Getting varsity playing time as a freshman is something most young athletes only dream about, but many of the rookies on the Foxes girls basketball team are not only stepping into important roles early on, they are helping to build a foundation for the program’s future.
Their experiences have not come easily – in fact, it’s been a rocky road at times during the first half of the season – but they have learned to look beyond the scoreboard as a measure of just how much they have progressed individually and as a team.
After a few defeats – but also many times when they were very much into games until the fourth period – the girls finally got some validation for all of the hard work and grit they have put into practices and games. In a game against North Hills on January 17, the Foxes had a dominant lead throughout the entire game, held their opponent to only 24 points, and earned a decisive 50-24 win.
“Everyone performed their role on the team to the best of their ability,” says a very pleased coach Marty Matvey. “We always tell the team not to worry about wins and losses, but to be most concerned about giving your best effort, every play, in your role. The girls did that last night!”
Meg Delaney, a 5’10” freshman forward, says her multisport background has been a plus when it comes to basketball. “I think my passing, cutting, ability to get open, and playmaking all have been helped by playing lacrosse and, to some extent, tennis.”
She acknowledges the difficulties the team has faced so far but is upbeat about their possibilities. She says, “As a team, we are still young, and I think each game we are improving and working together to highlight each other’s strengths. The upperclassmen have been very supportive and help keep us motivated, and coach Matvey also is very positive and helping us to improve each game. He often calls our season a rollercoaster – we definitely give our opponents a good game – and I think we are starting to gel as a team.”
Another freshman, Brooke Fenton, was hungry for a chance to get some varsity time but was a bit surprised when the coaches were confident enough to place her as the team’s starting point guard due to the injury of sophomore point guard Sarah Slember.
“I was hoping to play some varsity time this year, but I was not fully prepared to take on the responsibility of being the point guard,” she acknowledges, and says she is working to become more comfortable and develop in that role.
“I look back at each game and dissect what I could have done better personally for us to improve into the future.”
“The point guard has the toughest job on the court, and when Brooke is in that role, she has responsibilities beyond her age,” coach Matvey says. “But she has a very high basketball IQ, is very crafty, and a fighter, and will be better off for it in the long run.”
Bella Urso, Natalia Schaffer, Addy Bursick, and Adina Rosen, all freshmen, round out the roster of freshmen who are getting good opportunities to contribute.
“Bella is learning she can become an elite defender,” says coach Matvey. “She’s up to that challenge and has applied everything we’ve asked her to do. She has a very bright future.”
“I think my speed helps me stay with the top defenders, pressuring them not to score as much,” Bella adds. “I think it also has helped me on offense. Overall, I think my confidence (in both areas) has improved since the start of the season.”
“Natalia was injured at the beginning of the season, but right now, she’s really starting to capitalize off of her varsity opportunities,” the coach says of his shooting forward. “Natalia has elite athleticism. She’s strong, fast, and has a great shooting touch, which has served her well in recent games. I think she surprises some people with just how athletic she is.”
The coach continues his assessment of some of his other freshmen, saying, “Adina has a great killer instinct. She is always ready to mix it up on defense and is super aggressive on offense. We are excited to see her continued growth. Addy might be an undersized shooting forward, but she has fantastic instincts on both ends of the ball and is a capable shooter.”
Even though the girls have started to have more confidence in themselves, are shooting more, and executing better on the defensive end of the ball, the coaches are continuing to push them to meet the standards of the program as they build their new foundation with this group.
“Our hope for the team now is for them to use the lessons learned from the first half of section play and apply them to the second half to turn some losses into wins,” coach Matvey remarked.
