Coach Mike Forsberg provided insights about his team & program as they will seek to improve in the always-loaded region 1.
What are the highlights from last season? "Last year was a tough year for us in terms of wins and losses however one of the highlights was getting a front-row seat to watch Morgan Niemiller. She really had a very good year for us. She led us in every statistical category we had on both offense and defense, with the exception of rebounding (she finished second) not bad for a point guard!! Also, it was fun to watch the progression of some of our younger players."
How do you plan on building upon what you taught your returning players last season?
"The real challenge for us will be filling Morgan's shoes. She was a team leader both on and off the court and all the younger girls looked to her for just about everything. We enter this year with only one senior (She did not see much varsity floor action for us) so we're still quite young. My expectations would be for the junior class to now step up and provide leadership and they have shown me glimpses of that this past year."
What effect do you think the lack of summer camp & extra workouts will have on your players?
"Not being able to play much in the offseason as a unit will certainly hurt a younger team like ours much more than a veteran crew since we have new roles & positions to fill and need to do so with younger players. However, we did get to spend more time individually on shooting & ball-handling and we'll soon see if that extra time pays off like I feel it will."
Is there a certain aspect of the game that you think will be the strength of your team?
"I don't know if there is any one thing I can point to and say that is our strength since we lacked in a lot of areas however, that being said, I am hoping to be able to look at this group and say we give it our best effort every time we step on the floor (if they follow the example Morgan set for them)."
What role does Faith play in your team?
"Faith is a HUGE part of what we do as a team. We have a mission: "To be a CHRIST centered team - giving my best effort to better my teammates and myself" - that includes both on the court and spiritually. So it is a big part of what we do on a daily basis. As I always tell the girls, "People will long forget about scores of games--even when you win state titles - they almost always remember how you treated them." We also emphasize that we always represent Oak Grove and as a Christian school people hold us to a little higher standard so we need to fill that expectation."
Is there anything else you would like people to know about your program or your players?
"I feel as a coach that if I can add to or introduce them to a faith in Jesus, as our Lord and Savior, then the other pieces of our program all fall into place (teamwork, giving your best effort, sportsmanship, honesty, integrity, building others up etc)"
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