A wild offseason is coming to an end with questions still to be answered. The Las Positas women’s basketball team is getting set to begin a long-awaited season this coming march. After a very challenging year off the court, the team faces its own set of challenges leading into the season.
The Hawks are coming off of a disappointing 6-20 season with a total of three wins each at home and on the road. The team averaged 17 turnovers per game and gave up an average of 69.1 points per game to their opponents.
Despite struggles from last year the team has faced its own unique challenges over the offseason. Gyms have been closed for the better part of the year and basketball hoops have been taken down to prevent the spread of Covid-19. As for practice itself, the team facilities have been closed as well, forcing players to make up their own routines.
Leading scorer of the Hawks, Bianca Camello said “It’s been very difficult with the circumstances we’re in” when asked about her offseason training routine. “I’ve been trying to keep myself in shape by running at least a mile every day, as well as strength and conditioning and ball handling as much as I can”. This level of commitment has been demonstrated this year in part to the restrictions that are in place as well as the determination from the team to win.
Camello shared a few things she is looking forward to this year. “I look forward to being with my team again and being with people that love the game as much as I do and just having fun”. The goal this season for the Hawks is “improving”. “That’s always been our ultimate goal and will continue to be our goal to improve every game and every practice,” said Camello.
The Hawks suffered from turnovers last year which were a big contributor to their opponents’ large point totals. The Hawks were also getting out rebounded over the course of the season which contributed to the large deficits. “I think we can improve on our conditioning, last season we got tired a lot,” said Camello. Conditioning has been a theme for this team looking to improve upon their weaknesses of last season.
As for Coach Morgan, he is entering his fourth season at Las Positas. He looks to improve his overall record and get the team back on track this season. Bianca speaks highly of him as a coach due to his knowledge of the game and the advice he gives to the team. “It’s been a blessing” playing for Coach Morgan she says. “(He’s) probably one of the best coaches I’ve had”. He spent the remaining part of last season getting his team in shape prior to the facilities being shut down as he recognized what his team needed to improve the most.
The main focus the team carries into 2021 is getting in shape but Bianca said they also need to be more hungry and aggressive from the beginning of the game. This is a clear indication the team is focusing on getting better at rebounding the ball and playing with more fire. “Before we shut down our practices, we were working really hard to get in shape, so I see us progressing in that,” said Camello.
The Hawks are hopeful to resume play on March 1st as the decision was made to opt in for spring sports this season at Las Positas. The team is currently still waiting to get back to work for what they believe can be a bounce back year.
Josh Jones is a staff writer for The Express. Follow him @jones_josh5.
