Sara Sandstrom-Kobi, Nederland. The game of basketball was invented in 1891 in Massachusetts by James Naismith. There was probably no thought at the time that anyone besides men would ever play the game. It did not take long before women would be on the court shooting that ball into a peach basket. The rules were different, the outfits were awkward, and men were not allowed to watch the women play. 

Women’s basketball spread to the universities, high schools and to the professional level. The sport has grown and gained recognition because of great WNBA players like Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoops, Rebecca Lobo, Lynette Woodward and Diana Taurasi. If you are playing in the WNBA or in a small gymnasium in rural Colorado you are on shoulders of some brave women who stood up to criticism and ridicule.

Eight young women make up Nederland High School’s Lady Panthers Basketball team. They have been rebounding, boxing out, passing and shooting lay ups since the season started. The team is led by two seniors, Lily Lindstrom and Alex Sorokach. There are four juniors on the team Rylee Kutscher, Clementine Miller, Sydney Nation and Dante Lanthier. There is sophomore, Tabitha Lamb and freshman Lily Svensallen. 

All the players are an integral part of the team. Alex Sorokach and Lily Lindstrom have been the leading scorers for the Panthers this season. The other players contribute just as much with three pointers, blocks, free throws, rebounds and steals. With only a few games left in the season their record is three wins and thirteen loses. 

Coaching the Lady Panthers is head coach Stephanie McCollum and assistant coach Dave Gustafson. Coach Gustafson has really enjoyed his first season coaching at Nederland. He says that they are teaching the girls new skills and with that more confidence. He says, “Each week we have been developing new plays to solve new problems. The girls are patient learners and it is great to see how the plays work out during the games.”

Nederland basketball teams play other teams who usually have more than double the number of players than they do. It can be hard to stay motivated and keep that competitive attitude alive. Let’s encourage the youth of our community to stay in Nederland schools and participate in school activities and sports teams. Staying together and working together means stronger bonds and more success for everyone. 

As the season wraps up here are some words of motivation from WNBA great Sue Bird, “Don’t underestimate yourself. You are more capable than you think.”

(Originally published in the February 20, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)