Playing basketball at Glenbrook South for four years has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. There is no better feeling than making history on the court with some of your best friends. From the moment I stepped into this program as a freshman, I was taken care of by coaches, I was guided by older players, and eventually, I became part of the culture.

It was emphasized to me early on that the most cherished part of high school basketball was not the accolades, records, or recognition; it was the relationships and memories I would have with my teammates.

I didn’t really give this much thought until the end of round, for three years, some I even knew from middle school. I didn’t understand how much they meant to me and what kind of an impact they had on me until all of a sudden, we were done. No more pasta parties,
no more Dengeos dinners, no more long bus rides.

Going into my senior year, I am glad I was able to really appreciate every practice, every lift, every open gym, every game and every moment with my new team. Although we only had two other returning players, it was an opportunity for me to build new friendships and lead the younger players the same way I was led almost four years ago.

Funny enough, one of the first thoughts I had after losing the final game of my high school basketball career was “Damn, I wish I just had one more year with these guys.” I wanted to develop the relationships we had made over this last year. I didn’t want it to come
to an end.

However, as the pain of the moment eventually faded, I came to realize that once these connections are made, it doesn’t actually all come to an end. I still talk to and hang out with past teammates from my freshman year. Additionally, I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to continue my basketball career in college, where I will once again build new friendships over the next four years.

Overall, winning and competing is amazing, but from my experience, it doesn’t come close to the brotherhood I made along the way.