The season of competitive travel basketball is here. Many fifth grade boys at Patrick M. Villano School play on the 11u Emerson Travel Basketball team. This year, the boys started off strong with a 3-1 record compared to last season’s record of 0-12. However, they suffered recent losses against Glen Rock, Dumont and Westwood making their current record 3-3.
The team has picked up some new players including Ethan Lantigua, Aiden Mills, Victor Santana and Cruz Castillo.
“My thoughts are that our team has taken a turn through the midseason, and I hope we could come back from these losses and win a lot more games, and I love the coaches. I respect them,” Ethan Lantigua. “I love my players too.”
Coaches are working to step up the team’s skill set, as they are looking to win the championship. In practice, the team has learned man to man defense. They’ve also been doing drills such as layup lines and the chase drill. The chase drill is when someone puts pressure on an opponent in a layup .The weave is another drill where players pass until they go down the court and take a layup.
Dylan Tortora is the team’s shooting guard.
“I feel that this team is amazing,” Tortora said. “We all get along, work well together, and have fun. The best part is that we have great coaches that help us get better as a team.”
Players think that having equal playing time and practicing basketball on and off the court will be key to their success.
