James Westervelt is a freshman athlete who has 11 years of experience playing basketball under his belt, and he is now almost through his first year on varsity as a freshman.

He plays the guard position where he is a great at dribbling, passing, shooting, and running the offense.

  James said that his goal for this season was to win the championship. He planned to accomplish this by putting in an endless amount of work and effort on and off the court to better his gameplay and to be a good team player.

  To stay in shape during the season, James goes to every practice offered and practices at home with his basketball hoop by running some drills and taking shots. In the off-season he still practices at home and goes for runs.

  Even when he has free time, he is still playing basketball because it is what he loves most and just can’t stay away from it. However, he also enjoys spending time with his friends and family off the court.

  James’ mother motivates him to keep playing with her constant encouraging words, especially when times get tough, and he may begin to experience some difficulties. She makes him want to be a better person and player through her wise words to him.

  James said, “Playing basketball has taught me that effort will always be talent.” No matter how good of a player you may be, it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t put in the work to show for it.

  His greatest inspirations are right at home, that being both of his parents. His parents cheer him on through everything he does, and they set the standard of what it means to be a good role model for him to look up to.

  A basketball memory that James will never forget was when he scored his first game winning shot as a young player, and that moment has set the stage for his career.

  James’ plans for the future are to play Division I in college for either basketball, baseball, or football. Though he is unsure of where he wants to attend, he has plenty of time to figure it out as a freshman and will continue working toward this dream.