In sports, we often pay most attention to the score because winning games seems like the ultimate goal. However, for the girls’ basketball team, their mindset on the court is just as important as the points they score. It becomes clear, when talking to the coaches and players on Norwalk High School’s girls basketball team, that they have one of the best mindsets we’ve observed.
They put values like teamwork and leadership above all else, and it has made a big impact on their program. Coach Timmy Williams has pushed for a united team, he said, “I try to get that cohesiveness with the team, have them stick together. We do stuff outside of school, we do stuff in school, we do stuff collaboratively.” Some of this stuff included the charity work the team did over Christmas break. They also recently went to WestCon to watch basketball at the next level as a team. This has translated into their game by giving the team stronger chemistry on the court.
Coach Williams has played a huge part in creating this inspiring team mindset. His philosophy has proven to be successful. When asked about Coach Williams, Junior basketball player Jasmine Diaz said, “My coach’s support really made a difference during our one-on-one practices on the court. That meant a lot because it pushed me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to take risks and try new moves, which helped me improve as a player.”
Each player has been pushed by their coach to be the best player they can be, and Coach Williams couldn’t be prouder. “Every day I feel proud of the team because I see progress, I see growth. When they are playing, they leave it all out on the court,” says Coach Williams.
