At least 10 basketball players have decided to leave the team for different reasons, including time commitments and unforeseen changes in the program.
With team and staff changes this year, some former players decided to step down due to the heavy practice schedule, while some current players suggest that the exits of many players opened new opportunities and did not affect team chemistry.
“It wasn’t what we expected because we’ve been with the program for a long time. The coaching style was also very different and not what I expected or preferred either,” former varsity forward and center junior Davis Glynn said
Being on the team entails practices both in the morning and during sixth period to after school. During the basketball season, there is also the addition of time spent at each game. For former varsity forward senior Ethan Wang, the dedication of court time is the main reason he decided to leave.
“I wanted to pursue other things, and I felt that the time I was playing on the [court], putting into practice and studying film just wasn’t worth it,” Wang said. “I knew I wasn’t going to play basketball past high school, and being on the varsity team demands a lot from you, so I feel like I’m more in control of my own life now.”
Varsity point guard senior Leo Ouyang is still undecided whether to maintain his place on the team for similar reasons to Wang and is on hiatus. One change enforced by the new coach was moving up the schedule, with intense training beginning as soon as August. With his focus on college applications and weekends planned out for college preparation, this shift in schedule was unexpected and difficult for him to accommodate.
“My head’s just not in basketball right now, so I made the decision to pull myself out of the game real quick to focus on college applications and trying to get my grades up for my last semester,” Ouyang said. “I love playing the game and it’s been a passion of mine since I was young. The [downside] is just that it’s taking a lot of my time, especially on the weekends when I have a lot planned, so I just can’t physically have time for both sides.”
Junior varsity guard Justin Ringor feels the absence of the teammates he grew close to, but he does not feel any apparent changes to the program itself. Players leaving opened up positions, which he feels gave players like him more opportunities to showcase their talent and earn “their spot.” He recognizes the challenge of staying fully dedicated, a factor he feels played into the former players’ decisions.
“As we get older, school gets harder, right? Also, with personal lives, everything can kind of get crazy,” Ringor said. “Basketball is something that we all like to put our full effort into, so when we feel like we can’t put our full effort into it, it feels disrespectful to only put like half of the hard work into it instead of full.”
Like Ringor, varsity center senior Zayn Karim feels that players leaving did not alter the program or affect the team’s camaraderie either. With a current 3-0 streak in the fall league, he is confident and optimistic for the results of the upcoming season.
“Other than people leaving, not much has changed. As we continue to practice together, we will be pretty good and I’m excited for the season,” Karim said.
