As the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) girls’ basketball team enters the middle of their season, an exceptional player that regularly stands out is Alexa Taylor ‘24. Taylor, a dedicated member of the team, has been immersed in the sport of basketball since her mother introduced it to her at the young age of four. With an impressive 13 years of experience on the court, her contributions to the team have been integral to their success over her years playing.

Taylor plays the position of center or low post. These positions play a critical role in both offense and defense, responsible for securing rebounds, gaining fouls, and creating scoring opportunities by positioning themselves in the key proximal to the opponent’s basket.

For Taylor, her enjoyment of basketball lies in its blend of competition and teamwork. Her motivation to play hard stems from the “competitive nature of basketball” and the opportunity to improve. As for teamwork, to her nothing beats “making smart moves with [her] team” to evade defenders and float the basketball through the rim to score.

But her basketball journey has been more than just a game. Taylor has been able to draw many lessons from the difficult sport of basketball. She stated “playing has taught me to be confident and passionate.” With these qualities she is “able to push [herself] in the things [she] does.”

As a senior, Taylor has spent almost four seasons with the basketball team. Through this time she has played countless games against a variety of opponents. Out of all the games she has participated in, one stands out the most to her personally: “beating [Saint Bonaventure High School] my junior year on their home court.” The game was certainly one to remember due to how close it was, the final score being 30-29.

When asked if she wanted to play basketball in the future she responded with “if I go to [Ventura College], I might decide to play,” but she’s uncertain whether she’ll want to continue playing if she goes to a different school.

Taylor will compete alongside her teammates against the Saint Bonaventure High School (Bonnie) girls’ basketball team on Jan. 4, 2024 at their home court, where they seek to relive Taylor’s favorite memory and overcome their local rivals.