Putnam City High School’s girls’ and boys’ basketball team are coming into the new season stronger and better than the year before, aiming to bring home more wins this season.

As preparation for the new season has been going on, these players have put in a lot of hard work and dedication into the game. One being to set up new goals they would like to achieve to motivate them to have the best season yet.

“My goals for this season are just to learn as much as possible, come back stronger next season, and be the best version of myself,” sophomore Joseph Fokum said.

Being on a team sport requires students to be able to keep their grades up and focus on the game as well. This may be challenging to some, but these students have ways they use to balance between both.

“I always self-check myself. I make sure I have all my work completed especially on a game day, so I can be locked into the game, and I listen to music as well,” junior Paishintz Booker said.

How these students play the game shows the amount of time they spent preparing for it. This can also influence the strategies they may use on a game day.

“I just have a lot of energy and really just communicate with my teammates,” freshman Miles Jackson said.

One of the most important parts of the game is learning to strategize and prepare against the upcoming teams. This is one of the many techniques that the team does in order to have a great game.

“Me and my team prepare for a game by watching film of our competition, taking notes, and studying the players we might have in the game. Before a game, we also shoot around to get a feel for the ball, listen to music, and pray to ensure that we are locked in,” sophomore Tatum Baker said.