The Lady Rocks Basketball Team went to plenty of places this summer to explore different competition, get seen by coaches, and overall, just get better. One stop they took was Batavia High School in Batavia, Illinois. It was a new trip they tried this year to get some new experience and show what they have been working on over the summer.
One player who got to go on this trip was Junior Jaimyiah McNeal. The Rocks got tons of experience going on this trip together, and there are skills to improve on like to, “Improve chemistry more, being respectful to one another, and overall, be and act like a team. Most importantly, be on time,” McNeal stated, McNeal made it clear the team wasn’t perfect, but that’s what the summer is for- to work out those imperfections. She is also working on her own to get better for the upcoming season, stating she is working on, “Everything, but mainly my shooting and post moves.” Henry Hall, Head Coach of the Lady Rocks, also pointed out how great this tournament was for the girls, stating, “Yes, 100%. We got to see how we stack up against real competition, and it exposed both our strengths and weaknesses. It helped us start building team chemistry and trust early. It was also great for exposure. A lot of kids are now getting recruited due to this tournament.” The Lady Rocks continue to put in work for the upcoming 25-26 season.
While focusing on what to work on, it is also important to focus on what went well. Hall explains, “We learned how important communication and effort are in high-pressure games. We also realized how much we need to work on staying consistent and composed, no matter the situation.” This tournament was very good for the Lady Rocks to get exposure and come together as a team.
McNeal and Hall both put emphasis on how it’s important for the girls to be able to click on the court, but always get along off the court. Hall states, “Our favorite part was just being with the team-on and off the court. The games were fun, but the memories we made hanging out as a group were just as great. We feel like this is just as important, sometimes, as playing the games.” Having those bonds off the court are so important to really get the team going, and also making all the memories is what’s going to matter in the future. McNeal explained, “Getting to improve, get some wins, strengthen our chemistry, and have fun with my teammates, and also, having to pull over and ‘fix’ the bus.” One of McNeals favorite parts is what makes memories, and she made a big point that memories are what matter at the end of the day.
The Lady Rocks got a few very important notes out of this tournament, exposure, work, and skills to work on when season comes around, but most importantly, they got new memories to cherish.
