Athlete of the Week: Jordan Yowell

Read this quick Q & A about Jordan Yowell. Yowell is a freshman standout this year for the girls’ varsity basketball team. This covers when she started playing and goes all the way to the goals that she has going forward.

When did you start playing basketball?

I started playing a little bit of rec league when I was really little. Then I started playing competitively in 5th grade.

Do you have any early memories from when you started playing basketball?

I just remember that I was the one who was always getting the ball and I would have to figure out how to score. I would try to take it in for a layup every single time that I got the ball.

Did you ever imagine that you would start on the varsity basketball team as a freshman?

Not at all. When I was in middle school I was just hoping to make JV. I thought that it was rare to have a freshman make varsity so my goal was just to make JV. Then once I started playing, my goal turned into making the varsity team and even trying to start.

What were your expectations going into tryouts?

I played with all of the girls over the summer and I was getting used to playing with both the JV and varsity teams. Once I sort of got into it I realized that I wanted to make varsity. I wanted to make making varsity my first priority and I really wanted to start. I knew it was really rare for a freshman to start, though.

How is high school basketball different from basketball you have played in the past?

Competition is a lot better. Obviously, you are playing against freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors as a freshman. It’s also a lot more enthusiastic. I played middle school ball and it had a student section but it was nothing compared to the one we have. They are light-years apart.

Have you made any good memories so far on the basketball team?

Just the friendships that I am creating with all of the players. I am becoming friends with a lot of upperclassmen which has been great. It has been a fun time.

How do you like Coach Lawrence? Tell me a little bit about her as a coach.

I like Coach Lawrence a lot. She played college ball at Oklahoma and I think that she is going to be good for us in the long-term. She is young, she brings a new face and she brings a lot of energy for us. I feel like we are going to keep getting better and better because she has some really good advice to give us.

What are your goals for the team for the remainder of the year?

I want to get a win really bad, we haven’t gotten one yet and I think that would be really special. I think we have gotten a lot better and we keep progressing but we still need that first win.

What are your strengths and weaknesses as a player?

One of my strengths is shooting. I have gotten a lot better at that and I guess driving too. My weakness is, and Coach Lawrence has talked to me about this, that I haven’t really been a leader on the floor this year. Since I’m a freshman she wants me to be more of a leader out there and that is what I need to work on for the remainder of the year.

What are your goals going forward for the rest of your career at East?

I just hope that next year we can get some wins and that we can keep improving. I hope that we get younger talent in next year that will help us achieve our goals.