On January 25, I got the amazing opportunity to talk to JD Focarile (Sr.), who is a senior player on our boys varsity basketball team. Like my other interviews, I got to know a little bit about him and his basketball career by asking him some questions. These are his answers.
I started by asking him, ¨What has being on the basketball team taught you the most over your high school years?”
Focarile said, “High school basketball has taught me the amount of hard work and discipline that is needed to achieve great things. Just for our team to make it to the state tournament took months of practice and preparation. It has been a good reminder during high school that all good things take time to achieve.”
If you truly care about a sport, you will dedicate a lot of your time and heart to it and try your hardest to be the best you that you can be.
Next, I asked, “What’s your favorite memory from playing games?”
“My favorite memory from basketball was the state semifinal game my sophomore year. We played Coeur d’Alene and won with a buzzer beater. We all ran onto the court and went nuts. No one expected us to make it to the state championship game that year, but we were able to,” said Focarile.
JD Focarile (Sr.) going for the lay-up.
Putting your heart into a sport really does result in success. These huge moments result in memories that last forever.
Following that, I asked him, “Who was your biggest inspiration and or role model?”
Focarile said, “In basketball, I would say I’m inspired by how much time our coach puts into basketball. He always prepares us to the greatest possible extent for our games. It reminds me that my job of playing isn’t really that hard.”
Coaches really determine the love or hate someone has for their sport. Our basketball coaches are truly amazing people and really care for their athletes.
We also talked about whether he would continue playing after high school, and he said he doesn’t plan on playing in college but definitely would play in adult leagues with his friends.
Overall, I really enjoyed this interview. Focarile is a really nice guy, and I could tell from talking to him that he truly has a passion for basketball.
