This season South El Monte’s Girls Basketball team is training hard to improve their record. The girls have been hard at practice since November to strengthen their skills and improve endurance. They will continue to practice until the season ends in February.

Before practice started the girls worked on their conditioning to ensure they were in tip-top shape. Their conditioning involved running across the court and lifting weights. They practice around four to five times each week and each session usually lasts around two to four hours and is composed of layup lines, scrimmaging and various shooting drills. 

Playing basketball every day has aided the girls in developing their teamwork and building muscle memory. The girls also have to focus on being student-athletes and keeping their grades up, this results in the girls doing their homework during their free time before school and when they get home from practice. 

Currently, the Junior Varsity has won all their games so far and are undefeated in league. When the Junior Varsity team was doing tryouts back at the start of January they decided which players were going to be ball handlers, and which were going to be shooters. The team consists of 16 students and is coached by Coach Melody.

 The Varsity team has a five out of thirteen winning streak. And their best score is against Westwood High School, where they scored 70 to 33. “Basketball has helped me realize how important teamwork is. It also allows me to learn how to collaborate with others, work hard, stay in shape, and challenge myself both mentally and physically,” says Junior, Karena Caro, a Varsity player.

Coach Jay has guided Varsity as they competed against Wilson, Romona Convent, St. Lucy’s, Edgewood, La Puente, Mountain View, Gabrielino, Corona, El Monte, Marshall, Rosemead, Bellflower, and Arroyo High School.

Varsity’s captains are seniors, Alexis Guzman, Sheyla Madrigon, Yaire Blanco. Junior Varsity’s captains are sophomores; Montserrat Sanchez and Marylin Martinez, and junior, Kimberly Alarcón. “My hopes for this season is to win League or at least place high for League and to learn over past mistakes and better game strategies but overall to better myself and help the team better themselves as well,” says Kimberly Alarcón.

Many of the girls in the team grew up with basketball and look up to professional players who inspired them to not only improve their basketball proficiency but to also better their lives. “I look up to Allen Iverson because he really became one of the best NBA players of all time, even after going to prison “ comments varsity player, Marina Limon. 

Another factor as to why the girls joined was because they wanted to stay active and have something productive to do after school.”  I joined basketball because I didn’t just want to stay stuck on a certain sport, I wanted to try as many as I could,” says junior varsity player, Betsabe Alfaro.