It is that time of year again – the winter basketball season! The boys’ basketball season began a little over two months ago at APK. The team has had a challenging season, but they continue to persevere and give it their best shot.
The boys’ basketball team had their first game of the season on November 22nd, 2023, against Orlando Christian Prep. They fought hard but lost the game. However, the beginning of the season loss did not stop them. The team went on having 2-3 games a week. They have had some great wins and some harsh setbacks. As the end of the season nears, the team’s record so far is an even 10-10. This makes their win percentage 50%. They are 3rd in the 7A District 3 with a win-loss ratio of 0-1. They are also now on a two-win streak. The team seems to struggle more with home games than away games, winning four games and losing four games. They have had better luck with away games, winning six and losing six.
The Blue & White was able to interview a varsity player on the boys’ basketball team. We asked nine questions about their purpose and their why. We also asked about some activities the team does to prepare, adversities, and solutions.
The Blue & White chose to interview varsity player number 12, Sophomore Trent Jean. Trent plays point guard for the team. When asked why he decided to play basketball for the school’s team, Trent responded, “I’ve been playing the sport since I was six. The choice to play for the school was just obvious.” Trent is 15, meaning he’s been playing basketball for nine, almost ten years. The same goes for many other players on the team, as this is a common but impressive trait several Apopka sports players possess. Next, we asked Trent about his favorite part about playing for the school. He replied, “The competition is the most fun for me. It’s my reason for playing, my why.” Trent’s purpose for playing sure sounds like a fun one. Competition and competitiveness are the driving forces of many sports teams. It is reported to influence greater exercise intensity in most persons, according to The Sport Journal, making it admirable that Apopka’s team and its members are driven by it.
The next portion of the interview focused on the team. The Blue & White asked Trent what practices looked like for the team. Trent gave a short answer, “Practice is pretty much hell and way harder than the games, but that is how it has to be for us to get better as a team and individually.” We also asked about practice before games. Trent gave us a little insight into what the team does. “We get shots up, go over scout, and then get ready to play,” he said.
We next focused on the team’s serious challenges, how to overcome them, and what it takes to play the sport and be on the team. Trent said that one of the team’s prominent issues is that they are “very young compared to other teams” because Apopka’s varsity team has only 3 seniors, meaning the team consists of younger, more inexperienced players. When asked how this challenge of being inexperienced can be overcome, Trent plainly replied, “Going harder in practice would surely help us compete at a higher level than we do.” Practicing harder ensures that younger players understand the sport better and can learn to play as well as older players. To stray away from the negatives, The Blue & White asked Trent what the team’s strengths are and how they help the team succeed past all of the adversity in their way. Trent said the team’s strength is their ability to “play as hard as possible at all times” despite struggling this season. We pressed on, furthering the question by asking how this strength helps the team to succeed in games. Trent answered, “it helps us overwhelm other teams with our hard work and determination.” The final topic of The Blue & White’s interview with Sophomore Trent Jean was what he believes are the qualities needed to be a successful basketball player and why. He forthrightly returned the question, saying that the one quality a player truly needs to be successful in the sport is “discipline.” He continued, saying, “you have to keep putting in work regardless of a good result,” as well.
Though the team has faced some hardship, the boys have not stopped even for a moment. They continue to push and have won their last two games, evening out the team’s record this season. The season is also not yet over, and the team still has time and room for improvement. Apopka and its student body are proud of the team’s hard work, persistence, and tenacity.
