Hoops Elite Magazine - Issue 2 | Page 21

HOOPS ELITE MAGAZINE 2018 GIRLS EBC WATCH LIST SLAM CITY MANAGEMENT GROUP PLAYER NAME: JESSICA MARTINEZ GRADE 2014-15:11 After a long season are you ready for the grind of summer basketball with the new Elevate Basketball Circuit? I, without a doubt, am completely ready to put in the work to prepare for and compete in the Circuit. I’m always excited to train and play, especially with this team and with Coach Webb. Last year was your first year playing with Slam City; we understand that you and your Slam City team improved over the course of the season. Do you feel like you and the team will be able to compete at a high level this coming season? Why? Absolutely, I can’t wait to get out on the court with this team because we work well together, we have an amazing coach, and we always push each other to get better. We’ve got something to prove, as individuals and as a team, and I know we will be physically and mentally prepared for it. Explain why you choose to play with Slam City when there are a lot of other teams you could play for in the Washington Metropolitan area? The program was highly recommended to me so I tried it out and Coach Webb is the best coach I have ever had. Most of the girls I am playing with I have known and played with for years, so even though the team is new, we work well together. On top of that, the team is incredibly dedicated to and passionate about the game, and that’s the most important thing to have when your body wants to quit; we keep each other going. Do you just play in events or do you train with Slam City too? What do you like most about Slam City’s program? I train with Slam City and compete in events. The best part of the program is definitely the coaching; it’s the best I have ever received and it is founded in a real knowledge and understanding of the game so the instruction is always constructive, effective, and, wherever possible, positive. Do you feel like you have a chance to get exposure with the Slam City program, and do you feel like the EBC will also help you get exposure? I don’t think that I get a large amount of exposure from the events we host and play in alone, but I do know that Coach Webb is well connected and is doing everything he can outside of those events to market his players, so with that, yes, I do think I am getting exposure. I also definitely think I’ll get some through the EBC this summer. 21 | Issue 2 - March 2015 What would you like to accomplish by the end of the summer? To be perfectly honest, wins and losses are not the purpose of this summer for me. I am aiming to get some looks from colleges because basketball is definitely something I would like to continue with at the collegiate level. And of course the main goal is always improvement; start to finish, every time I step out on the court I want to get better. Winning is my purpose for each game, but overall I just need to know that from point A to point B I have improved my skills.