Every athlete reaches a point in their career where they find “their sport.” For Peyten Filippone, 2023 Girls Basketball Team Captain, she claimed basketball as her sport at the age of 10.

“I was pretty set on basketball,” she says. “It was in my family my entire life.”

Basketball is more than just a sport to Filippone and the other girls on the team. There are real life skills that the coaches encourage the team to take away from the game and carry with them for the rest of their lives. As the captain of the team, part of Filippone’s job is to make sure that all of the players on the team are putting their best foot forward.

Being a captain is about “who can take charge on and off the court,” Filippone said.

Maintaining good time management skills is essential for a team captain. Managing her time in a way that allows for basketball and her school work allows Filippone to put maximum effort into both areas.

Filippone’s view on the captain position has evolved since her freshman year.

“I did want to be captain, especially as a freshman, because I always thought that if you were captain, you were going to be the best player on the team and everyone respects you,” she said. “So it was a goal of mine, but being a captain is also a privilege.”

Having this privilege means Filippone gets to observe the dynamics of the team as well as be a part of it.

“Our relationship is really good, we’re like a family and we all know each other really well,” she said. “None of the freshmen are scared of the upperclassmen, which is good because I know I was when I was a freshman.”

Filippone’s first year as a captain has gone well so far. At this point in the season, the team is performing better than they were last year, and the hope is that they can make it further in their tournament. The team is on a good track to succeed, especially after losing valuable players that graduated last year.

“Our goal is to not play down to a team,” Filippone said. “We’re also trying to get further in states than the first round, and in NVLs.”

Filippone’s strongest piece of advice for underclassmen hoping to become captains someday is to learn how to effectively manage your time so you can lead the team to the best of your ability.

“You’re in charge of yourself but also in charge of 20 other girls depending on how many are on the team,” Filippone says. “So time management, your leadership skills, and how you interact with everyone is important.”