The Bulldog Basketball team welcomed 14 players to the freshman team at the start of the 2018-2019 season, but the now sophomore team faces a decline in the number of players.

There has been a lot of talk surrounding this subject. “This happens every year with every school in basketball,” said head coach Matt Kaminski.

At the start of the season, coaches noticed that five of 14 sophomores were not on the roster to play basketball. There were different reasons for students not playing basketball this year. Sophomore Jon Hodges wanted to focus on activities that would help him prepare for the future. “I’m not going to sacrifice so much if it does not help me later in life,” he said. “I kind of want to start shaping what I want to do with my life, and basketball is not in that picture.”

Sophomore Ty Hilderbrand didn’t see the fun in basketball anymore. “It kind of began to be not as fun, and it was also not having the time to play,” Hilderbrand said. “But I do hope they do well this year.” 

Assistant coach Jimmie Pack thinks that playing basketball isn’t on everybody’s schedule for the future. “Obviously, being one of the five men on the court at a time isn’t for everyone, and as they get older, this is the time they kind of decide where they land in life,” said Pack. 

Even though you see this recurring theme of people staying and leaving, coach Kaminski thinks the spotlight should be elsewhere and not on those who departed. “Our focus should be put on the kids who are playing and not the ones who aren’t,” he said. 

Choosing to defer from leaving is a decision that Sophomore Andrew Solon made. He credits head coach Matt Kaminski for his improvement in basketball. “Coach Kaminski influenced my decision to stay in basketball because he helped me over the summer,” Solon said. 

Sophomore Ryan Kaminski thanks his senior leaders for keeping him in the sport. “The seniors really influence me, and they also push me to better myself every time I step on the court,” he said.