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- Athletics
Playing to win and learning along the way, Huskies boys break back into basketball at the WJAA small schools tournament hosted in Nagoya.
Huskies Basketball '23
The WJAA Small Schools Boys Basketball Tournament
Photos: L. Popovic
Text: L. Popovic and J.L. Pangier
Discussing game plans
On January 19, 2023, the Huskies Basketball team ventured to Nagoya for an overnight 3-day stay, joining the WJAA Small Schools Boys Basketball tournament for the first time in years. The team, ranging from grade 9 to 12, played against other international schools with the intent to win.
The team, led by coach Dan Stern, worked on coordination drills and shot confidence, keeping the team morale high in practices leading up to the tournament.
In Nagoya, HIS faced off first against Kyoto International School. The game score was fairly even but, in the end, Kyoto won the match.
Revising game strategies after the loss
Post-game reflection showed mixed feelings about the individual performances. After reflecting on game one, the team listened carefully to Mr. Stern's revision of game strategy, as they fueled one another to get ready for their next opponents. The team showed improvements against its match in Osaka as players really fought to control the ball. The match was close game, but once again, HIS did not prevail. Losing to Osaka left HIS facing a challenging team on day 2. In then end, the Huskies lost again.
Despite their losses, most of the students walked away with a positive experience: improving their basketball skills, teamwork, and communication in through the pressure of a real tournament, where they fought to maintain possession and hit baskets. The trip was also a great chance for students to spend quality time off the court in a different school and different city as they hung out with their peers, or discussed their mutual love of basketball during the team dinners.
With this positive attitude, the returning HIS Basketball team is striving to prepare for next season. In the meantime, the love for most remains as they stay physical on the court during the Tuesday community basketball, available to high school students, teachers, staff, and parents.
(Check out our post on Community Basketball '22-'23 for more details.)
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