As a current high school senior playing varsity basketball, I often reminisce on my previous high school basketball seasons. Particularly, I think about my freshman year. I was on Junior Varsity, and my coach was “Coach Ackey”. Coach Ackey was an extremely optimistic mentor and had a huge impact on the girl's basketball team. He helped me overcome obstacles that I faced throughout the season. For example, being a new high school student, I lacked confidence and aggression on the court. After knowing Ackey for only a short period, he encouraged me and supported me, and practiced moves and shots that boosted my confidence. His words of encouragement and affirmation helped me improve my skills and my mentality. Not only was my Coach Ackey a great mentor, but he was a friend. We had so many laughs and fun experiences, which made me look forward to coming to practice every day. Unfortunately, he passed away suddenly near the end of my freshman season. This took a huge toll on the whole team, and we mourned together for a long time. He was such a light to our team, and he had positively impacted so many people in his life. Coach Ackey was a huge inspiration to our team, and the next year, we used his passing as motivation to get our first district win in six years and a visit to the state bracket. Coach Ackey’s legacy has deeply influenced our team for the past few years, and I am positive that it will continue for the next years as well. I often reflect on the many ways Coach Ackey has not only made me a better basketball player but also a better person. I believe that I exemplify the traits and qualities of David G. Sutton because I am a motivated, supportive, and empathetic friend, student, and athlete. When I am on the court, I try to be the most uplifting. I strive to be the teammate to pick others up when they fall and encourage them to do their best. Like Coach Ackey, I enjoy keeping the game light-hearted and making it a fun experience for everyone. Even if it gets hard, I have found that keeping a team spirit and an optimistic perspective during sub-optimal situations lifts the team’s energy. I try to channel Ackey’s positive energy and attitude into my actions and try to impact my teammates as he had impacted me. I have found that when I do this, we have a great time on the court, but we also work together and often win! Although he is no longer with us, Coach Ackey continues to be one of the biggest influences in my life, and his morals have shaped me into the basketball player, person, sister, daughter, friend, and student that I am.

As a current high school senior playing varsity basketball, I often reminisce on my previous high school basketball seasons. Particularly, I think about my freshman year. I was on Junior Varsity, and my coach was “Coach Ackey”. Coach Ackey was an extremely optimistic mentor and had a huge impact on the girl's basketball team. He helped me overcome obstacles that I faced throughout the season. For example, being a new high school student, I lacked confidence and aggression on the court. After knowing Ackey for only a short period, he encouraged me and supported me, and practiced moves and shots that boosted my confidence. His words of encouragement and affirmation helped me improve my skills and my mentality. Not only was my Coach Ackey a great mentor, but he was a friend. We had so many laughs and fun experiences, which made me look forward to coming to practice every day. Unfortunately, he passed away suddenly near the end of my freshman season. This took a huge toll on the whole team, and we mourned together for a long time. He was such a light to our team, and he had positively impacted so many people in his life. Coach Ackey was a huge inspiration to our team, and the next year, we used his passing as motivation to get our first district win in six years and a visit to the state bracket. Coach Ackey’s legacy has deeply influenced our team for the past few years, and I am positive that it will continue for the next years as well. I often reflect on the many ways Coach Ackey has not only made me a better basketball player but also a better person. I believe that I exemplify the traits and qualities of David G. Sutton because I am a motivated, supportive, and empathetic friend, student, and athlete. When I am on the court, I try to be the most uplifting. I strive to be the teammate to pick others up when they fall and encourage them to do their best. Like Coach Ackey, I enjoy keeping the game light-hearted and making it a fun experience for everyone. Even if it gets hard, I have found that keeping a team spirit and an optimistic perspective during sub-optimal situations lifts the team’s energy. I try to channel Ackey’s positive energy and attitude into my actions and try to impact my teammates as he had impacted me. I have found that when I do this, we have a great time on the court, but we also work together and often win! Although he is no longer with us, Coach Ackey continues to be one of the biggest influences in my life, and his morals have shaped me into the basketball player, person, sister, daughter, friend, and student that I am.