The girls finished their 2023-2024 basketball season last week against in districts. They finished the season with a 7-14 record, but the numbers on paper don’t show the obstacles that the girls worked hard to overcome this year.
“We had a team that was rebuilding this season. For a team that had to completely restart from no team and no coach, it went very well,” says team captain Chanelle Anderson ‘24.
Not having had a team at all last year, even experienced players weren’t at the top of their game at first. However, the team sees the value in building for the future.
“I think we definitely grew as a team, even if our record wasn’t that good. It was a decent start to get the team and the program going for future years,” agrees Giselle Potts ‘26.
This gives the older students on the team hope for the coming years.
“I hope the program goes up from here. We’re already at ground zero, so it really only makes room for improvements. I know they’re going to lose some freshmen and eighth graders next season, but I hope they bring in a lot of athletes and some more girls come out to play. I think the coaches will help with that process, too. They have the leadership to pull it off,” says Anderson.
Luckily, Anderson has the future team leadership behind her who believe just as much as she does.
“The program has a lot of potential,” agrees Taylor Easterwood ‘25. “The best thing about it is we now have a starting point for people to go off of due to the fact we didn’t have a team last season, and it might attract a lot more players to the school and the program.”
The main struggle the girls faced after the season got going was communication. However, they were able to work through their rough patches to improve the outcome.
“We worked through the rough games by having games where we did talk, and those went really well. I feel like we worked with our communication struggles by figuring it out on a case basis and working with what worked. Effort levels got better as the season went on, too, and the encouragement kept our teammates together,” says Anderson.
That self-efficacy made a huge difference: the girls then were able to incorporate communication work into practices.
“We did lots of drills in practice to try and improve the communication aspect of the game,” reflects Potts. “Rodney and Sarah were amazing coaches. They gave us some tough love, but I think they did a great job teaching us and helping us grow as a team.”
Other players also credit the team’s growth to the coaches.
“Our coaches did a really good job of keeping us together despite any difficulties we were having among the players or as individuals,” agrees Anderson.
One of the factors that contributed to the team’s success and ability to improve was the tight-knit chemistry among players.
“The biggest strength of the team was gaining momentum. The chemistry among players grew over time, especially because our team is so small. The coaches and players were pretty close by the end of the season because of our small numbers, and we all spent lots of time together each week,” says Easterwood.
The convivial spirit of the team, despite being part of potentially different social circles, was critical to building a strong team dynamic.
“I built chemistry with some of the underclassmen. I feel like we were able to figure things out as a group. From there, we just gelled with each other’s inner groups inside of the team. We were able to make it work as a whole since everybody was friends with someone else on the team even before the season started,” agrees Anderson.
The team’s chemistry also contributed to the fortitude and commitment the girls showed throughout the season.
“I’m proud of my team for coming together in some really tough games and beating teams that we definitely should’ve lost too,” explains Anderson. “They built up the confidence, and they weren’t scared to face those teams. We just played. Hopefully, everyone had fun by the end of the season.”
The pride of hard work is also reflected by other members of the team.
“I’m most proud of my team for showing up putting in the effort and doing the best they could,” agrees Easterwood.
Several favorite memories came out of this season as well.
“My favorite memory would probably be our first game. The chemistry was great. Everyone played well, and it set the expectation for the season,” recalls Easterwood.
“Winning against University Academy on HOCO night was awesome. The locker room was crazy that day after the game,” says Potts.
“We were playing a game, and my old teammates were in the crowd. I dribbled up the court to the volleyball line, and there were four seconds left. I hit the buzzer-beater right at zero and I just walked off. I have it on film and I will never not have it on film,” says Anderson.
Next year, Potts is looking forward to “seeing us grow and evolve as a team” with the momentum they created this season.
After completing her third and final season, Anderson offers a reflection on her experience playing basketball at Barstow.
“For everything that happened this year, and everything that I’ve gone through the last four years, I’m upset that this isn’t the season I predicted for my senior year,” she says. “But I’m glad that I got to have it and meet the people I did. I thank my teammates for being there because without them I wouldn’t have had a season and the experience I did.”
Make sure to congratulate the girls for everything they accomplished this season. They worked exceptionally hard to make it what it was, and we hope that they only continue to have success from here!
