Meagan Matthews started playing basketball at about five years old. Although she tried a few other sports when she was younger, she says she “always liked basketball the best.” Ultimately when she got to high school she decided that basketball was going to be her area of focus. For the past three years, she has played on the girls varsity basketball team, here at Boulder High. Now as a junior, she not only plays for Boulder High but she is also on a club team.
Basketball is a physically and mentally challenging sport. In the end, it can be very rewarding, however, the journey is not always easy. For Megan, her biggest challenge is not being too hard on herself. Sometimes losing is part of the game, last season Megan said that it “was hard for me because we lost a lot” but she didn’t let that stop her. This season she and her team are off to a strong start with a 2-0 win streak.
Being a team player is a big part of basketball and Megan seems to have that down. She says her ideal team “consists of people uplifting each other and having high energy.” She went on to say “I am proud of the times I’ve helped my team get a big win.” She also says “In-team competition is really important to get better.”
Though the sport is demanding and “it is easy to get down on yourself because of losses, misses, turnovers, etc.” Megan says that doesn’t stop her from always trying to up her game. Because she plays both school and club basketball she gets to experience two different practices. Megan explains that both consist of “skill work and in-game concepts, conditioning, shooting and scrimmaging,” which she says is her favorite. Her club team, she says, can be “higher intensity” and has “more yelling.”
Megan loves playing because of “the work you have to put in and the reward of getting better.” Even though it can be a big challenge she says she loves “ the feeling I get when I play. It is hard to explain.” Anybody passionate about a sport can relate to that feeling.
This season Megan says it is a goal of hers to make it to playoffs. She says that to achieve this she and her team will need “Hard work, teamwork, and discipline.” With the start of a new season, Megan says “there are a lot of proud moments to come.” But that doesn’t stop her from being proud of her team and coaches already!
