The Wintersburg basketball program has not only had an impact on my basketball style, but also an influential effect on my life. My coaches and teammates have taught me to always play with integrity and sportsmanship. This basketball program encouraged me to play competitively, yet stresses friendship and compassion for your teammates and opponents. I feel the most important part of this program is that I made friendships that are forever lasting.
-Lauren (WPC Hotshots)
WPC’s basketball program was an integral part of my childhood; I joined a team around 2nd grade. For the next 10 years, that team was a group of girls I grew to know and love. We practiced and played, ate way too much food, and created memories together. Whether we were casting outrageous plans for a team bus or tackling a 5-point deficit with time ticking away, we knew we could count on each other. As our friendships deepened, our experiences together got better; not only did we play as a more cohesive team, but we enjoyed our time together in other contexts too. In addition to honing basketball skills, we were taught lessons that could be applied off the court as well. Qualities like sportsmanship, discipline, and dedication were integrated into lessons of passing, shooting, and dribbling. I am glad to say that our friendships have stood the test of time. Even after three years of being at different colleges across the country, we were still able to get together for dinner recently. It is so encouraging to see these women of God that have grown out of the group of little girls we used to be. I am so blessed to have played basketball with WPC.
– Karena (WPC Hotshots)
My experience in SEYO was a privilege and quite the experience because without the program, I may not have the friendships I made to this day. God was always watching over me and guiding me through; even during the first time I started playing SEYO basketball for Wintersburg when I was in second grade and the rest of my teammates were third and fourth graders. It took a couple of years before I found a team that was closer to my age, but more importantly when I made the switch, I met two guys on the team who I had seen around Wintersburg Church and I started doing different activities with them. I continued to play until midway through my middle school year when I decided to retire and concentrate on other things. Although I had left the team, the friendships were not forgotten and God knew that the two teammates I socialized with the most would become two of my closest brothers in Christ. Though I did not fulfill my dream to play in the NBA as I hoped, I realized that wasn’t God’s plan for me. He wanted me to understand and see that there was more to the program than just playing basketball and winning trophies. The real victory was discovering who God was and making lifelong friendships with other fellow believers. Now that I am a SEYO gym commissioner, I am reminded of my years and for each of the Wintersburg teams that have been in my league, I prayed that one day they will see what God is planning for them through the SEYO program.
-Brian (WPC Hurricanes)
