In this special edition feature, the boys basketball class of 2018 shares letters to the game of basketball, a game they grew to love as children.

Drew Arnson, Forward, #32.

Dear Basketball,

You have been a part of my life for almost as long as I can remember. I’ve gone from being a kindergartener running around on the NVA courts to coaching for NVA, having all of those bright young eyes looking up at me, eager to learn. Throughout that long expanse of time, you have made me the person I am today.

You have given me some of the strongest relationships that I have, even with people that I don’t know. You have created an avenue for mutual respect between strangers, as I have been matching up against the same kids since fifth grade. We serve as measuring sticks for each other, both literally and figuratively, as we see who grows in stature and in skill throughout the years. However, the more important relationships are those I have with my teammates. You have given me the opportunity to catch unexpected assists from Jed for eight years in a row. You have given me the chance to know what cut Mead is going to make and for him to know that I will get it to him without a word of communication. Friendships from varsity basketball are some of the strongest I’ve ever made. Multiple hours together everyday for almost half of the year will create some pretty tight bonds, as we face adversity together and must respond together in order to be successful.

You also give us our coaches. I’ve been fortunate to have coaches who truly care about the game and teaching their players. Due to my talkative and analytical nature, I’ve always been drawn to my coaches, asking questions trying to understand the reasons behind their strategies. I do this to make sure I know what’s happening on the court, as I can’t really rely on pure athleticism to wing it out there, and to make sure everyone is on the same page. I’m sure Coach Lascala wouldn’t have minded if I kept a few questions to myself the last two years, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. My penchant for asking questions could sometimes turn into a slippery slope with Coach Scott, as one question on the sideline during practice would turn into a full conversation unrelated to basketball, but I would always be ready for Coach Lascala asking me what he just said, so no harm no foul right?

You have taught me a multitude of lessons that stick with me to this day. For example, my fourth grade Full Package coach showed me how to keep my cool on and off the court, a skill that took longer to develop than I would care to admit. In eighth grade, under Coach Silvestri, I learned the importance of being pushed past your limits to achieve your full potential. To the last three years, where I have learned to be accountable and accept that I’ve made a mistake. I have also learned to move on to the next play, in life and in basketball. I’ve learned these lessons through trial and error, as they can’t be perfected in one day of practice.

You have taken me on a journey, from a tall, awkward, skinny kid who likes defense to a tall, slightly less awkward and skinny kid, who still likes defense… Physical attributes aside, I am a better person due to you, as you have challenged my leadership, my teamwork, my resilience, and my competitive spirit, pushing them to the edge and forcing me to improve. So, I guess this letter is really more of a thank you note, for bringing me joy on the court, amazing friends off the court, and more memories than I can keep track of. So thank you basketball, for all that you’ve done. We should keep in touch.

Sincerely,

Drew Arnson

Ben Gibson, Guard, #23.

Dear Basketball,

I want to thank you for all you have done, from elementary school throughout my high school career. For providing an escape when I need to be alone. Whenever I’m stressed, I go to you to relieve my pain. I would put my headphones in and head to the gym for a couple hours just to shoot. It’s something about you that blocks off all other things inside my head and focus on the ball and the hoop.  Inside or out, you are always there for me. If I’m not able to get to a court, I’ll go on the computer and study the game. Whether it’s watching a live game or highlight tapes on YouTube, you always find a way to keep me entertained.

You have brought me many new opportunities and relationships. Starting in middle school, I made tons of new friends playing for various AAU basketball teams. Little did I know that these friends would be my opponents in my future years. Once I reached high school, a big emphasis that Coach Lascala makes is creating a brotherhood with your team. That is exactly what happened Sophomore year. I made some of my best friends on that team and that translated into our play on the court. Being friends with your teammates is a great way to build chemistry with the team and that is what lead to such a successful season. We spent about three hours everyday with our team and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with any other guys.

You have taught me how to persevere through times of adversity. I first experienced this when I made the “B” team for the 7th grade feeder team — I was devastated. After being on the “A” team the past two years, I was expecting to make the top team again. Then again 8th grade I made the “B” team again. Sitting on the bench for my first year of varsity basketball  was one of the most frustrating times of my career.  I learned to work through it and strengthen my weaknesses so they had no choice but to play me. Mead Payne, Kyle Waggoner, and I were all members of the 8th grade feeder “B” team, but started this year on the varsity team. You taught me that your earlier years don’t define your career. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.

You have taught me to be a leader. Even though I may not be the most vocal, you taught me to lead in other ways. I tried to be a role model by leading by example. I showed how hard you have to work to be a varsity athlete. I would like to thank all my coaches for not only making me a better basketball player, but helping me become the person I am today. Not only did they teach us skills on the court, but life lessons that will help us succeed off the court.

I want to thank you for all you have done. For bringing out my competitiveness, leadership, and perseverance. I don’t what my future holds, but I know basketball will always be a part of it. Whether I’m playing or it’s apart of my future job, we will always be together.   

Sincerely,

Ben Gibson

Kyle Waggoner, Forward, #0.

Dear Basketball,

Thank you for providing me with the game and my teammates over the years. I started my journey young and unskilled but grew along the way. In 6th grade I got cut from the feeder team, but in 7th grade I made the B team and met some of my high school teammates. I never thought I would grow so close to the game and my teammates. I loved the game and dreamed of playing in high school and being able to dunk.

Growing up, I was a huge imaginary dunker. Throughout middle school I was always trying to grab the rim. I loved going to the Rec to play pickup basketball with the older kids. I wasn’t very good, but I loved being able to jump and grab a rebound over an older kid. It was those moments where I felt like basketball was a part of my life and I was going to do everything I could to be the best player I could be. The summer before high school I wanted to go to the high school basketball camp. My mom worked and I couldn’t drive so I biked to camp every day. Some days I even got there super early to shoot around. It wasn’t always fun sweating before I even got to camp, but basketball was what I looked forward to everyday that summer. It was worth it freshman year I was proud of myself for barely making the A team. It had been a step up from getting cut. It was the end of freshman year when I threw down my first dunk. Lake Forest Basketball had felt like a family to me.

We were a large group of guys and had work to do bring it together. As we moved up to sophomore and then varsity basketball we started to grow close as a unit of seven guys. Although junior year we didn’t all play in the games together, we practiced on the blue squad every day and battled it out in JV games. If there were playoffs for JV games, our team would have won state. Together as a unit we could accomplish anything.

I want to thank all of my coaches over the year for pushing me and coaching me to the next level. Every AAU teammate, Coach, or defender at the gym I played against that made me better. I couldn’t have made it this far without any of them, or, most importantly, the support of my parents. My parents encouraged me and provided me throughout basketball at every turn in the road. They were the ones that reminded me of my passion for basketball and without them I might not have played Varsity basketball.

We have all put in work over the years to reach this Senior season. Each of us was motivated by a sport and passion that we love. I made sacrifices for you and for my teammates which brought us closer. Our blood is our blood and thicker than water. Because of you, we are more than a team we are family.

And for that I thank you.

Kyle Waggoner

Sean Trkla, Guard, #4.

Hey basketball,

We need to talk. I’m going to start by saying you that didn’t do anything wrong. You always treated me with love and respect. I’m sorry if this is coming as a shock to you, but I think it’s time for us to go our separate ways.

We’ve had a long, happy relationship with plenty of ups and downs. We’ve fought, cried, laughed and screamed together. Some days I hated you, most days we got along just fine. In the end, you’ve helped shape me into the person that I am today.

I know we talked about trying to make this work in college, but I don’t think I’ll be able to give you the same commitment that I have throughout high school. I need to grow up now and stop kidding around with “sports” from my hometown.

What you need to understand is that it’s not you, it’s me. I’ve learned more about myself from you than anyone else. You’ve taught me persistence, leadership and gave me self confidence. You helped me develop my character vastly and I loved spending time with you more than anyone else. I’ve probably spent more time with you than I have with my family.

You steered me out of the wrong crowd and helped me find my best friends. Friends who liked me for my character above all things. Friends who encouraged me to thrive in school and on the court. Friends who veered me away from toxic high school distractions. You helped make me not just an athlete, but a student-athlete.

You’ve always stuck with me, even through the times that I wasn’t loyal. I’m still deeply sorry for cheating on you with other sports like Football and Track. I knew from the first time that I started fooling around with them that it wasn’t the same. I could never be as close to another sport as I was with you.

You accepted my parents and family. Our relationship thrived because of the support that they had in us. They saw how I was in love with you ever since I was little and helped me to grow as close to you as I possibly could. They knew how much you cared about me and wanted to see me succeed.

Your family wanted me to be successful, too. Your brothers, Coach LaScala and Coach Scott, always pushed me to be the best player that I could be. Even though they treated me pretty rough at times, I always knew they cared for me as if I was one of their own. We became a family.

Most importantly, you were always there to be my last line of defense. Through family sorrows, friendship issues and high school anxiety, I could always count on you to make me feel better.

So long, basketball; I hope you can keep impacting kids lives in the same positive way that you have impacted mine. I’ll miss you more than you’ll ever know, and I hope we can still hang out during school break. Always remember: keep your three trusts and do everything you do with two feet in.

Thanks for the memories,

Sean Trkla

Mead Payne, Forward, #1.

Dear Basketball,

From the time I was a little kid playing 1 on 1 against my grandpa with a pair of rolled up socks, up until now, my senior season of high school basketball, you have always been there for me. Through NVA basketball, where you gave me my first championship, all through middle school feeder, where you gave me my grit and competitiveness and over the last four years of high school basketball where you gave me some of my best friends, I thank you.

However, this journey has not always been a walk in the park, it has taught me many hard, yet significant life lessons. To many’s surprise, I have not always been 6’6” and this played a big role in not making my school basketball team 7th grade. Not making the team taught me a very valuable lesson and has only made me better as time has progressed. Since then I have always pushed myself harder so that I would never be in that position again seeing my friends talking about their teams, as I spent the winter watching. Along with this, I wasn’t on the A team for my last three years of feeder basketball. Yet, I don’t feel any sense of regret of playing on B for those years. The B team, from Coach Niles 6th grade to Coach Sobinsky 8th grade taught me to have fun on the court. While the A team ran sprint after sprint we were on the other side of the gym having three point competitions. The B team also gave me a chip on my shoulder, it gave me something to prove as I knew I could be better than some of the players on the A team, this preparing me for my high school career where playing time is earned and never given. More recently, this season you have taught me lessons of perseverance and leadership, making sure that the team doesn’t get too down after losing five conference games in a row and then bouncing back to win five of the next six.

Altogether, it hasn’t been the wins and losses that define my career. It’s been about all the friendships and relationships I’ve built along the way. From having a senior mentor to talk to in the hall as a freshman, to visiting former teammates in college, I thank you for all the different relationships you have allowed me to make. Most specifically the friendships I have developed with the six other seniors that I share this day with. We have spent countless hours together and I look forward to spending countless more even at the conclusion of the season. Regardless of the outcome of this season I know that I will walk away from this sport with friendships that will last a lifetime.

Overall, I want to thank you for all you have given me. I also want to thank all of my coaches and supporters along the way, as well as my teammates for believing in me–when I didn’t even believe in myself–and for the constant support from the Comp Crazies throughout the ups and downs. Thank you, basketball, for the buzzer-beater victories, upset wins, and all of the other countless memories.

Sincerely,

Mead Payne

Jack VanHyfte, Guard, #10.

Dear Basketball,

I am really going to miss you.  Basketball has been a huge part of my life since 1st grade when my dad coached my first team.  Those were the days when the basket was lowered to 8 feet and opposing players weren’t allowed to steal the ball.
When I moved here in 6th grade, I joined the Feeder team, played for my school team at St. Mary’s and on a Full Package team for several years.  My teammates have changed a little over the years, but there is still a core group of us who have stayed together the whole time and it’s hard to believe that we are coming to the end of the road.  These guys are my teammates and friends, and we have battled together through it all. As a 6th grade kid playing on the feeder team, I couldn’t wait to play high school basketball.  Scouts Basketball is the main reason I wanted to attend LFHS.  Our program’s motto is “2 feet in” but I was already “all in” way back then.  Playing Scouts basketball is a huge commitment, which I’m not sure everyone understands.  As a guy who has also played football and lacrosse, I can say, without a doubt, that basketball is the most demanding in terms of time.  You really have to want it to be a part of this program and I know my fellow seniors feel the same way.

The one constant throughout it all has been my parents, who have invested hundreds of hours driving me to and from practices, attending all of my games and supporting me the entire time.   When I think about my basketball career, I really think of my dad.  My dad coached that first grade team of mine, teaching me how to play basketball, how to dribble with both hands and learn layups on both sides.  He continued to coach my teams until 3rd grade when I joined an AAU team.  One of the best parts of moving to Lake Forest in 6th grade was that my dad got to coach me at St. Mary’s for 3 more years. It’s not always easy to play for your dad because dad’s have very high expectations, and I didn’t always “appreciate” his coaching, but most everything I know about basketball, I learned from him.  He’s the guy who still goes to the college gym with me so he can rebound and run drills with me.  I know I took all of this for granted over the years – my dad always coaching me up, working with me, and just talking basketball – but now as a senior looking back, I am very grateful. I really want to thank him for his patience when I wasn’t always appreciative of his coaching and advice.

I’m sad that basketball is coming to an end, but what a great experience it has been.  I have so many great memories, but one of the best was the Net Gain fundraiser last summer. Getting to know the Orr guys while hanging out with them and then playing our game was one of the best things I’ve ever experienced. The biggest highlight for me didn’t happen during varsity.  It was my sophomore season when I made the game winning half-court shot playing Lake Zurich at home.  I will never forget that moment.  

Of course I thank my parents first, but I have also had a lot of great coaches and teammates.  My first AAU coach, Terrance Ragains, who taught me ball handling in 3rd-5th grade (literally hours of ball handling drills), Coach Pete Silvestri who demanded a higher commitment to playing defense than any coach had before, and most importantly, all of my coaches at LFHS (Coach Mocogni, Coach Harmsen, Coach OCB, Coach Scott, Coach Mocogni and Coach LaScala).  It has been an awesome experience that has helped teach me teamwork, dedication, commitment, and perseverance (staying positive during my junior year when I missed the season because of an injury was the hardest).  I will never forget Scouts Basketball or the impact all of my coaches and teammates have had on me.  Most of all I will miss my teammates – especially seeing all of them every day at practice.  I love being part of this team.

Sincerely,
Jack

Jed Thomas, Guard, #14.

Dear Basketball,

We have had a lengthy relationship. Ever since I could remember, I have loved learning about you. The thing that really got me hooked was the aspect of improving. Throughout my career, I have been insatiable, always trying to learn an impressive new move that I had watched on TV to bring it to my teammates the next day at practice (most notably “The Professor’s baseline behind the back”).

I love the idea of manipulating the defender, and trying to anticipate their every step. Basketball is truly a game of chess, not checkers. My feeder days were filled with trying to thrive and improve individually as a player. It wasn’t until my varsity experience that I learned that it’s more fun to play for your team, than to play for yourself. Although it sounds cliche, probably the biggest part about being apart of a basketball team is the camaraderie. It is a certain bond that is unlike any other. 15 teammates spending two and a half grueling albeit worthwhile hours every day in order to achieve one goal: to score more points than the other team. Everyone must work in unison to accomplish this. From the bench’s energy, to the coaches extensive scouting and gameplan, and to the players execution–a successful team must be a well oiled machine. This machine isn’t created overnight, it is a product of an eight year journey.  

These eight years of Scout basketball have flown by; it seems like yesterday when we were suiting up for our first game in fifth grade, pumped out of our minds to play on the hallowed Comp Gym floor.  Thousands of hours on the court together have polished our chemistry to the point where we know each other’s every next move. This chemistry is a vital part of the DNA of a successful basketball team. I am sure that being a part of this team and experiencing true teamwork will equip me with the skills I need for business life.

Of course, all of these experiences wouldn’t be possible without great coaches. I would like to thank all of my full package, feeder and high school coaches for giving me the opportunities and insights needed to become a better player. While these coaches helped me tremendously as a player, varsity coaching is a whole different story. In my whole sporting career, I have never had more dedicated coaches than here at Lake Forest. Many people don’t realize the process of scouting a team. It first takes the coaches to go to the game, film it, write up a paragraph about every player and, on top of that, watch each team’s film for close to four hours. It boggles the mind sometimes at the attention to detail emphasized in every practice. I thank the coaches for this. Most of all, however, I would like to thank my family for giving me the opportunity to actually play the game. Rather than force me to play, you allowed me to basically pick which sports I would pursue. I have never ceased to feel support from my parents. Even when I played a bad game, they were always encouraging. From driving me to and fro various gyms, to everything else, I really appreciate all that they have done.

Basketball has been a joy to play, and I will always love this game.

Sincerely,

Jed Thomas