With the BSGE FC and LFC soccer seasons coming to an end, the boys and girls basketball season is beginning with the boys first game being on November 29th against the Queens School of Inquiry.
Robert Caccamo and Pierre Jones are the head coaches of the boys team. Last year the team was a part of Division B Queens 1. This year, they moved down a division to Division A Queens, meaning they will be versing different schools. This year’s captains are seniors Abhijit Singha and Clive Leung, after the seniors graduated from BSGE last year.
Both teams began this year’s season in late October, holding morning practices at Frank Sinatra. They have to be at the school by 6:50 A.M. to head over to Sinatra and begin their 5 minute warm ups before running multiple drills.
Captain Clive states that “We practice our skill set and our plays that we will run in actual games. Every practice is an opportunity to identify our strengths and weaknesses. Doing daily repetitions with plays and skills allows us to flourish and get better collectively.”
Soon, both teams will be holding scrimmages- or game-like sessions where athletes play as if they are in a real game against another team- to practice for the real season. The scores of scrimmages are not counted on PSAL, however holding scrimmages against better teams help improve our teams skills.
Some of the top scorers last year were Ivan Wang with a total of 223 total points and 13 assists, who is now a sophomore, and Armaan Sett, a senior that graduated, with 133 points and 32 assists.
This year, the team changed divisions, but captain Clive believes that “redivision gives us a better chance to actually improve and win games, with past seniors graduating, the incoming juniors and seniors have to fill that role in. New members of the team give hope to develop and have a better season.”
Similarly, captain Abhijit believes that “there is a lot to be excited about this season because the team is a lot different than last year. The seniors last year really helped guide this team and helped us learn how to properly play basketball. It is our goal to be driven at every practice and to leave what we learned on the court.”
Being on this school team is something that has helped players build connections and friendships. A junior on the team, Jason Carati, states that “you can learn to work as a team and find a form of belonging working toward a common goal, and the bonds formed with teammates can be strong and long lasting.”
Jason also states that “it was an accomplishment to make this team, as nearly two years ago I had never touched a basketball. I worked hard with friends to get to where I am now. Being on the team is a rewarding experience, involving mental engagement, commitment, and much more.”
A common goal for any sports team is to make these connections with players, to build a strong team dynamic and to overall become a better team player, whether it means going to college for that sport, or to just have fun.
Tenzin Tselha, last year’s sophomore manager of the boys basketball team last year, who is now a junior, states that “managing the team was fun as the environment and gyms were clean and overall refreshing. I think the team will do well this year, as moving divisions gives us more opportunities to learn with teams more on our level, compared to last years which were more competitive. Most of the team has already played together since last year, so the chemistry may be better too.”
Sports are a big part of the BSGE community, as it gives students’ opportunities to gain activity hours for CAS and to create bonds that they otherwise would not have. A lot of players may use it as an extra activity to take part in after school and to hangout with friends, whether they are managing the team or even coaching the team. It is entertaining and expands student’s creativity in many aspects.