“They are a great bunch of kids and they love to play basketball!” Those were the first words said by Coach John Leventhal when I asked him about Nederland’s boys basketball team this season.

He continued by saying that the team is very dedicated to the game and committed to improving every day. The players on the team come to practice focused and they go to the community center and practice more on their own time. “These guys just really love the game of basketball,” says Coach John.

Coach John says all the players work very hard, but he also has to give credit to the senior leadership on the team. The seniors on the team have set a high standard of work ethic. This has positively influenced the younger players. They also guide and help their younger teammates. Seniors Max Godsil and Nico Dow were voted by the players to be team captains this season.

As a coach, Coach John says his job is to get the players to play efficiently together and to play hard. He says their motto is “together.” They work on fundamentals, and a high priority is to have fun. He adds that success is not only in winning. Coach John stresses positive sportsmanship. He believes that the skills you learn in sports translate to life skills. These are the friendships that are made, the ability to work in groups and trusting your teammates. Coach John knows a thing or two about coaching…he has been coaching in the Boulder Valley School District for 49 years. He even coached a number of his players when they were in middle school.

As the Nederland Panthers basketball team dedicate themselves to basketball and working together, the bleachers are filling up to see this team play. The Panthers have a 5-2 record and in mid-December won a tournament at Twin Peaks Academy in Longmont.

Good Luck with the rest of the season, Panthers!

Nederland High School Boys

Basketball Team

Seniors: Austin Chareunsouk, Nico Dow, Max Godsil, Mason Lupe

Juniors: Owen Cleveland, Gavin Dillon, Rick Fortunato, Michael Garduno, Kiryu Sugishita, Landon Ritch, Ajani Whittleton

Sophomore: Robert Akerley

Freshman: Mason Ivey, Indio Koonz, Leo Fillippello, Liam Robertson