The basketball bounces on the glistening gym floor. Up, down, up, down, until finally you hear #24’s shoes squeak to a halt. Mason Holstein takes his shot, and the ball flies across the court until you hear the swoosh of the net and suddenly we’re ahead 23-12.

  “There’s no better feeling than the one you get after a win,” senior Blake Aragon says. “No words can explain that moment.”

  For the determined athletes that make up Bill Brooks’ team, varsity basketball coach, the experience is nothing short of life changing. While learning commitment to their teammates, practice schedules, and coaches (along with the patience and respect they’re putting forth) they’re being “molded into young adults.”

  “Being a part of this team is not just about yourself, it’s about putting in the time, the effort, the good grades. Not only committing to your teammates on the basketball court but off of it as well,” says junior Clay Krause. “Knowing your self image reflects your coaches and teammates, you have to do the right thing even when nobody’s watching. Being the best you in everything that you do.”

  The varsity basketball team practices 3-4 hours a day and are heating up as they’ve placed 2-1 in district and plan on “working hard to get better everyday,” according to Brooks.

  “We’ve had a really tough pre-season. We’ve played some really good teams but we’re showing our true talent in district by winning some really great games,'” senior Coby Vanderburg says. “We’ve confronted some of our teams problems and it’s definitely showing on the court.”

  Basketball teaches these student athletes how to maintain both mental and physical fitness throughout the season and during off season through dedication in school work and workouts.

“You have to get your work done and put all academics before sports so that you will be able to play your sport. There’s a lot more to basketball than it seems. You have to know your teammates so well that you know their next move and how to work to help them complete that play. It’s also a faster pace sport – there’s constant movement and you have to hustle,” according to junior Mason Holstein.

  In addition to teaching basketball boys useful athletic skills, Coach Brooks plans on making his players better people in life.

  “Players have to pass their classes. I’ve always repeated this motto to them: Play the right way and do the right thing,” Brooks said. “Coaching has affected my life by having the ability to impact young men.”

  Multiple players insist that basketball and their coach have both changed their lives in an extremely positive way that they couldn’t have gotten anywhere else.

  “I’ve had a lot of experience with Coach Brooks. He’s grown to be my second dad, he has taught me how to play the game the right way, not only in basketball but in life too. He teaches me to have good character and work hard in everything that I do,” Krause says.

  Playing basketball has also brought forward many opportunities to know other kids better. Many friendships are molded out of similar interests students share.

  “Playing sports has grown me closer to a lot of friends that I wouldn’t have known otherwise,” says junior Cole Petti. “It’s taught me so many lessons that I’ll be using for the rest of my life and I’ve formed a lot of friendships that I know will be maintained for years.”

  For other students, basketball had a huge influence on their decision to come to Texas.

  Junior Kai Willems agrees, “Basketball means the world to me. Without it, I wouldn’t have made my decision to come here as a foreign exchange student. It really brought me to America.”