About 17,000 high schools in the United States are home to basketball teams; last year more than 924,000 high schoolers played basketball in the United States. High school basketball can be very competitive and can hold a lot of mental weight. Many emotions go into high school sports, but I have always been fascinated by high school basketball and what goes into it beyond the four eight-minute quarters of each game, as well as what makes a team feel like family.
Abington Friends School (AFS) Boys Basketball is a team I have gotten to know extensively through my time taking photos for them and traveling with them. The team holds sixteen Friends School League (FSL) championship titles and the FSL is home to many other competitive high school basketball teams in the Philadelphia area.
My goal was to capture the emotions and chemistry of the team. Chemistry is a huge part of the AFS Boys Basketball team, and many of the guys on the team, as well as the coaches, would agree with that sentiment. No team is perfect in any sport and AFS Boys Basketball has a saying, “Progression>Perfection”. The program at AFS also seems to be more than just a basketball team but a team that is a family; they learn lessons beyond the game. That is what I wanted to capture throughout this piece; not a dunk, not a crossover, or a nice layup, but the emotions, team chemistry, and the lessons that go on beyond those four 8-minute quarters.
(Mason Fullerton )
The team always has a player huddle before every game. Player huddles allow the guys to connect and reflect before game time.
“Our energy and emotions come from the love and appreciation that everybody has for each other. When we step out on the court everybody wants to see each other win and loves just to be there. I feel in general, that separates us from other teams,” senior guard Kamani Healey said.
The love and appreciation that Kamani talks about is noticeable on and off the court for the team. There is always a smile to be seen on a player’s face and that is what makes AFS Boys Basketball so special.
Those little details show how the team never loses sight of having fun while also working towards goals.
(Mason Fullerton )
Sophomore guard Andrew Lyn Jr. (Drew) took a charge in a close game that would cause the opposing team to get an offensive foul, turning the ball to AFS, ultimately securing a 59-57 hard-fought win.
“It hurt, I took the charge for the team because I want to help the team get wins in the best way that I can. I would do it as many times as I need to,” said Drew.
Teams see the locker room before the game, through the thick of the game, and at the end of the game. The energy in the locker room is essential for success and important for the chemistry of the team. There is never a time when the team does not leave the locker room without someone saying, “AFS on three family on six”, followed up by everyone saying, “One, two, three, AFS! Four, five, six, family!”
There is no way of avoiding adversity throughout a basketball season, but it takes everyone on a basketball team to overcome it. It is not always common to have a team where players put team success over individual success. Having an environment where players can grow and work toward their individual goals while having the common goal of growing as a team and building success together, is a truly special aspect of AFS Boys Basketball.
