Walking onto the court she felt anxious, confident and giddy. While parents and fans cheered, teammates encouraged her and coaches told her to stay calm. With the sound of the first buzzer, the season had begun.
Basketball season has started, and one new addition to the girls’ varsity team stands out. Jordann Hamilton, freshman, is the youngest girl on the team, but according to Girls’ Basketball Coach Brad Sutterer she holds her own as a part of the varsity team.
“She has the strength and speed that’s necessary at the varsity level as a freshman,” Sutterer said. “At tryouts, we had a need for a guard and she had the talent and the determination to fill the spot.”
According to Hamilton, being the only freshman does not intimidate her. Instead, she uses it as a learning experience to improve herself.
“I like playing on varsity because we are like a family, and I learn a lot from all the girls,” Hamilton said. “No one treats me like I’m too young. They all help me, and I fit in well because we all have a similar love for basketball.”
Hamilton, guard, contributes to the team with her knowledge of the game and bubbly personality.
“Jordan’s happy personality keeps us all upbeat and ready to play. She’s hilarious and makes the game more exciting,” Kayla Lundgren, senior and forward, said. “It’s nice having her around because there’s never a dull moment with Jordan on the court.”
Hamilton attributes much of her recent improvements on the court to her coaching. Hamilton has learned about many plays and dealing with situations from the older girls on the team and continues to learn everyday, she said.
“The coaches are amazing,” Hamilton said. “They’re tough and make us work really hard, but they push us to be better, and that makes us better.”
As a freshman, Hamilton has some adjusting to do as a player on varsity. She gets playing time in 2-3 minute intervals, and is quickly becoming accustomed to the new level of competition she faces, Sutterer said.
“The biggest thing for her is to get used to is the speed at which the team plays and getting used to the system,” Sutterer said. “Most of the girls we will face will be 17-18 years old, and she has to be okay with facing bigger, older girls.”
Lundgren said Hamilton is adapting well to the team because she not only has the skills, but also the passion and companionship everyone on the team loves.
“She’s doing a great job of learning quickly and working with everyone,” Lundgren said. “We are all so different, but we click when it comes to basketball.”
As a team, the girls have the same goal they have always had: to play hard, work hard and win state.
According to Hamilton, state is a possibility if everyone comes together and believes they can win as a team.
“It’s not a one-person sport,” Hamilton said. “Basketball requires teamwork, and everyone has to help each other to succeed.”
