Race Down the Court

Eden McIsaac
Staff Writer
  Allyson Wilson, a staff member of The Bonneville Buzz, is a freshman on the basketball team at Bonneville High School (BHS) during the winter season. She plays post, a defensive position, on the basketball team. Although this year is Wilson's first season with the team, she has already created enough memories to last a lifetime.
    Wilson joined the BHS basketball team because she was inspired by her best friend as she watched her play in basketball games. Wilson decided to try basketball, mainly since it looked enjoyable when her friend played. Wilson remarked that this was her first year playing; before this year, she never had any interest in playing basketball. She additionally commented that she has enjoyed the season, learned many things, and gained more teamwork skills.
Before stepping on the court, Wilson “would write a different quote on the whiteboard before every game.” The quotes were to encourage the girls before the games. Wilson further mentioned that her team's word for the season is “fight” because it encourages the girls to give it their all throughout the season.  The only position that Wilson has played in basketball is post. Wilson states that posts are not a huge part; however, they are still important. The post is in charge of trying to capture the ball and shooting the ball if possible. 
  The hardest opponent Wilson team faced this year was Rigby. Wilson mentioned that they were better at shooting, their players were faster than BHS players, and their defense had better coordination. During the 2023-2024 basketball season "they did not have a full team." Sometimes JV players were moved to join the freshman team. In total, Wilson's team had 11 girls, three girls played in the defense position, and the rest played offense. 
  Wilson’s team had several bonding activities over the season including dinner and hanging out. She mentioned that the team often ate at Pizza Pie Cafe after their games. Another team bonding activity that the team did was they went over to one of the player's houses and relaxed in a hot tub.  Wilson and her team often listen to music before their games. Wilson mentioned, "The music is not provided by the school." If the team wants to listen to music, they need to bring their own. Wilson’s teammates usually bring speakers to the games, to listen to music. The team listens to rap or Fortnite music to pump the team up for the game.
  Another question asked to Wilson was what has been the biggest improvement this season for herself and her team. Wilson’s biggest improvement this season was her mindset, as well as her speed. The team improved on communication and signals by watching how each player moves. The team feels like a family because they “know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.” The team additionally worked on maintaining “the winner mindset” to maintain optimism.

​