The Manitou Springs High School boys basketball team is getting ready for the upcoming season. Tryouts start on Nov. 17, and until then the team is working hard with open gym events during the week to prepare for the season and really connect the teams.
The boys basketball team is coached by Nick Nunley. He has been coaching the team for two years now and is looking forward to the season and thinks that it can be very successful. “Something you always strive for as a coach and as a program is to improve, and I think we definitely can do that,” Nunley said.
Thomas Reed (10) was a varsity player last year and as he prepares for this basketball season, he is noticing the potential of the team. “I feel like we have a lot of diversity, especially positional wise, and we don’t have too many big men, but we have a lot of guards that we can go to,” Reed said. “We have a lot of depth in that position, so we’re playing through an offense that makes it better to have more guards in our offense.”
Cohen Barrett, a senior on the team this year, and a captain last year, sees himself taking a leadership role on the team. “I’ve been on varsity since sophomore year, so it’s not really a pressure anymore,” Barrett said, “but when I first joined, all the people around me were older, so they comforted me into not being so stressed anymore so that’s what I’m going to do for my younger players.”
Reed is also confident he can be a leader and help other players get to the varsity level. “I like to say pressure is a privilege. So if you have no pressure, then you really have nothing to play for,” Reed said. “If you give it time and put in that preparation then you can adapt to the varsity levels as you seem fit.”
Reed is preparing for the basketball season and is ready to work hard for himself and for the team. “Just getting in the gym, you know, going early in the morning, attending all the open gyms when you can, not taking too many breaks. I mean, during breaks we hold practices, so just being there as much as you can it’s always good preparation for the season,” Reed said.
Reed has a very positive outlook on sports and the Manitou community as a whole, and with that, being a part of the basketball team means a lot to him. “I mean being part of team sports in general, I take it over any individual sport. Being part of a team is really special, playing for a team builds so many characteristics that I take with me, not even on the court, just in general, just companionship and how to work together,” Reed said, “and just to play for Manitou, it’s special just to be a part of that community.”
Barrett also has a very positive outlook on the season and loves the privilege of being on the basketball team. “Basketball is what I love, and I really want to win games; so I really want everyone else on the team to have the same mentality,” Barrett said.
With the preseason practices, Nunley has a method to get the players ready for the season and see what areas of strength the team might have. “We typically just try to see where the kids are at, try to determine what kind of offense we’re going to run, defense and just getting into playing shape and getting ready to go,” Nunley said.
Nunley implements values that are important to keep a strong and connected team for the season. “Being honest with the kids and the kids being honest with each other, I think that really builds a kind of camaraderie and definitely knowing that the guy next to you is fighting for you,” Nunley said.
He also loves having any support from fans and thinks it makes a big difference. “Especially home games, with student interaction and fans. It is always big with basketball, because you guys are all just like, right there on top of the floor and can make a difference,” Nunley said.
Nunley loves being a coach and loves the opportunity to create a strong team, and not only loves to see his impact on the team but more importantly the players impact on the team and how special being part of a team is. “My favorite part of coaching basketball is that it’s never about me, it’s always about the kids, like seeing them succeed and something works out, and they get a big win, or something like that, and seeing the joy on their faces makes it all worth it,” Nunley said.
