The SLP basketball game was the pivotal event this fall. The Mustangs versed the Warren Blue Devils at home and will due so again away this upcoming March. The game was held during lunch periods on October 27th with a blackout theme and ended in a win for Mundelein.
This year students really drove the event. Four seniors coached the game and helped on the court. Seven other seniors helped to facilitate the event from the t-shirts to the minute to win it games.
Mikeala Sosa, a senior who helped out with the game, said, “This year’s SLP basketball game was different than previous years because this year’s event was mainly set up and planned by the students who were helping out.”
The players practice in their PE class in the weeks leading up to the game on basketball fundamentals like dribbling, passing, and shooting.
Sophia Buono, senior and student coach for the SLP basketball team, said, “My favorite part is watching the kids play and seeing how much fun they have with it as well as seeing how much they’ve improved from practices to the actual game.”
During substitutions and breaks in the game minute-to-win-it games were added to build crowd participation and excitement for the first time. T-shirts for the game were also available for sale in the weeks prior.
Nayeli Abrego, another one of the seniors who helped run the event this year, said, “I think this year created a bigger opportunity for more people to attend the game, students were able to show school spirit and purchase the t-shirt Valeria and I designed. Students were also given the opportunity to possibly be a participant of the minute-to-win-it games. The games were suspenseful, competitive, and rewarding. Each period showed support for the players.”
Red Rage was also at the event leading the student section in cheers throughout.
Reed Christensen, a gym teacher at MHS, said, “This year we wanted to get more crowd participation to help build the excitement for the players on the court. We felt like this year with the help of the senior leaders and Red Rage that this was the best game we have ever hosted.”
With the event being run by seniors this year MHS needs underclassmen to take on the event planning for next year.
Abrego said, “Since we’re seniors we hope Mundelein continues this event.”
The event was a success with more crowd participation, attendance, and buildup to the event than ever before.
Christensen said, “The Wellness Department helped to facilitate this event but we wanted to have the senior leaders to run it and be the faces of the best event of the year. The 11 seniors that all had a part in this game did a tremendous job. The Wellness Department is absolutely proud and excited about the standard they just set for the following years.”
