Addyson Casten is the hardworking and enthusiastic captain of FHC’s varsity girls’ basketball team, where she competes skillfully and confidently as a shooting guard. She has been playing for five years on the court, where she has learned great leading abilities from her fellow players.
Within those five years, she’s mastered being a shooting guard, and she most likely could hit a shot even with her eyes closed—although highly not recommended. That’s why it has been important for her to be a good addition to the team during this time. As a shooting guard, it’s not just about making that perfect shot, but also about knowing when to pass, when to encourage her teammates, and when to hype them up with a high-energy play.
“Basketball has taught me a lot of important life lessons; I think the most important ones are being a team player and always staying positive,” Addyson said. “It has given me lifelong friends as well as teammates, and with the many ups and downs of basketball, I have learned to always stay positive in any situation.”
Basketball has shown her that, even more than winning and scoring points, supporting the team counts, and being upbeat even while things are going wrong, and sometimes simply seeing that you are there to have fun, is what makes someone a great teammate that everyone wants to be around. Inevitably, challenges will come with dedication and commitment, but facing those with a strong mindset and supportive teammates makes the struggle worth it in the long haul.
Many of today’s teenagers tend to lean toward distractions such as social media or other undesirable alternatives when facing difficult situations. But those who participate in sports, like Addyson, learn other ways to cope when something that isn’t to their liking happens. This is beneficial for later in life. Whether it’s a career setback or a relationship difficulty, Addyson knows how to stay positive and look to the bright side of challenges.
“The biggest challenge with sports is time management because practices take up to three hours of my day while games take up to half of my day,” Addyson said, “and it has been challenging to balance my social life, basketball, and school, but playing basketball games and bonding with my teammates makes up for the craziness of my schedule.”
Maintaining a life with friends and school outside of basketball can really occupy Addyson’s time. Trying to manage practices and games while finishing up homework might sometimes leave barely any time to go out and chill or hang with friends outside of basketball. Feeling under pressure with looming deadlines combined with intense frequent practices can create many moments as a juggling act.
Despite the overwhelming stress of meeting all these expectations, she says running the basketball court and maintaining a close relationship with her teammates is all worth it. The friendships on the court make it all worth it and can carry her through the tough moments.
“My favorite memory from basketball was our team dinner at [junior] Lexy [Scarlato]’s house because we all had at least three tacos each and we were stuffed, but we decided to spend hours after that scraping every single crumb out of the brownie pan because they were really good,” Addyson said.
Her schedule is undeniably crazy, but the friendships and long-lasting memories she builds through basketball and the thrill of game days make the challenge of everything manageable. Shared experiences with teammates offer a solid support system where she can manage the difficulties associated with academics, athletics, and social life. Without the team and the sport that brings them all together, Addyson wouldn’t be able to talk about these fond memories she holds so close to her heart.
“I would advise people who want to play basketball to always be present in the moment because it’s a blessing to be able to play a sport or to go to practice,” Addyson said. “And while it may not always be fun or entertaining, in the long run, it is nice to look back at sports and reminisce on the fun practices or intense games.”
Addyson wants to tell the future students of FHC who want to follow her to stay in the present, which means not allowing a busy lifestyle to take over their life. Being fully engaged in the present allows them to appreciate the small moments and make the most out of each experience.
She recognized that it is the memories of life’s little moments that have the most lasting impact. It may be a super difficult practice that turns into a fun bonding session with teammates, or a quiet sense of accomplishment after a tricky game. She treasures them even more over time, and as time goes by the memories become the highlights of the journey as she heads onto graduation and walks out of FHC for the last time.
“I have really conflicted feelings about graduating high school; I am really excited to start something new and go off to college, but I know that I am going to miss high school,” Addyson said.
As she is about to conclude her experience in high school, she almost feels readiness and reluctance at the same time because, on one hand, she is ready for the next experience, leaving out the frantic schedule associated with basketball, and the constant effort to achieve or maintain a social status. On the other hand, she knows she will miss her friends and the time she spent in FHC’s buildings over the years. As much as she is looking forward to some free time, she can’t help but feel a bit of sadness for leaving the craziness of it all.
Laughter, bonds in victory or defeat, the exhilaration of the moment when life feels most truly alive, those will be hers to hold on to. Though the madness of practices, games, and team dinners will be over with the graduation from high school, Addyson is aware that these moments will survive well past that final buzzer of a big game.
“I think I am going to miss my friends the most because I am going to have to get used to seeing them every day and talking to them constantly, to rarely seeing them,” Addyson said.