The Ida B. Wells Men’s JV basketball team is filled with talented and skilled players who put in the energy and effort needed in a team. So far, the JV team has had a rough start. Fortunately, JV isn’t letting this bring down their spirits or keep them from having a great 2023-24 season.

Joel Miller, a sophomore JV center, describes the season as rough. “A lot of losses but overall I feel like we’re improving every game,” Miller said. Yet most games the team experiences a heavy slowdown by the second half. “When the team faces struggles they continue to fight for the win, we push to keep our energy high and effort strong throughout the whole game,” said Miller 

Nolan Fauske, a sophomore JV forward, describes the game environment to be mostly positive. “A lot of it relies on the bench energy,” said Fauske. “When it’s down we tend to not be as positive.” A good environment is always helpful to athletes — especially student-athletes when support comes from fellow students, teachers and the school community. 

Many teams have different and personal steps to game preparation. “To prep energy before games we listen to music and hype each other up as a team,” said Fauske. Music is a perfect tool for athletes’ confidence, motivation and mindset. It’s no surprise men’s basketball uses this tool to get their head in the game. 

Athletes on the men’s JV basketball team feel as if their team isn’t represented like other sports at the school. The Ida B. Wells football program has a lot of media attention compared to other programs. “I feel like social media posts represent a lot but at school, you never hear about it, versus, like, a football game, the whole school knows,” said Miller. Communication through social media is a modern way to communicate school and social events. Another way our school spreads information is through student-made posters promoting events, like basketball games. A lot of sports news is about varsity teams and athletes. JV teams typically don’t get the equal representation and attention varsity sports do.

The work done by the team is shared equally across all members which helps build team community. “I feel very close to equal most of the time,” Miller said. “Conditioning, if one person makes a mistake we all run. And we learn our lessons together.” 

Growth is shown through all of IBW’s sports teams. The JV Men’s basketball is no exception. Athletes are motivated on and off of the court, and ready to take on the rest of the season. Basketball teaches resilience and adaptability. For many players, basketball is a lifelong journey of improvement and self-discovery. “We hope to finish strong and compete with 100% effort for the rest of the season,” said Fauske.