Questions with Francesca

How did you stay motivated after losing a game?

How do you deal with the pressure of having to perform in front of the crowd?

How do you channel your frustration when the referee’s decision doesn’t go your way?

What are you thinking when you get benched in a game?

Do you have any rituals that you must perform before a game and why?

What was the most important game you played? Why?

How do you want your team mates to remember you?

If you didn’t play basketball what sport would you like to play? why?

1. I work out everyday to improve and win games. If I lose a game it means I did not work hard enough. So I just go back to the gym and work harder. Next time I will win that game.
2. A big crowd can be a huge obstacle for basketball players especially during clutch games or plays. Most of the time I personally don't think about crowds and people around me. I just stay focused on what I have to do on the court.
3. I just go on and look at the next play.
4. I start questioning myself on what I could have done wrong and how I could get better at it . Sometimes I know  the answer already other times I do not. So instead of questioning myself too much I just get ready for the moment I will sub someone or I will start in the game.
5. No I don't have any important rituals but...I make sure to stretch a lot! Lol
6. The most important game for me was the CIF final game in 2016. We won that game by 1.  I also have another favorite game and that is the State semifinal game that we lost by 1 and it was also my last high school game. I cried. We should have won that game.
7. I want them to remember me as a nice and funny person first and then like a great teammate and player.
8. I would have probably done canoeing. It's tough but fun at the same time.

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Questions with Jordan

How did you stay motivated after losing a game?

How do you deal with the pressure of having to perform in front of the crowd?

How do you channel your frustration when the referee’s decision doesn’t go your way?

What are you thinking when you get benched in a game?

Do you have any rituals that you must perform before a game and why?

What was the most important game you played? Why?

How do you want your team mates to remember you?

If you didn’t play basketball what sport would you like to play? why?

Jordan Williams:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qwF97NdOCw&feature=youtu.be

1) After a loss, I am usually upset because I wanted to win. I have that competitiveness in me. I stay motivated by thinking about what I could have done better. Then when I realize what I need to work on, I go to the gym to work on what I needed to work on so that I never get that taste in my mouth again.

2) What I do to deal with the pressure when having to perform in front of a big crowd is putting my headphones in, go sit in a place where I am isolated, visualize what I want to do in the game and where I want to be in the future with basketball.

3) I get frustrated when a call does not go my way so I try not to show it and I just flip the page and get ready for the next play. There is no point in dwelling on the past. You have to move on because basketball is non-stop, play after play.

4) When I am benched in a game, I think about the reason why I was taken out. I think about my last run and what I did during that time that could have helped or hurt us. Then after that, I  think about what I need to do better for the next time I get put in. 

5) I have some rituals before a game. The night before, I lay in bed and visualize the whole game. On game day, I put my headphones in, tune everyone out and visualize again how I want to play. It is almost like a reminder. Before that, I always say a prayer before the game to remind myself where I come from and also that God is always first.

6) I have not really had the most important game because I try to look at every game the same and prepare the same. I feel like if I look at one game as "higher than another" or "more important", then I will not play like I know I can.

7) I want my team mates to remember me as a leader, and that person that always pushes them to work harder. I also want to lead by example and work harder than everyone so I can motivate them. I feel like if my team sees me going hard, then they will  be motivated and

realize what it takes to get where they want to be. I want to be remembered as the hardest working person that they knew.

8) If I did not play basketball, I think I would play football. I love the spirit that football players have and they have so much love for the game like I do with basketball. I like to be around that passionate atmosphere because it lifts my spirit and makes me feel confident.

Questions with Greta

How did you stay motivated after losing a game?

How do you deal with the pressure of having to perform in front of the crowd?

How do you channel your frustration when the referee’s decision doesn’t go your way?

What are you thinking when you get benched in a game?

Do you have any rituals that you must perform before a game and why?

What was the most important game you played? Why?

How do you want your team mates to remember you?

If you didn’t play basketball what sport would you like to play? why?

After losing a game, of course, I was upset with myself, but I never gave up, I always wanted to do more so that the same things couldn’t happen again. I always thought that my team and I could do better in the next game, I had confidence in my abilities and in the ones of my team mates.

I don’t care about the crown, I play of my team and for myself, no one else. There is no point of feeling the pressure when you know that all you have to do is play the sport that you love and never give up.

Every time I try to don’t get mad to referee’s decisions because they’re human like us and everyone can make mistakes. It happened that some decisions sometimes made me upset but I don't blame them, I don't go up to them and say that what they called was wrong, I just go back and do something good in the next action.

When I get benched I think about all the practices before the game, I think about what went wrong but in the meantime I cheer for my team mates to do their best because I know that if I am on the bench it is because someone can do better than me in that moment.

I don’t really have any rituals before a game because I just get on the court and play; I want to do my best every time, I want to be successful.

I think the most important game for me was the first one in U.S. with St. Paul High School because it’s from that game that I realized that i was opening a new page of the book of my life; I realized I was in the place I always dreamed about and I couldn’t ask for anything else, I was living my dream and I still am.

I want my team mates to remember me for who I really am, on the court and outside. I want them to remember everything we faced together, form winning a game and be happy to losing a game and be sad. I want them to remember that I will always be there for them.

I don’t think I would be able to play any other sports, I mean, this is my life, this is what makes me happy but if I have to choose I would probably say swimming because that sport was the one I used to play before basketball.

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Questions with Mike Moran

How did you stay motivated after losing a game?

How do you deal with the pressure of having to perform in front of the crowd?

How do you channel your frustration when the referee’s decision doesn’t go your way?

What are you thinking when you get benched in a game?

Do you have any rituals that you must perform before a game and why?

What was the most important game you played? Why?

How do you want your team mates to remember you?

If you didn’t play basketball what sport would you like to play? why?

Mike Moran:  Former Player from San Clemente High School, 1st team all league, now at Chapman College as a freshman.

I stayed motivated after losing by completing forgetting about that game, and refocusing on the next game. I deal with the pressure of having to perform before a crowd by not thinking about the crowd watching me, and the pressure is always on the other team. I channel my frustration when calls don't go my way by just forgetting about it and moving on to the next play. When I get benched in a game, I'm thinking about what I can do better if coach decides to put me back in. Before a game, I always stretch and listen to my music in order to relax myself, but also mentally prepare myself. The most important game I've played was against El Toro during my senior year. We needed to win in order to clinch the outright South Coast League championship. I want my teammates to remember me as someone who always put the team first before anything else and as someone that stood down to no one. If I didn't play basketball, I would have played football because I'm a physical player that likes contact and I would make a good WR.

www.ocmagic.org