Girls basketball captain senior Audrey Walker emphasizes speaking up and reminisces about her time with teammates. “These people are my family, and no matter what, they're gonna be there for me,” Walker said. Photo by Rohan Portteus.
By Rohan Portteus
Whether she's at one of their three practices a day or at a routine team dinner, senior girls basketball captain Audrey Walker always has the sport on her mind.
Walker started playing for her church team Upward in Pre-K, where she had her first real experience on the court.
"That's how I got into it, and then from there I just stuck with basketball and played on a ton of different teams,” Walker said.
This is Walker's second year as captain, voted into the role by not just the coaches, but also her teammates.
"It feels good to know that my teammates trust me and want me as a leader of the team," Walker said.
Walker takes pride in her position and works with her team to push them to the next level both mentally and physically.
"A captain is someone who puts forth the effort to put the team in front of themselves,” Walker said. “They are someone who comes every day, and acts in the best interest of the team first.”
The team as a whole went through a huge shock when their coach left this past summer, but Walker has used this as an opportunity to step up.
“I'm super excited to be a captain of this year's team, especially under our new coach," Walker said. "We definitely went through a lot this summer, with our old coach who coached us the past three years leaving, but [our new coach] did a great job of coming in and just making us feel really at home."
"My best advice for underclassmen is to use your voice and make yourself heard as a leader because that's the fastest way your teammates are going to respect you."
As a leader of her team, Walker has to separate any outside factors or negativity from her responsibilities on the court.
"I have to just pull the switch and come and be there to support [the team],” Walker said. “It means setting an example and making sure practices run as efficiently as possible."
Like many captains, Walker started as the only freshman on the junior varsity and varsity teams, working with and competing against girls two to three years older than her.
"My best advice for underclassmen is to use your voice and make yourself heard as a leader because that's the fastest way your teammates are going to respect you," Walker said.
Walker plays not only on the school team, but also on a private club team. While the club teams have special luxuries, something about the school team has her coming back each year.
"In my opinion, playing school basketball is something more to work for," Walker said. "It's with the people you're around, you're stuck with for four years, which is a good thing. They are the girls that you've been growing up with.”
Over the last four years, the team has given Walker more than just her required athletic credit.
"These people are my family, and no matter what, they're gonna be there for me,” Walker said. “It's important that we stick with each other through thick and thin, because we have each other's backs."