Name: Ashley Lutkenhoff
Grade: Senior
Sport: Varsity basketball

What are some personal goals this season?

“I have goals to become more of an offensive threat. This includes creating my own shots, being more aggressive to the hoop, and being strong with the ball. I need to be more mentally confident and faster on defense. With running, conditioning and help from my coaches and teammates, I think I can improve on myself and reaching my goals. Besides working in practice, I work with my dad at the YMCA along with working with teammates on skills work.”

Why do you play basketball?

“I play basketball because I truly enjoy the game and the competition. There are moments where it is hard and it challenges me, but in the end I’m happy [that] I’m playing and I’m lucky to be on such an amazing team with my close friends.”

What is the best part about being on the basketball team?

“My favorite part about being on the team is how close we are. We have a lot of team bonding [opportunities] and enjoy spending time together on and off the court. We all motivate each other to do better, to improve ourselves, and to bring each other up whenever practice is hard or we’re not having the best game. I appreciate my teammates and wouldn’t want to be playing with anyone else.”

What is your biggest inspiration in sports?

“My biggest inspiration in basketball is by far my dad. He’s been training me ever since I was little and he will always be my number one coach. He’s smart when it comes to basketball. He films all my games and goes through them with me to show me what I can do better and what I did well. We go to the YMCA and work through my weaknesses. He inspires me to be the best basketball player I can be. He invests a lot of his time to help me and I wouldn’t be on the varsity team without him and the support from him and my other family members.”

What is a quote that inspires you?

“”Don’t think too much.a�� -Mr. Yoder. Mr. Yoder is the JV girls basketball coach and he told me this when I was beginning varsity last year [and] I was always nervous and thinking too much during the game. In practice, I played with confidence and I wouldn’t be afraid to play because I’m not thinking about making a mistake or what I should be doing right. When I’m in a game, I’m constantly in my own head and it disrupts my game. It will always be a quote that reminds me to not overthink basketball because it can be a simple game if you just play.”