Grand Island’s Girls Basketball Team Looks to Rebuild and Return to Varsity
The girls basketball program at Grand Island Senior High is gearing up for a comeback, aiming to re-establish its varsity team by next year. This ambitious goal is being driven by the dedication and optimism of its players and coaching staff.
Junior player Ward remains optimistic about the future, despite previous criticisms of the program. “It might be a bit of a challenge, but I think it’ll be good for us,” she said. “And I think we’ve grown a lot, so I think we can — we will be able to do it by next year.”
Another key player, Lilly Goodwin, has been a basketball enthusiast since her early years. Unfortunately, an ACL injury during volleyball sidelined her for this basketball season. Nonetheless, Goodwin remains hopeful about the program’s trajectory. “It’s very important to me,” Goodwin stated. “It makes me sad that it even got to this point. But I think this year especially, we’re getting so many new girls that are investing and getting more buy-in to the program, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it ends up, even after I graduate.”
Reflecting on past decisions, Goodwin acknowledges the rationale behind dropping the varsity team last year. “I think it was definitely a good move and having a JV is much better than just a reserve team,” she remarked.
Returning to varsity play holds significant meaning for the school and its players. Goodwin expressed her excitement, saying, “It’s really exciting to me, to get back to that level of play and just like experiencing it again, because, especially the sophomores and freshmen, they haven’t even experienced a varsity program yet.” She sees this as a positive step forward.
In terms of team dynamics, Coach Fyfe has emphasized the importance of building strong relationships among players. He introduced initiatives like team meals to foster camaraderie. “The girls knew that we were going to take care of them all day long, whenever they needed it,” Fyfe explained. “Just by having that pantry of food, they come in and they sit together, they got to know each other better, and the relationships grew very, very quickly.”
Assistant Coach Ray Chavez and Fyfe understand that these off-the-court bonds are crucial for the team’s success. Fyfe noted, “It’s much bigger than the game of basketball for them, and Coach Ray Chavez totally understands it too. It’s not that we’re going to change this overnight, but if the culture can be changed, we have a good chance of having a successful program again.”
Looking ahead, Fyfe is optimistic about the program’s prospects, with several upperclassmen ready to return and a strong group of eighth graders rising through the ranks. He dreams of expanding the program to include five teams, a significant increase from the previous two.
Fyfe hopes to reshape perceptions of Islander basketball and encourage younger generations and their families to embrace the school. “I hope that they don’t fear coming to Grand Island Senior High, because what they see a lot of times is not who we really are. Our school is an awesome place,” he said.
Both Ward and Goodwin are committed to changing the narrative and see basketball as a medium for personal and communal growth. “I don’t think that quitting — I don’t believe in that,” Ward said. “So, I try to tell people like, ‘Okay, try to stick it through, because it’ll help you. It’s a good thing to keep going.’”
Goodwin echoed this sentiment, highlighting the long-term benefits of their efforts. “I love the sport, and I love the community, and I want to be a part of building something,” she said.
