Photos by Molly Foster

(Brenna Morrison #10)

“Somewhere behind the athlete you’ve become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back… play for her.” Mia Hamm.

“I like this quote because it explains how the athlete should always play for themselves, especially [for] me when I walk into games I try to play for myself and improve myself yet I also play for my family and whoever is there supporting me,” freshman Brenna Morrison said.

Morrison has played JV and varsity basketball, but she started out on C-team. Her story shows others what it is like to play sports on higher teams like, JV and varsity, as a freshman.

“I really didn’t have any expectations, I just kind of knew that I was going to be on a team and that I would need to work my way up to the team I wanted to be on,” Morrison said.

Going into tryouts, Morrison appeared to have the right mentality that she would need to work hard to make it to the top.

“I actually started on C-team and then after the first game I got asked to go play some JV and then I kind of like stuck on JV and got moved up to JV/Varsity,” Morrison said.

Making C-team did not stop her, she worked hard and that paid off. Morrison got moved up to JV and would suit up for varsity and occasionally play.

“The older girls were so nice and they’re really supportive and they really want to help get you better and have a good time and they are just relaxing and fun,” Morrison  said.

The older girls were a great support system for Morrison when she joined the new team.

“I guess I was supportive,” senior Maia Wilson said. “I just wanted them (the two freshman) to have fun and want to be a part of this team and to support the people on the court even though they might not get in.”

When Morrison first played, she had a specific mindset the night of her first game on varsity.

“I was really nervous and we were up by a lot so I knew I couldn’t mess up too bad,” Morrison said. “But it was just really fun and exciting to be like ‘oh my gosh!’ they called my name on the announcements and it was just really cool.”

The coaches did a lot to help Morrison feel prepared and welcomed on JV and varsity.

‘’I really love Coach Stanley, that’s the JV coach, and she’s so nice and she really wants to improve all of us to be on varsity,” Morrison said. “Coach Strecker is really nice and funny but he will also put hard work into us and hard work ethic and during a game he has really strong and supportive words and quotes. Also Coach Riley is really nice too and will work with us on our free throws, so thanks to Coach Riley.I want to stay playing at West for all four years and I really want to improve myself so that I can become a starter on varsity.”

Sadly, the season is coming to an end, and although Morrison will miss the seniors, she can not wait for next season.

“My experience has been so fun and I am so sad to stop playing and I really don’t want the season to end and I have so much fun hanging out with all the seniors but it’s really sad to realize that they are going to leave soon and I won’t be able to play with them anymore,” Morrison said.

As Wilson’s final season comes to an end, she will leave BV West, along with the basketball team, to begin a new chapter.

“I love the frosh and I will miss them next year even though they act like children and are crazy,” Wilson said. “I want them to enjoy their high school years but also strive to win.”

Wilson will be going to college next year and she just wants the best for the freshman.

“It will be fun next year to see the new talent that the incoming freshman will bring, and I can’t wait to help the new freshman out and be a good leader and teammate to them just like the older girls were to me,” Morrison said.  

Photo by Mrs. Wilson

(Maia on left, Brenna on right)