Lauren Langley (2020): An Interview
The interview: Question: What is your favorite memory of HS basketball? Langley: “My favorite memory of high school basketball would have to be winning our school’s first Girl’s District Championship. Last year was such a special season for everyone in…
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Continue ReadingThe interview:
Question:
What is your favorite memory of HS basketball?
Langley:
“My favorite memory of high school basketball would have to be winning our school’s first Girl’s District Championship. Last year was such a special season for everyone in our community. Between going undefeated in the regular season and winning the North Star League Conference Championship, winning the District Championship was the icing on the cake to an incredible season. It had been our goal for so long that once we were able to finally hold that trophy in our hands, it made all the hard work and sacrifice worth it.”
Question:
What do you want to major in?
Langley:
“I would like to major in Biology or Chemistry and take the Pre-Med route. I then want to attend Medical school to study pediatrics and eventually become a pediatrician.”
Question:
What did you do over the summer to continue training in the off season?
Langley:
“The spring/summer training season is one of my favorite parts of the year. I have three training sessions a week with a personal trainer where we do everything from agility work to lifting weights to prehab. Also three days out of the week I have volleyball conditioning which even though it’s for another sport, everything we do in volleyball helps and translates over to basketball. When I don’t have a training session or volleyball conditioning, I love to long distance run. I’m not the fastest at it, but it’s still a great workout. Some days in the summer I have up to 3 practices a day. On top of that I played AAU basketball throughout the spring and summer, and I also have summer league basketball with my high school team along with practices for both of those every week. The one thing I’ve learned throughout my athletic career is to be better than the year before you have to train harder than what you did in the previous off season, so even though it makes for a pretty jam packed couple months, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Question:
In your opinion, what is the strongest part of your game?
Langley:
“In my opinion, having my back to the basket in the low post is the strongest part of my game. Even though in recent years I’ve tried to expand my skill set by developing a jump shot and ball handling skills, the post is where I’m most comfortable and most proficient. It also helps that I’ve been practicing my left-handed drop step since sixth grade. ”
Question:
What is the weakest part of your game? What are you doing to overcome that weakness?
Langley:
“The weakest part of my game would have to be that I have a slower first step, so when I play defense against a guard or quicker post player, I don’t react to them as fast as I should. To overcome this weakness, I focus a lot on footwork and agility drills.”
Question:
What are your hopes for this 2019/2020 season?
Langley:
“My hope for this 2019/2020 season is that our team wins back to back North Star League Conference Championships and District titles. My biggest goal for this upcoming season is to win a Regional Championship. We played against tougher teams in summer league and have scheduled tougher teams in the regular season to hopefully help us reach that goal.”
Question:
What is your primary motivation to succeed in basketball?
Langley:
“My primary motivation to succeed in basketball is to become the best possible version of myself. I want to be better than the player I was last year, statistically, physically, and mentally. I try to carry that mentality throughout other aspects of my life as well just besides sports. I strive to be the best student, best friend, and best role model I can possibly be.”
Question:
What professional athlete would you compare your game to? Why?
Langley:
“The professional athlete I would compare my game to would have to be Liz Cambage of the Las Vegas Aces. The other day after her team won a game in the semi-final series against the Washington Mystics she responded to a reporter who asked about smaller players trying to guard her in the post: “If they can’t handle it get in the weight room or get out of the post.” That’s the kind of swagger I always try to have when I’m playing in the post. Walk in having the confidence that you’re the strongest player on the court. ”
Question:
What is your favorite drill and why?
Langley:
“My favorite drill is when the other posts on my team and I go one-on-one against each other in the lower post. We take turns switching from offense to defense, so not only do we get practice scoring with our back to the basket, but we get to work on guarding a post player as well. This drill is always very competitive, so it makes it a lot of fun.”