The Lutheran Girls’ basketball team faced a new kind of challenge this year. Typically, there is a strong senior presence on a varsity team, creating strong leadership within the team. However, this year’s varsity lineup is made up of juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, with only one senior, Nikki McSpadden. McSpadden has always been a key member of the Lutheran basketball team, but this year her role has transformed.
McSpadden has been playing basketball for Lutheran all four years she has attended Lutheran. During these years, she has developed close relationships with the other players and this year is no exception.
“It has been a lot different than other seasons that I have been a part of, but I think this season is going to be great because I get to know them a lot more,” McSpadden said.
Going into this season, Nikki McSpadden was recovering from an ACL surgery. Because of this horrible injury, McSpadden couldn’t play on the court like she normally would. Instead, she chose to stand next to the team and became a role model for them. She bonded with them and helped in any way that she could, even if she couldn’t play alongside them.
Berkley Schneider, a sophomore on the basketball team, explained how big of an influence McSpadden has been. “Nikki has been a huge role model for us. She helps us with our technique, cheers us on and honestly we are just really lucky to have her,” Schneider said.
Because of her status as the lone senior and her difficult injury, Nikki McSpadden’s contributions to the basketball team this year may not be as obvious to the staff and students of Lutheran High School. Nonetheless, McSpadden has taken on the challenges of being a unique leader for the team and will lead the Lutheran basketball team forward in their great hopes for their season.