The following article is sponsored on behalf of the Central Bucks East girls’ basketball team by Dime Athletics. To learn more about Dime Athletics, visit the web site at the following link: https://dimeathletics.com/
By Mary Jane Souder
Imagine, if you can, asking a random stranger if they are over 70 and - if they are - going a step further and requesting to have your photo taken with them.
That’s not as far-fetched as it might seem to members of the Central Bucks East basketball squad, who have made scavenger hunts – which include items like a photo with a 70-year-old - an integral part of their team building experience while at team camp at Princeton University.
“Since Princeton is a small town, we do things that are all over the town,” junior Grace Stewart said. “A few of the (items on the list) are related to the stores – wear some college apparel or hold a menu at a restaurant.
“There are real funny ones like find someone who’s above 6-5 and get a picture with them. Some of us are terrified to ask, but others are like, ‘Hey, could I ask you if you’re 70 yet? I don’t mean to be rude.’ Most people are really nice about it. They think it’s hilarious, and we all really enjoy it.”
The list also included a selfie with more than 20 people, spelling ‘East’ with non-traditional letters and an especially fun item - a photo of someone that looks like a member of the team.
“Two summers ago we did the first scavenger hunt,” Stewart said. “We had a completely new team after our five seniors left, and it was something that brought us really close because we all had so much fun with it.
“Our coach realized we all enjoyed it so much, so now when we have tournaments that are far or we go to team camps, she does them so we can keep building.”
The scavenger hunt idea was the brainchild of coach Liz Potash, who came up with the idea to fill some time when a schedule change gave her team an unexpected block of free time. So popular was the idea that Princeton coach Courtney Banghart is now using Potash’s scavenger hunts for her team as well.
“She sent me pictures of her kids doing the scavenger hunt,” Potash said. “I send her the updated scavenger hunt each year now.”
“It’s turned into a tradition, and we had to do it over winter break (during a stay in Delaware for a tournament) as well.”
While the scavenger hunts have created fun memories, it is a shared passion for basketball that has brought this young Patriots’ squad together.
Two years ago, in Potash’s first year at the helm, the Patriots started five seniors, and with the graduation of all five starters, there was the not-so-little matter of rebuilding last year.
The young Patriots surprised many by earning a spot in the District One AAAA Tournament as the 32nd seed in the 32-team field. This year they are the 24th seed.
“I knew that we were going to most likely do better than we did last year just because we did have the experience, but I did know that all the other teams were going to be working just as hard,” said senior captain Kyra Scaliti. “I knew if we wanted to compete and if we wanted to get to the next level above last year that we would have to work really hard. I knew it wouldn’t just come to us. It was something we had to earn.”
Scaliti and Megan Lapioli are the only seniors on a still young Patriot roster. Scaliti is a four-year varsity player and was a cornerstone of the rebuilding process.
“I recognized that (last) year it was going to be a bit of a wake-up call because we were losing five starters, and Kyra really had to change her role,” Potash said. “Now she comes into the program as really the only one who had quality minutes the previous year and was surrounded by basically a whole new team. It really was a huge role change for her. It was a bit of an adjustment at first, but she embraced it well with a young team. I thought she did a great job leading, but this year, she’s taken it to another level. It’s really incredibly gratifying for me to see how far she’s come in these past three years.”
Scaliti – a captain - admits that keeping things in perspective can sometimes be a balancing act.
“As a senior, there’s a lot of pressure,” she said. “But at the same time, we have to step back and realize we have to enjoy this, and I think everyone has really helped make sure Megan and I and Meredith Quinn, our manager, enjoy this.
“This year especially I feel as though we’re all close. When our community service was cancelled because of the weather, we just all sat around on the couch and watched movies. We’re not just friends on the court, we’re friends off the court, which I think makes the whole season more enjoyable for myself and I think it makes it more enjoyable for everyone.”
“We’re all really comfortable with each other,” Stewart added. “There’s no separation at all between the team. We’re all one giant family.
“There’s no huge issues or drama that happens between us. I just think we all really have grown to build bonds with each other, some we may have never thought we’d have before. It’s good to know we have each other.”
Junior Bridget Birkhead credited the seniors – Scaliti and Lapioli - for the role they’ve played in building that camaraderie.
“They knew we had to come together even more than we did last year,” she said. “That’s exactly what we did.
“We spent so much time together from summer to fall, going out to breakfast to getting lunch after practice and just doing fun things outside of practice and drills and games. We’re like a huge family now, and it’s really fun to be around everyone.”
Although Potash believes creating that bond cannot be forced, she admits intentional activities are significant in team building. In addition to scavenger hunts and the team camp each summer, there’s the once-a-week yoga that begins in the preseason and continues during the season. The team also lifts together under the direction of Mo and Bryan Bailey – owners of Dime Athletics - who bring their basketball specific training to East once a week.
“Things other programs or kids might do on their own – I make sure we do those things together,” Potash said. “All the credit to the girls – they really take a lot of pride in forming those genuine relationships.
“I know sometimes you say you just have to respect one another, and I don’t believe that. You need to be friends with your teammates because you go through battles together, and it just makes everything easier.”
Although the Patriots struggled in the final week of the season, dropping three games, they are working to put that behind them.
“We had a light practice on Monday, and I told them, ‘Everyone is 0-0. We got what we wanted – we got a team out of our league, so let’s have a good week and go after it, learn from the mistakes we made last week.’” Potash said. “We’re big on focusing on those little progression steps because I know in sports it’s really easy to focus on wins and losses, but it’s incredibly important for us to focus on progress and process.”
As her team prepares for the postseason, Scaliti reflected on the past four years.
“With the transition, we went from a great coach to another great coach and great human beings that I’ve been surrounded with, so I’ve really been blessed with all that,” the senior captain said. “In the past couple years, I’ve reflected on some of the negatives, but I feel this year is a lot different, and I reflect a lot more on the positives than the negatives.
“Any athlete goes through ups and downs all four years. Four years is a very, very long time, but I think basketball overall has taught me more than anything else has ever taught me.
“It taught me so many valuable lessons. I’ve met some great people I know I’ll have relationships with forever, and I think that if there’s one thing I have to thank in my life for making me who I am, it would be basketball. The past four years have just been super awesome.”
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