High school sports are taken very seriously these days, and this is shown especially through how the players prepare for their time on the field, ice, mat, or court, so that they can produce 100 percent effort. For juniors and seniors, these years are not only academically important, but also athletically important if they are wanting to pursue a future in the athletic world. As winter rolls around, the 2024-25 basketball season begins for boys and girls at Sunlake High School, and Brayden Eskandari, senior, and Gianna Fotopoulos, junior, are varsity basketball players. They both are heavily driven by their own goals and also the influential support from family members or coaches that shapes not only the way they play on the court, but also their future ambition.  

Brayden and Gianna are very similarly motivated in almost every aspect of the way they view their goals inside and outside of basketball. Although neither of them are considering going to college to pursue basketball, they both love the game and want to continue to get better. Brayden aspires to be a surgeon and wants to engage in medical studies later in life, but as he plays basketball he says it is, “…a way of keeping me accountable, I’ve been playing since I was little and have been on varsity since my sophomore year, I want to keep playing and gaining skill because basketball isn’t just a sport, it can help me get through life and reach my goals in medicine.” Brayden considers basketball as something he can continue to improve in, but also something he can use to learn how to maintain a busy life now, so that he can maintain an even busier life later on. Gianna does not have much of a different perspective either, as she wants to be in the medical field as an athletic trainer. She says that basketball has had such a strong impact on her life that her, “…goals have shifted from going to school to play sports, to helping students who play sports,” she continued to say that, “I couldn’t let go of something I loved so much, so now I want to help others continue their love for their sport.” She loves playing basketball and, knowing that she can help athletes out in the future inspires her to keep playing. 

Having a busy life as a student athlete can be overwhelming with commitments to practice, games, and schoolwork with due dates, but with support from family, it can be a lot easier to manage and view as something beneficial instead as stressful. Brayden and Gianna both play for a family member that inspires them every day to be the best they can be. Brayden’s mom is the reason he plays; she encourages him to be the best on the court and to strive for skill and his goals. Brayden says, “If it weren’t for my mom, I would have stopped trying. She’s the one who makes me see how rewarding basketball is, and the deeper meaning behind basketball not just being a sport, it’s about being a good sport and having good character.” He tries his hardest to make himself proud with the effort he puts in, but he also plays to make his mom proud with the outcome that comes from his efforts. As for Gianna, her grandpa is her role model and who she looks up to. When Gianna was in middle school, her grandpa came to her basketball games and supported her but as covid approached, he sadly passed away. Since then, Gianna looks up to her grandpa and plays for him. Gianna talks very highly of her grandpa. “He was the best person ever. I love him so much, and without him I don’t think I would be where I am today or the person I am today, so I decided from middle school and on, he would be the person I would play for and make proud.” She has always had love for basketball, and did it for herself, until she noticed the support she had from loved ones that impacted her life in basketball and also in her personal life.  

Lastly, Brayden and Gianna both have careers that they hope to achieve in the future, and they both recognize that it cannot be obtained without hard work, dedication, and support. Brayden is extremely driven, when he puts his mind to something, he cannot stop until it is done. Brayden likes to say that he is a, “…Hard worker because of the things that I have in life. I have a house and a family, and that’s enough for me to be grateful for already, but I also have school, basketball, and friends, which some people don’t have and I want to be able to continue to have this and I think basketball is something that motivates me for my future because I am very grateful for the opportunity I have to play it.” He thinks that gratitude is a great way to feel motivated to do his best in every aspect of life whether it be in basketball, to be the best he can be and cherish it, or all the way through college and into his career in the medical field. Gianna also thinks that gratitude is a key necessity in life because as she would put it, “You never know what you have until its gone.” She feels this way because she has had support in the past, that she did not recognize until it stopped, or when her basketball season comes to an end, the joy she gets from it is gone, and she has to find joy in something else. Gianna hopes to become successful in the future, she describes that, “Success doesn’t come easily, and if I want something, I’m going to have to chase after it and realize that not everything can just be handed to me, and I should be grateful for it, because when its gone it’s going to be a lot more challenging than what my life is like now.” Gianna appreciates everything in life and wants to be able to thrive as an adult in her future, and basketball shows her that support and gratitude play a crucial role in how she plays on the court, and directs the ways she goes about life.  

In short, Brayden and Gianna both use basketball to stay motivated, not just in basketball, but in everyday personal life. Although are both young, it is apparent that they view things in life that might seem little to some people, as a big deal because of how influential it can be to them now, and in the future. Being as driven as Brayden and Gianna are can lead to having big goals in the future, and the support that they receive from special people in their life affects them tremendously regarding how their future can, and will play out, all because of their dedication to basketball.