Editor's note
Charlyn Chu is a senior captain on the Richard Montgomery girls' basketball team. She is writing a diary series for The Washington Post throughout the season to document the life of a high school player. This is her fourth entry.
Our shoes damp and our jerseys soaked, we danced in puddles on the floor of Room 170. It’s not every victory we douse each other with water, but the 54-41 win over Paint Branch merited the celebration.
This wasn’t a typical night — it was senior night. Posters were plastered on gym walls. Black and gold balloons were attached to the bleachers. Our cheer team brandished big-head cutouts of the five seniors. Yet, amid the festivities, there was an unmistakable sense of urgency. The division title was on the line.
Part 1: Inside the senior season of a high school player
Senior night traditions of chasing personal milestones — dropping 20 points, hitting career highs or achieving triple-doubles — had to take a back seat. Our focus during this Feb. 13 game was on playing well and playing as a team.
In November, we held a team meeting to set goals for the season. With almost starry-eyed optimism, we typed everything that came to our minds. Never get outrebounded. All out on spirit days. Holiday tournament champions. Undefeated in our division.
When we lost our first Montgomery County East game by one point early in the season, our goal of an 8-0 division record had already gone out the window, and our grasp of becoming division champions seemed to loosen. There was no margin for error.
Though the defeat didn’t reduce my motivation, it did introduce a creeping doubt. I realized ambition can carry you only so far. Going further required consistent effort, discipline and hard work.
Part 2: We don’t need clout, but spare girls the disrespect
Things didn’t get easier. We lost three more close games. We blew leads. I found myself in an offensive slump. I would like to say my confidence didn’t take a hit, but I would be lying. I grew more and more hesitant to shoot after every missed shot, which is one of the worst things that can happen to a player.
It was weird because I thought those days were past me, that once I got my confidence up, it couldn’t be broken back down. I could not have been more wrong.
Advertisem*nt
Coach Michael Oakes was one of the first to realize how I felt. He sent me a video of Duke women’s basketball coach Kara Lawson speaking to her players about fighting for growth. I began coming to practice 15 minutes early to get extra shots up. Two teammates, senior guard Kayden Siegal and senior forward Emma Karlin, often helped rebound or play defense so I could practice finishing through contact.
With the support of everyone around me, I was able to get myself out of my own head and play like myself again. For that, I’m extremely grateful.
That first division game was the last division game we would lose. After our victory over Paint Branch on senior night, we beat Blake on its senior night to secure a 7-1 division record and clinch a co-championship with Sherwood. This is the third division title in the past 30 years of RM girls’ basketball. The most recent was in 2018, and the first came in 1996.
Advertisem*nt
The job isn’t finished. Our 17-5 record earned us the No. 1 seed in our region; we had a first-round bye and will begin the playoffs Friday against Kennedy. If we want to check off more goals from our November team meeting, there can be no lapses.
Part 3: A tightknit team, as seen through a White Elephant gift exchange
People often stop pushing themselves in the home stretch, but that’s when it becomes the most important. It’s easier said than done. We can all sense when the practices aren’t as high-energy, but it’s hard to always be at our best when we’re mentally exhausted or physically tired from the long season.
Additionally, it’s common for teams to be dealing with injuries at this point. We’ve certainly had our fair share. Freshman guard Ava Ruggeri sat out a few games because of rib injuries, sophom*ore guard Katie Diao sprained her ankle multiple times, senior center Joy Dau ices her knees after every game and practice, and I have been dealing with an irritated IT band.
Advertisem*nt
None of us want to rest longer than our amazing trainer, Dahlia Dyson, recommends. Despite our coach’s permission to sit out drills if something is bothering us, if our pain is bearable, we often play through it. I wouldn’t necessarily condone this behavior, but it is a clear indication that no one on our team would milk an injury to slack off or skip practice.
This selfless commitment is what got us here — the drive to do whatever it takes for the team, not because our coach demands it but because we want to. As we near the playoffs, we can feel the finality of each game, and we don’t want to let each other down.
For the five seniors, everyone knows the next game may be the last of our high school careers. I certainly don’t want it to end, but if it has to, I know how I want it to end. Shoes damp, jerseys soaked and faces wet with happy tears.
