Normal West girls’ basketball team has really flipped the switch this year with a winning record and a number 1 seed in sectionals.
After a successful 22-8 regular season, the girls have set some high expectations for their postseason play.
And it seems that these Lady Wildcats are ready for the challenge.
The team’s preparation for their historic season and the postseason involves a combination of intensive physical training, strategic mental sessions, and clear communication.
They use hard work as something that motivates them.
“We do a bunch of work, [and] we put all that time in, and it’s like we don’t wanna just go out for no reason, we can go far with it, and we put in the work to go far, and I think that’s really what motivates us,” senior captain Savannah Steers explained.
This basketball team has been working together for years, and the team’s mentality this year is one of the main reasons they have found success.
The team is the 1 seed in their sectional, but this ranking does bring some nerves.
After their final regular season practice, the team held a sit-down conversation to review their accomplishments.
During this meeting, they built their confidence by comparing their fundamentals to those of their opponents.
Steers remembers this conversation fondly, saying it was “not tearing [opponents] down, but building us up, and going over everything we’ve accomplished this year.”
Communication has also been crucial this season.
The girls have been building a strong relationship together.
Steers said that since their bond was so strong, everyone pushes each other without “walking on eggshells.”
Head Coach Corey Ostling has them headed into the right direction, preparing them going into their regional championship game against a familiar foe, Bloomington High School.
The Wildcats are 3-0 against the Purple Raiders and look to make that 4-0 tonight.
Go and support our Wildcats tonight at Bloomington High School; (Thursday, Feb. 19) at 6 p.m.
IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BE A WILDCAT!
