Questions with Conner Dunn

Connor Dunn

3. What do you believe you brought (or can bring to) the team?

Answer: I believe I bring a little of everything to a team. I believe I bring energy and leadership to the team. I also believe that I can calm down or rile up my teammates as needed. I also bring game intelligence; I know when to pass the ball to the shooter that is hot or take my own shots as needed. I am a flexible player that can bring to the court whatever is needed for team success.

6. How did you stay motivated after losing a game?

Answer: Whenever I lose a game, I always try to keep my head up. Whether a 1-point loss or a 20-point loss, I know I have another game coming up. I must focus on the next game rather than dwell on the results of the game just played. I know I must take away the good things from the game and push away the bad.

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

Answer: When I play in front of a crowd of people, I clear my mind and focus on the job at hand. When I think about all the things, I do in front of a crowd every day, like group presentations or my own presentations in front of people I know, playing with people around that I don’t specifically know seems easier to me.

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

Answer: When this happens, I believe you must forget about what happened and move on to the next play. If you dwell on a bad call, you are not focused on what is happening on the court which can cause mistakes and get you  pulled out very quickly.

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

Answer: The first thing I think about is what could I have done to stay in the game. If I made a mistake, what can I do to make sure it doesn’t happen again. If the coach has provided me feedback, I think about how to apply his comments. I also know I must stay focused on the game and encourage my teammates as much as I can.

18. What has basketball taught you that carries over into the other areas of your life?

Answer: Basketball has taught me to “take the shot”. In basketball, you can’t win a game unless you score some points. You can’t score points unless you take shots. Sometimes you will have winning streaks and sometimes you will have losing streaks. Win or lose, you must carry on and continue to take shots.  Life is no different. Life takes effort. Sometimes the effort will pay off, sometimes it won’t.  But if you don’t try, you can’t succeed. Basketball has taught me to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way by taking my best shot.

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Questions with Josh Lutu

 

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What has been one take away you have learned thus far in the Month of April as it relates to playing AAU basketball?

(My response will be in reference to the leagues played in American Samoa in the months of March and April 2019 as AAU basketball is not available in American Samoa)

The basic formula for success in the game of basketball can be applied to any success I seek in life.  Willingness to learn, hard work, discipline, endurance, being a team player and enjoying every moment.  I recognized that embracing growth of challenges especially during the heat of the game instead of allowing myself to be frustrated has helped me to grow as a person and as a player. 

Being a leader is important, especially in the Game of Basketball. Which means it is crucial for players to take responsibility. Despite my frustration with the referees, teammates, myself, or the opposing team, I have learned that the best way to overcome these challenges is to love the Game. Enjoying every second from playing, to sitting and observing on the bench, to training, comforts me, because it is a healthy way to play and learn.

    What would you change if you could replay the season?

I would change the way I initially approached the season as it was my first time trying out for our high school Varsity basketball team and my first experience playing in the men’s league.  Instead of approaching it as trying to prove that I deserved to be selected on the team, I should have approached it as someone eager to contribute and learn.  This focus delayed my ability to assimilate into a different coaching style to be able to play as a team member instead of an individual trying to prove something and made my experience much more enjoyable.  Fortunately, I had a good coach that helped me see this barrier that was inhibiting my skills before the actual season started.

   How did you stay motivated after losing a game?

Staying motivated after losing a game is sometimes easy and definitely not the best feeling.  I stay motivated by focusing on what I can improve for the next game.  I also approach this from the onset of the game by putting my best effort in any game.  This helps me to feel content after loosing a game knowing I did my job and must accept the outcome.  Then I look to the next game or next season and focus on winning in the classroom.

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

I am not going to lie; this is a hard one for me and sometimes it feels like the referee has something against me.  Obviously, there is nothing I can do about this in a game besides, keep playing and doing my best and leave the referee to my coach.  I also do what my mother always says, “kill them with kindness”.  I find that if the referee finds that I am not challenging every call they continue to call it and seem to shift their focus on the person who is challenging every call.  While I know at times I did not foul, focusing on a bad call will only affect my mental game so I just focus on the next play and scoring.

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

My main ritual is reflecting on the gifts God has blessed me with such as the ability to play, the privilege to be part of the team I play for, my family and their support, my coaches, teammates, and supporters, then I say a prayer asking the Lord to help me to apply what I have learned, and to keep me and my team safe.  I then like to just have a quiet moment for about five minutes to focus my mind on the game.  I then turn to my coach for instructions, team prayers, then the regular warm up.

11. What is the worst practice you ever endured?

Our first Practice for our high school basketball 2019 season was by far the worst practice I have ever been to. While all my teammates were trying to make a good first impression, I was trying to make a statement. I was not a team player and it showed and affected the practice and the moods of the others who were trying out.  I lacked the right attitude and it resulted in the worse practice I ever endured.  Practice seemed long and basketball was not fun that day.  I quickly learned that what caused the negative outcome and experience of my worst practice was something I had control over. 

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Questions with Elias

1. Why is the local support important to the team’s future? Because it shows we have people supporting us while we play.
2. How did you stay motivated after losing a game? I just forget about it and practice and get ready for the next one.
3. How do you deal with the pressure of having to perform in front of the crowd? I pretend they are not there and as if it is a scrimmage.
4. How do you channel your frustration when the referee’s decision doesn’t go your way? I just hold it in and try to ignore it it is something that’s hard if it is a call that causes us to lose.
5. What are you thinking when you get benched in a game? I don’t think about anything I just watch my teammates play.
6. What is the worst practice you ever endured? One of my AAU practices in 8th grade our coach made us run the entire practice and do defense slides because we didn’t reach one of his goals during our game.

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Questions with Justin Zeppa

1. What aspect of your game is the most difficult for you to master?

The most difficult aspect of my game to master is keeping my body language positive when we are in a rough situation or down by a lot of points.

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

I deal with the pressure as a challenge and I just focus on the game. I play it like any other game and try not to let the crowd get in my head. 

3. What aspect of your game comes easiest to you?

I feel that dribbling and ball handling comes easiest to me because it is something that I've practiced over and over again for many years. 

4. What would you change if you could replay the season?

If I could change something from this past season it would be my attitude after losing games. I would like to be more positive and motivated to move on to the next game and focus on the changes I should make to improve my game. 

5. What is your fondest memory of this past season?

My fondest memory of this past season was when we played a tough team and were down by 20 at the half. We came together and rallied back to beat the other team by 5 points. It was a great team win!

6. What has been one take away you have learned thus far in the Month of April as it relates to playing AAU basketball?

Something that I have learned since playing in these competitive AAU tournaments is that the competition is a lot more challenging. The skill level of other players is at a very high level.

Justin Zeppa

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Questions with Seth Whitney

1.   What has been one take away you have learned thus far in the Month of April as it relates to playing AAU basketball?

This month in the AAU tournament, I learned that the players that are there are taking basketball seriously.  I learned that we each need to preform at a higher level.  This combination pf play, makes the games more challenging and a lot quicker then any thing I have played in before. This challenge allows for me to learn and become better competitor.

2. What do you believe you brought to (or can bring to) the team?

I believe that I bring to a team a good sense of competitiveness on the court.  I also believe I bring strong character and someone who my teammates know they can depend on both on and off the court. I want to become a player that can help bring motivation to the team no matter how the game is going.

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

I understand that the referees are calling the game from their vantage point.  I try to remember that they are seeing the game through the eyes of rules and experience.  Even if I do not believe that the call is correct, I know if I dwell on that thought too long, I will miss an opportunity to preform in the next moment of the game.  Also, I look at the whole game and realize that my complaints can hurt my entire team.

4.  What aspect of your game comes easiest to you?

The aspect of the game that comes easiest for me is the physical part of the game.  I am not afraid of physical contact, in fact I enjoy that part of the game. Having that be easy, helps me preform or focus better in others areas because I do not worry about physical contact or rough play.

5.  What aspect of your game is the most difficult for you to master?

The most difficult part of the game for me to master is making smart decisions with fouls. Because I like to be physical on the court, sometimes I am challenged to understand the strategy behind when to foul or when to let a play go.

6.  What has basketball taught you that carries over into the other areas of your life?

This is one of my favorite parts of playing the game of basketball.  There are so many aspects that carry over into daily life.  The game has taught me hard work and to not give up on something no matter how difficult it gets. There have been times when I have been challenged in my daily life and I think to myself "what would I do in this moment if it were on a court?  I'd find 6th gear and power through."   The great thing about that thought, is that the more we power through those challenging moments both on and off the court, the stronger we become each day as a person. I find that basketball and life have a lot in common. Work hard, play hard!! 

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Questions with Jordan Orenstein-Turner

Questions with Jordan Orenstein-Turner:

1. What do you believe you brought to (or can bring to) the team? I believe I can bring motivation for my team 
2. What would you change if you could replay the season? I don’t wish to replay anything, I learn from the mistake 
3. How did you stay motivated after losing a game? I surround myself with my team
4. How do you deal with the pressure of having to perform in front of the crowd? I deal with pressure from the crowd by tuning into the game and myself 
5. What aspect of your game comes easiest to you? My conference in my shot 
6. What aspect of your game is the most difficult for you to master? Staying under control while I’m tired 

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Questions with Josh Steinberg

Questions with Josh Steinberg:

1. What do you believe you brought to (or can bring to) the team?

I believe that on the court I bring leadership and defensive aggressiveness to the team. I also have the ability to get the whole team involved in a game. I believe that these components of my game are some of my strongest attributes. Off the court I like to be able to connect with my teammates; for instance, I met some of my closest friends through basketball. This plays a major roll into our teams performance on the court as well, and I like to be able to bring the team together.

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

I deal with the pressure of performing in front of a crowd the same way I always enter games but with a little extra fire. I enjoy playing in front of large crowds because its fun, anytime one team makes a shot the place erupts, especially in a high stakes game. It does make me a little nervous but I try to get in the flow of the game and enjoy it.

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

When a referee makes a call that does not go our way I try to stay calm and focus what I can control, energy and effort. I channel my frustration by not taking it out on the ref; I use it to up my intensity and performance during the game. It is a difficult thing to do, but definitely a skill I would like to master.

4. What is your fondest memory of this past season?

My fondest memory of this past season was our basketball programs first CIF win (and our schools) with a first year varsity program. Being a part of that game was definitely the most exhilarating part of the season. The gym was over capacity by a couple hundred people and you could not hear anything, it was the best environment I’ve ever played in.

5. What aspect of your game comes easiest to you?

The aspect of my game that comes easiest to me is my vision of the court. When in games I can see a cut or pass quickly that other people have to take time to think about. It is pretty easy for me to make a play for my teammate by seeing a mismatch and giving them the ball, or driving, engaging the defenders and kicking to them for a shot.

6. What has basketball taught you that carries over into the other areas of your life?

Basketball has taught me responsibility and leadership; both are very important life skills that basketball continuously helps me to develop. In basketball every team member has a responsibility and if not every person does what they are supposed to it’s difficult to win. As a guard, leadership is a vital component in being successful. I learned this through being one of the leaders on my team by helping and encouraging my teammates and by being an extension of our coach on the court. These same concepts can be carried over into school and life as well, and I am glad that I have been able to progress these skills through basketball.

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