Sophomore Sydney Blevins became team captain of the Hamilton Yankees girls basketball team for this past season. Not only did she help the team during their Open division playoff run, he was with the varsity team last season to help the team win a division II City Section championship.
The Yankees did not become complacent after earning the title, they worked on reaching the championship round again by training and competing in the off season. Through their training, the Hamilton players improved their chemistry.
“Over the summer, we went to Las Vegas for a tournament and there, we took some brutal, brutal games,” Blevins said. “The losing together, I guess it brought us together.”
The rigorous off-season training paid off for Hamilton, as they had a 25-7 overall record during the 2018-19 season. The practices led Blevins to have to get to Hamilton in the early hours of the morning.
“I live in Carson,” Blevins said. “That as well brought us together as team and when we started winning, that pushed us, that really made us better.”
Hamilton’s championship run came with hardships, Blevins had challenges of her own.
“Last year as a freshman, I struggled with what my role was on the team,” she said. “Coach, she told me to just relax and coach, she told me to just relax and play my game and everybody will follow. That really helped me out.”
Since then, Blevins has developed into a more aggressive player on the offensive end with better communication skills. She has also gained more experience as a leader.
Blevins thought that Hamilton was a good fit for her because of their music department. She plays the upright bass for the school orchestra.
“I wanted to play the guitar, but the upright bass just felt like it was a calling for me,” she said. “I just fell in love with the rhythm.”
With a 3.2 GPA, Blevins enjoys writing; her favorite class is English. Juggling her various obligations has become second nature for her.
“I just always done it and I can’t really see myself not doing it: playing a sport and also doing my work,” Blevins said. “To be on the team, I have to do my work. It really pushes me to do it.”
Blevins has an interest in sports journalism and she is a member of the Black Student Union at Hamilton. She noted how teachers help her excel in the classroom.
“My English teacher—because of basketball, I’m never really in that class—but he really helps me balance out work and keep up with the class and what we’re doing,” Blevins said.
The L.A. Sentinel is looking for athletes with a strong academic background or currently volunteers to make L.A. a better place. Please contact Amanda Scurlock at [email protected] to nominate your Student Athlete of the Week.
