey, Bishop Luers Class of 2020
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