Basketball shoes slide against the shiny floor of the Ralston Valley High School gymnasium. The energy of the boys basketball team is undeniable, even during a routine practice like this one. It’s already been an intense pre-season for the team. Coming off of an unfavorable season last year, they have a clear picture of what they’ll need to focus on to make this season a great one. Team bonding and communication are just a couple of the things that the team thinks are their key to making that happen.

“We have been doing off season skill work and workouts,” said Jay Young, the JV boys coach who also teaches math at Ralston Valley. “We play in tournaments over the summer and also do a fall league to help the teammates get to know each other.”

Of course, Coach Young is doing everything he can to help teammates relax and play their best during the season.

“We had tough season last year, so many of the players are nervous about getting better, but also excited about being better this year,” said Young. “I also do weekly individual meetings with each of the players about what they need to improve on.”

For the players, it hasn’t just been focusing on the good, with every season comes some tough decisions for the coach.

“One of the hardest parts has been making cuts and trying to figure out who to keep. It’s a hard decision, but one I have to make every season,” continued Young.

As for the players themselves, they also have their work cut out for them when it comes to making the season great. They have lots of drills in place to improve.

“Some of the things we work on in practice are fast breaks and defensive drills. We also play against the varsity team and do running drills,” said freshman Beau Wilken. “Last year’s JV team had trouble finishing the game, and we plan on working on that.” The teammates understand that they will need to trust each other and use teamwork to make the season successful.

“Some things we will focus on are trusting one another and following the game plan,” said Wilken. In addition, sophomore Luke Hoskins said, “I think we need to focus on communicating and teaching each other how to do that, it will help us move better as a team.”

Of course, the team also has its rivals that it will need to look out for during the season.

“I think Arvada West and Dakota Ridge are our two biggest rivals right now,” continued Hoskins. “Overall, I think we need to realize that it’s a team sport, and we’ll need to work as a team to improve over last season.”

With the picture painted clearly for the team, it will surely be a season to watch, one that hopefully allows the hours of hard work and dedication the team has put in to pay off.