While we at The Oaks Academy believe in sports as a good and worthwhile extracurricular endeavor, we also believe that they have the capacity to deliver important life lessons for our students that are complementary to the classroom. After a year without fall or winter sports, we were so happy to step back onto the courts for this winter basketball season.
The season opened in October and ran until early March, but it wasn’t long before the season started giving us highlights: a record turnout of players for both the boys’ and girls’ teams, learning opportunities from the first to the last games, and a competitive, fan-filled season-ending tournament.
Boys’ Basketball
In-House
This season for Boys’ Basketball teams saw an impressive turn out that allowed for the continuance of the In-House program alongside our conference teams. An astounding 50 players were organized into 5 teams for this division, which combined grades 6th to 8th among the teams.
Teams participated in the usual practice schedule and also had weekly Friday night tournaments against each other and teams from TAB Rec and Indy PAL that were a frequent after-school event for students and parents to attend. There was so much talent among our players, select in-house teams were given a unique opportunity to play against other school’s conference teams that would have otherwise been restricted to the JV and Varsity teams. In one such game against Orchard, a team was able to make it to a December ESPN highlight reel, ranking as #5 on the renowned SportsCenter Top Ten.
With added competition, added players, and coaches still devoted to providing an incredible experience, the In-House teams were able to build their knowledge, skill and passion for the game as they interacted with teammates from other grades – sharing experiences and building the important qualities of leadership, mentorship, and sportsmanship. In-house teams capped off their season with their own 7-team, single elimination tournament that saw an Oaks vs. Oaks Final game and Team Harris defeating Team Brooks in a close game that included an overtime period.
Junior Varsity
In a normal year, our JV teams are composed of 5th and 6th grade students; however, COVID safety protocols limited our teams to the Middle School grades this year. And without a season last year, our JV team saw these 6th grade students lace-up their sneakers and hit the court for the first time as an Oaks team.
With an emphasis on growing their skills and techniques, the focus for the season was to give players an opportunity to learn the sport from the fundamental level while building relationships with their teammates and challenging themselves in ways they hadn’t before, all the while having fun. And that is exactly what this season did! Supported by their Varsity and In-House teammates, the JV boys were able to enjoy themselves on and off the court as they faced challenges and rose to each occasion.
The season was focused on naturally progressing through the lessons that would be needed for success in basketball such as running plays, managing the clock, and adjusting to their opponent’s style of play. These lessons were evident as their regular season performance gave them an edge entering the IISL tournament where they were seeded 5th out of 12 teams and made it all the way to the semi-final round before losing to #1 seed Kingsway Christian.
Varsity
The last time these 7th and 8th grade students would have played for the Oaks, they would have been in 5th and 6th grade. As former JV level players, these boys returned to the sport as leaders with the skills to have a successful season.
From the coaches perspective, this season for Varsity was about embracing the competitive nature of sports, building joy for the activity, and focusing on the habit of attention on and off the court. While the season was marred with hurdles that presented themselves in the form of injuries and illnesses, adaptability became a common theme for the season as the team was able to rise to each occasion.
These qualities that defined the Varsity team’s season were fostered by the players’ strength in habits practiced in the classroom, the devotion of coaches, and the relationships among teammates who were known and loved by each other, their coaches and the fans. A successful regular season earned the team a 2nd seed placement in the IISL tournament, which they took all the way to the championship game and beyond – ending the season with the 1st place trophy overhead and surrounded by love from the community.