Everett “Ej” Conner

How long have you played basketball?

“1o years. Basketball is the only sport I’ve taken part in.”

How does being a athlete make you a better person?

“Being an athlete makes me a better person by keeping me motivated. When I’m engaged in a sport it benefits my lifestyle. It keeps me active, keeps me healthy and motivates me to keep my grades up. Since I plan to play in college it makes me want to fit the description of a student athlete (Studious, athletic, intelligent, etc.).

What is a good team environment for you?

“Where everyone plays as a team, and doesn’t mainly focus on their statistics. This means everyone has the ability to pass the ball, have court vision, shoot at the right time, and not force anything. Teams like this are very strong and successful.”

Why did you chose this sport?

“My dad introduced me to the game of basketball as a child one day by signing me up for a camp. I had never played before, but I loved to compete in every aspect in life. Ever since then, I fell in love with competing to be the best in the sport.”

Most memorable moment?

“My best moment was during my freshman year. My team only had 6 players so I had to fight through our subbing by playing the whole game. In doing so, I ended up scoring 37 of my teams 41 points including 7 three pointers. We lost the game by 3 points. I was 3 points away from scoring 40, but it is still my highest scoring game ever.”

Advice for new athletes?

“There will be times where you feel like the whole world it against you, but in a situation like that don’t give up. Work harder than everyone else and show the world what you have. There have been many times where I want to give up and stop trying because it wasn’t worth it at the time, but I didn’t give up because my passion was so strong and I broke that barrier.”

Kimberly Noriega

How long have you played basketball?

“4 years, 2 years at Millennium and 2 years at West.”

How does being an athlete make you a better person?

“Being an athlete makes me a better person, because I had to learn how to overcome obstacles and communicate better with others. Being an athlete showed me to be more vocal which pushed me to encourage and lift others more.”

What is a good team environment for you?

“An environment where all players feel safe, encouraged and motivated. It is important to me for everyone to feel safe on the team knowing that there are no issues, and if there were,  then to be able to feel comfortable openly talking to someone on the team about it. Working with a team everyday, players should feel encouraged and motivated to work harder than the day before.”

Why did you chose this sport?

“I chose basketball because my friend was the one who told me to try it out. It was new for me because no one else in my family played the sport. Being new to the sport, I learned many new skills and quickly learned that this is what I enjoy doing.”

Most memorable moment?

“When we played Tracy High during an away game. I played good defense that game and put up a few points as well. Even though we lost the game, I gained more confidence in myself and knew I was more capable than I thought.”

Advice for new athletes?

“Not to be afraid to ask for help, to not give up and to make bonds early with other players.”