North Central Girls Basketball is entering the upswing of their season and are currently 2-2. Over the summer, they spent time welcoming their new head coach Fahkara Hawkins.
Hawkins has an enormous amount of positivity entering this program. She has a lot to look forward to.
“I am looking forward to building really strong relationships between coaches and players, those that are new and those that are old. I’m looking forward to building a really solid foundation,” Hawkins said.
Junior Nieah Jackson’s goals are slightly different. She is out for the majority of the season due to an ACL related injury.
“I am looking forward to getting cleared so I can get back on the court,” Jackson said.
Being permanently benched means she has the best opportunity to step in as a part-time cheerleader.
“Even though I can’t actually play with my team, I support them by cheering and trying to have the best attitude I can,” Jackson said.
Power forward, junior Mckenzi Rutland helps out her team in a more physical manner. Rutland has been a starting varsity player since freshman year. Rutland knows that not one single player can win a game and says they focus on the team aspect of the game.
“[Our team strategy is ] ‘we over me.’ It’s really just good team basketball,” Rutland said.
Rutland explains ‘we over me’ as extending the play to get the whole team involved. Some passes or shots may not be in the players individual best interest but the team as a whole is really what matters.
Strategy is nothing without good practice. The girls work hard and focus hard to prepare themselves sufficiently for tough games.
“We work on execution. We work on a lot of communicating. We are working on being in the best shape that we can be in, so we can play fast,” Hawkins said.
To support her players in game, Hawkins provides the best support she can up until its game time. She thinks of game preparation in terms of schooling.
“It’s kind of like being a student. All the way up until the test, the teacher is talking, talking and talking. Then, the test comes. My goal is to try to prepare them the best I can. The test is more just about guidance,” Hawkins said.
The Lady Panthers’ schedule is packed with a lot of really good games where the girls can show off the hard work they put in everyday after school. Rutland has a few in particular that she thinks will be strong games.
“I’m super excited for the Lawrence Cental game, the Pike game and the Homestead game. It’s going to be good competition and I think we are going to be able to compete. It’ll be a good test for our team and it will really push us to get a good win,” Rutland said.
To get in the right body and headspace, the girls have to spend time preparing before the game. Physically, Hawkins makes sure they get all the right nutrients to play their hearts out.
“Physically [before a game], we are just making sure that we are putting ourselves, our bodies, in the same position that we will be in the game. We also make sure that we nourish our bodies to the best of our ability,” Hawkins said.
As a player, Rutland’s pre-game is a little more individually focused. She spends a little extra time to herself to put herself in a good position for tip-off
“To prepare for a game I made sure I went to the trainer and got my ankles taped. Then, I just make sure I know all the plays. Then, I just put some headphones on and really get locked,” Rutland said.
Sports are nothing without mental toughness and team chemistry. Fortunately, the energy on this team is nothing short of strong.
“We are really good at understanding each other’s abilities and we also have really good chemistry,” Rutland said.
Even though Hawwkins has only been with this team for a little under a year, she too can appreciate the chemistry and community of this program.
“We excel at caring for each other. The girls care very strongly for each other. I think that’s really important,” Hawkins says, “[I would describe the community as] family. I definitely feel that support from parents, guardians, the kids. I think we have a lot of support.”
The girls have a lot of basketball to look forward to this season. Easing into big changes amongst coaching staff can be difficult but the warm embrace of this community is taking the challenge head-on.
“Im super excited to just be playing, being with my teammates and to win games. I think Coach Hawkins is great. She always asks us about our day and she actually cares about our personal lives. It’s not just basketball, basketball, basketball,” Rutland says.
