Hamilton junior Brooklyn Harris has been excelling in both basketball and track and field. She is the reigning CIF City Section champion in the 400m and has also helped the Yankees girl’s basketball team be Open Division contenders.
“I played basketball when I was little, this was the first sport I played,” Harris said. “I always had a love and a passion for it.”
The Yankees have a 25-7 overall record, their 11-1 Western League record put them in second place. Hamilton reached the City Section Open Division Semifinals and the second round of the CIF State Division II playoffs. She noted how having a strong work ethic and having a listening ear was key for her and her teammates.
“We knew we had a goal and we really want to achieve it,” Harris said. “We did a lot of talking and understanding of each other and that’s really what helped this year.”
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Throughout this season, Harris noticed improvements in her rebounding. A proud moment for Harris was when she saw her own rebounding stats.
“I showed that I had the confidence I needed,” Harris said. “I seen everything I was working so hard for be shown on the court and I was happy about that.”
Running track helps Harris stay conditioned for basketball season. She competes in the 200m and the 400m. She put in effort to build her own strategy for running the 400m.
“It was a long process,” Harris said. “I talked to a lot of different trainers and we had to figure out the best method for me.”
In the City Section preliminary round, Harris came in second by 0.2 seconds. She noted how she had to push herself beyond just physically for the final.
“I did a lot of mental work,” Harris said. “I did a lot of self-reflection and I did a lot of meditation and meditation helped me a lot prepare for that race.”
Harris shaved one second off for the final, running 400m in 56.8 seconds, coming in first place.
Being a student athlete means balancing athletics and academic achievement.
“It’s a lot of late nights,” she said. “You have to make sure you communicate with your teachers. In case something is late, you can talk to them, let them know why and how late it would be.”
Harris enjoys her world history class; her teacher supports her efforts in and out of the classroom.
“She helps me, not just history but she also helps me with my sports,” Harris said. “She watched a lot of our games.”
Outside of being a dual-sport student athlete, Harris is a member of the Girl Scouts of the USA. With the organization, Harris has given essential items to the homeless and participated in food distribution events.
“I think their morals are very important, how they empower girls … and then give them mentors, it really helped,” she said. “My mom, she’s actually my leader, it’s like a mother-daughter thing.”
Harris aspires to work in the medical field, specifically in sports medicine.
