INMAN, S.C. – In every arena of life ranging from sports to business, it is widely understood that the leaders set the tone and for one area team, that principle still rings true.
For the 2022-23 season, three Chapman High School women’s basketball players have been chosen to serve as captains for the team: senior Caroline Garner, senior Clara Gramling, and sophomore Krislyn Wilder and they've set the tone for this year's team. The trio has come up through the program together, as each of them are in their fourth season on the varsity level and to better understand why they were chosen as captains we wanted to first learn what leadership meant to them. “Having your team under control in pressure situations,” said Garner. “You need someone to lead when you need them the most. Over the past few years, the three of us have stepped up in that role and put our team where it needs to be when it comes to those situations.” “(It’s about) keeping our team composed altogether,” Wilder stated. “We make sure that we’re all staying together and not getting down, regardless of what’s happening.” “Holding your team accountable,” Gramling added. “Whether it’s in practice, during a game, or being that positive energy if the energy level is low, if we’re winning, or having fun. It’s being someone they can look to and find guidance in.” According to head coach Leslie Boyd, there was a process and discussion about the qualifications that helped determine who was selected to serve and the responsibilities that go along with the role of captain. “They were chosen by the coaches,” Boyd explained. “We talked about the players who had shown leadership both on and off the court, can command the team, and are great examples of the things we want them to hold teammates accountable for. They’ve played together for four years and are girls who are great examples of what we wanted our Sisterhood to be. We knew that all three would be great representatives and lead the team in a great way as captains.” The individual reactions from the trio after learning they were selected to be captains speaks measures about how much it means to be viewed as a leader. “I was excited,” Gramling exclaimed. “I know people can look to me and if someone has a question, I can help them. I trust Krislyn and Caroline as captains to help lead the team also. It’s nice to have two captains – one who is two years younger and another who is also a senior – and see leadership throughout the different grades.” “I was actually surprised that I was going to be a captain,” Wilder admitted. “I thought it was just going to be the two of them, but I’m definitely happy to be able to be where they are (as leaders). It’s been a great experience so far with them. I know that when (Caroline and Clara) leave, I must be able to step up and teach the team.” “I was very happy,” said Garner. “It means that the team trusts me, as well as Krislyn and Clara. They know that I can hold them accountable for their actions, but am also someone they can look up to, serve as guidance, and give them a high five, a hug, or whatever they need.” During their time on the varsity team, Boyd has noticed the positive impact that the three leaders have had on the rest of the team and program altogether. “All three of them work hard in practice every single day,” she stated. “It starts there. You want your hardest workers to be your leaders and they do a great job of leading their team every day in practice, the weight room, as well as the classroom. All three of them set the example and do the little things every single day.” “I remember Caroline joining our program as a fifth or sixth grader playing youth basketball and Clara coming in as a ninth grader who was not sure if she wanted to play basketball. It’s been fun for our coaches watching them grow as young women. Their leadership skills grew through the game – because of basketball, but not just in basketball. When they leave here, we want it to be something they know they will be part of for a lifetime.” The captains were also quick to point out that they and their teammates also share a family-type bond. “I don’t think that you will find a team as close as we are,” said Gramling. “They are like my sisters because we have grown up together. Even in the past three months, it feels like I have known them forever. Some of these girls have been with us for three (years) and for some of them, it’s their first year. We work together so well because we know each other not only in athletics, but personally.” “We’ve done a lot of team bonding,” Wilder stated. “It’s fun stuff. We all get to know each other even more every single time we hang out together. It’s great because I know that in the end, we will all still be super, super close no matter the outcome of a game.” “We put an emphasis on ‘The Sisterhood’ over the past couple of years,” Garner noted. “We’ve ran with it because we’re all so close and we know that if one of us has a bad day, we can call a teammate and they will pick you up.” When it comes to the bigger picture, the leadership shown by this year’s captains have set up the Lady Panthers basketball program for success in years to come. “I think it sets the standard of what we expect our leaders to be,” Boyd remarked. “It didn’t just start with Krislyn, Clara, and Caroline. They learned from some of the older players when they were younger. I hope that our younger players can look up to them and say, ‘I’m going to work hard in practice, try my best every day, and be a great young woman.’” -Justin Mathis Comments are closed.
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