By: Rahul Arora ‘23, Sports Writer

Dagny Slomack ‘24, Source: NA Athletics

It’s that time of year again: basketball season is beginning at NA. After making it to the state finals last year, the Newark Academy Girls Basketball Team, led by Captain Zoe Hermans ‘23, hopes to attain a repeat and eventual victory this year.

Hermans says that there are “amazing things coming” and all the girls have been intensely focused before preseason even began! The girls are undefeated in the preseason as of 12/11 and are planning to keep up the hard work and positive attitude going into the regular season in order to perform well. Hermans says to keep an eye out for guards Kat Dakos ‘24 and Dagny Slomack ‘24 because they’ve performed well in the past and are ready to take advantage of this season.

Basketball is not an easy sport to play. Often, players need to get physical to push past defenders and get creative to find solutions in sticky situations—there’s a lot of athletic skill involved. While training, players need to practice executing certain plays as well as creating their own maneuvers to get scoring opportunities. A lot of the leading falls onto the captain. Hermans reflects, “The hard part of being captain is trying to keep everyone focused and engaged.” Although the group is a tight-knit family, sometimes it’s difficult to stay constantly engaged. Hermans and Coach Bona have worked to create an innovative, rigorous training regimen with an entertaining routine, captivating everyone.

Using the teachings from her athletic inspiration Serena Williams, Hermans is similarly trying to break boundaries for women in sports. Whether it’s keeping a calm and collected composure when off the court or having a fiercely competitive attitude when on the court, Hermans and her team are ready to take on this winter season. Similar to Serena Williams, who has won 13 individual Grand Slams and 3 Olympic gold medals, Hermans and her team are on a path to glory. As of 1/29/23, they’re 15-2-0, which is an amazing feat!

Hermans’ motto, “Their success is my success,” fits her goals for the team. She feels pride when everyone feels pride. As much as scoring a basket may be a solo effort, it’s the team that supports you; Hermans is trying and currently succeeding at creating that supportive atmosphere for the Girls’ Basketball team. 
That philosophy is applicable to all NA students. As a community that works together, in athletics or otherwise, we need to demonstrate our support for each other. We need to come out to athletics games with as much spirit as possible to ensure Mr. Lieberman’s new message rings true: We are NA!