One Team, One Heartbeat

One Team. One Heartbeat. It isn’t just a slogan. For Wilson Lakewomen basketball, it’s a way of life.

As the calendar turns to 2017 the Lakewomen are the owners of an impressive 6-1 record. The lone defeat was a non-league match up against Franklinville.

But when discussing Wilson girls basketball the number that stands out most is 61. The number of consecutive wins they currently own in the Niagara-Orleans League.

Coach Brian Baker, whose team has not tasted defeat in league play since Feb.2012, has guided the Lakewomen to a 112-4 record in league play since taking over as the varsity coach.

“I think that the strong start that we’ve had and the success that we’ve had over the last few years is that they understand and they believe that they are part of a tradition. They’re part of a family,” Baker said.

“That they better be able to adopt to the family concept and if they can’t they won’t fit in.” While each and every girl is well-schooled the the X’s and O’s of the game the incredible run of success within league play runs deeper. At the root is an unselfish mind set where the girls understand that they are part of something much bigger than any one of them.

“I think everyone understands that,” senior captain Jen Darlak said. “It’s that kind of atmosphere where we really are just one team. We say One Team, One Heartbeat and that’s really what it is.”

Baker said the commitment from the girls at all three levels-varsity, JV and modified-is a big factor. Year after year they get consistently good numbers of girls turning out for summer open gyms as girls look for every opportunity to improve their game.

Another big that step one of that mind set was getting all three levels of the program all on the same page and feeling as one. Which starts with the varsity girls taking on the roles of big sisters and reaching out to the young ones and making them feel like they belong.

“It’s kinda nice because the younger kids look up to the older kids,”said Baker. “They want to become part of the team, but they also want to become part of the tradition of Wilson’s girls basketball.”

Part of what helps foster that family atmosphere is the fact that Baker requires the team’s to watch each others games-especially the older kids watching and supporting the younger girls. While it is an official requirement of the program to watch at least a half of each others games, once those bonds have been formed the girls do not have to be prodded to watch each other.

“We can’t have cliques on the team, and we definitely don’t. We are all one big group,” said senior captain, Alex Seeley.

“And also, when we’re watching their games they want to try their best because we can also be helping Mr.Baker scout who we want to move up for sectionals or next year.”

Darlak added that things joint practices give the younger players the chance to not only get to know the older girls, but also show them that all three teams essentially run the same plays. It’s just a matter of executing those plays at a quicker pace.

The leadership of Seeley, Darlak and fellow senior captains Rachel Senek and Kayla Neumann will be huge in the coming weeks as the Lakewomen find themselves looking at six road games this month. Four of which are in a row against hard-nosed N-O rivals Medina, Albion, Newfane and Akron.

The Lakewomen know they will have to be at their best as they enter every game with a giant target on their backs.

“No doubt about it,” said Baker. “We have six games on the road in January and I told the girls every night that you come in and you play an N-O team they want to knock you off. It’s been a while-2012-teams want to beat you. So you can’t take teams lightly. There’s some tremendous coaches in the Niagara-Orleans League so I’ve got to be prepared and I’ve gotta have these kids prepared.”

Though Baker and his staff work their players hard and always want them to demand the best from themselves and each other, Baker said it’s just as vital to keep the element of fun alive. To allow the kids to be kids and enjoy the simple pleasures of playing the game. “Being part of a team, it’s not all about winning. It’s about being part of the team experience,” said Darlak.

“We all play for fun. I know that basketball isn’t my best sport and a lot of girls will say that too. But we just do it because we love our team. We do win a lot through working hard preparing and knowing how to face challenges. But at the same time everyone is doing it because it’s a lot of fun.”