As she shifts to basketball season, Ruby Reynolds is ready and willing to step into a leadership role for her senior year.“ I would say my role on and off the court is very similar,” she explained.“ My role is to be a good role model for the younger girls. I also have to represent what it looks like to be a leader. Our team is mostly made up of seniors, so I feel like we all have done a good job mentoring the younger girls.”
The Lady Blazer readily admits there are differences between the two sports.“ I have played basketball and golf pretty much my whole life,” she explained.“ They are very different for many reasons. Golf is an individual sport and definitely more laid back. It is not like basketball where if I am having a bad game my teammates can be there to pick up my slack, or I can get subbed out. Basketball is a lot more intense. Practices are long and the conditioning part of basketball is so much different than golf. I like the high pace of basketball and how good it feels to make shots and help contribute to the team.”
In Ruby’ s experience each sport has helped her be successful in the other.“ As an athlete, I’ ve had times where my confidence dropped and nothing seemed to go the way I practiced,” she shared.“ It was honestly frustrating, but it taught me to be patient with myself and find ways to refocus when things get tough. In basketball, having an off shooting night shows me that I need to trust all of the work that I have put in behind the scenes instead of freaking out over every miss. In golf, struggling to bounce back mentally helped me build resilience, which has made me a better player and person.”
Much like golf, the Lady Blazers are made up of several friends of Ruby’ s that she would love to end on a high note with.“ I hope to make a deep run in the state tournament. I have played with most of the girls on the team since 3rd grade, so it would be pretty special to finish on a positive note.”
“ My personal goal for this basketball season is to just be a leader to the younger girls and help mentor them because I know how hard sophomore year can be,” Reynolds continued.“ I also just want to cherish every moment with this team because there are only a few more months, and then I will never play with this group again.”
Reynolds has been a shining example of leadership and how you want a member of the team to be.“ I hope my teammates and coaches remember me as someone who always worked hard and stayed positive, whether it was on the golf course, the soccer field, or the basketball court,” she hoped.“ I want them to think of me as a teammate who encourages others. I want them to think of me as someone who did their best to show up every day with good energy and give whatever I had. I hope they think of me as a leader and someone they could look up to for anything.”
She shared advice to younger players everywhere.“ I’ d tell younger players to enjoy every moment, because high school basketball goes by way faster than you think,” Reynolds expressed.“ There will be times when the practices feel long and the season gets draining, but pushing through those moments is what makes you better. Most importantly, work hard, and don’ t forget to have fun with your teammates.”
After basketball, Ruby will move on to soccer, where she is an All-Conference defender on a perennial state title contender. She will be a leader and pivotal part of a third team her senior season. Every Valley View Blazer fan would agree that Ruby Reynolds is exactly what you would want in a daughter, student, player, teammate, and friend.