Lady Bruins: Haley Holmstead

From high school to college, Haley Holmstead continues to play the game. She is a 2009 graduate from American Fork High School. Holmstead is a freshman who will be starting with the Lady Bruins basketball team this season. At 5'7 she will be playing the position of a guard.

Practices started the first of October and Holmstead has been able to transition into balancing homework and basketball practice very well.

"Going to class and staying up with homework is all that you can do. As well as organize your time well and at times it does get frustrating, but it all works out," says Holmstead.

Even after having so many years of playing basketball under her belt, Holmstead believes that there is always so much more to learn.

"There's a lot more you've got to learn… Everyone who plays on the college teams were the best players on their basketball team and so everyone's good and it's a lot of fun," she said. Holmstead has been playing basketball since the 7th grade. It was a sport she decided to pick up on her own.

"I was afraid to play in front of people," she says. She went from being shy to helping her 5A high school team to winning the State Championship game her senior year.

Holmstead is very superstitious when it comes to playing basketball. While in high school the day of every game she wore cowboy boots to school. Also, before every game she prefers to be alone, visualize the game, get mentally prepared and ready before each game. Everyday she wants to be able to improve to be a stronger and better player, "I want to be better than before." One basketball player she looks up to is Candace Parker. "She's a great player and is great even off the court," she says.

The team will have more experience added to the team, especially the relationships the girls will create throughout the season.

"The opportunities I get to too meet people and traveling and gaining relationships that will last forever," are a couple of things Haley is looking forward to this season. Holmstead believes the team will do great this season, "We just have to keep our minds set, believe in ourselves and have confidence."

Beyond all the conditioning, practicing defense and offense, Holmstead looks forward to the days she and the team members just hang out. So far she is enjoying her first year of college, it's even better that she is able to continue playing basketball at a college level. After SLCC she hopes to join the University of Utah Lady Basketball team.

The team will be having their first tournament in Casper, Wyoming on the 2nd of November.