The alarm clock blared, cutting through the silence of the early Monday morning. Tosin groaned and rolled over, hitting the snooze button and pulling the covers over her head. It was the start of another school week; she was feeling the effect of the training session she held the previous day. Her muscles ached, and her mind was foggy with exhaustion
After few minutes of procrastination, Tosin finally dragged herself out of her bed and got ready for school. She could heat her mother bustling around down stairs, the familiar sounds of lunches being packed
She walked to the bus stop, she spotted Shalom and Mercy waiting for her, their hairs pulled back in well-made ponytails.
"You're late. What kept you?" asked Mercy, her expression serious
"Sorry guys," Tosin said with a yawn "I had to practice my shooting last night so I'm a little bit tired"
"Why does it always come back to basketball with you? Don't you know what the word 'rest' means?" Mercy asked
"Guys, let's hurry. We're late" Shalom said
"Yeah, right. We could've been in school now if this basketball head had gotten here way sooner" Mercy said, her tone a mix of exasperation and amusement
Tosin winced "sorry guys" she said, trying to lighten the mood
Shalom suddenly perked up, pointing down the street. "Guys, a bus is coming! Ah! Finally!"
Tosin's eyes widened, and she quickly scrambled her feet. "Thank goodness!"
The bus stopped and they climbed abroad, relieved
"Thank goodness we didn't miss this one" Shalom said sinking into a seat in between Tosin and Mercy
Tosin grinned "That's what happens when you wait for Tosin!"
Mercy rolled her eyes "Next time, I'm leaving without you!"
As the bus rumbled along, the girls talked about the game at the weekend. However, the mood was somber, as they felt disappointed that they lost the game despite having a commanding lead at the start of the game
"I can't believe we blew that huge lead" Shalom said "We were up by 18 points within the first 6 minutes of the game. What happened?"
Tosin sighed "I know, it's tough to swallow. We just couldn't stop their attacks. Victoria killed us"
Mercy nodded looking down at her hands "We knew we could have won the game. We just let it slip away from us. It's frustrating"
Tosin, trying to lighten the mood, chimed in with a positive spin. "Guys, watching from the bench, I noticed something. The team has so much potentials. Yes, we lost the game but we're a great team, and we have plenty of room to grow. Also, Coach said the game wasn't meant to be won. It was for self-examination. We are to know our strengths and weaknesses so we can work on them in order to improve and make the team stronger"
"Yeah, speaking of our strengths and weaknesses, I've got my drive but I'm weak defensively and my shots are not accurate. In a game, I don't think I can record up to 30% shots field goal" Shalom said
"On a good day, I can shoot up to 55% 3-pt field goal which obviously needs work. If I can add something to my shots, I could become more unpredictable in attack. Defensively, I'm super weak" Mercy said
"Watching from the bench, I saw that we started well, our defense was rock solid. Our attack was unstoppable and we're surprisingly good at fast paced basketball games. Our counters seemed unstoppable too even with Victoria on the court. Our point guard is on another level too" Tosin said
"You can say that again" Mercy said
"I had no idea she was that good" Shalom said
"We just need to work hard and work together" Tosin said
The school day passed quickly, and soon enough, the final bell rang. Tosin along with her teammates headed straight to the gym for practice
As they laced up their sneakers and stepped onto the court, they were determined to improve. The coach gathered them together for a quick huddle
"Alright, listen up guys" Mrs. Lawal said "I know I've said this before but Saturday's game wasn't a must win. It's for self-examination. The bad news about the game is, despite having a commanding lead in the first quarter, we lost the game. But the good news is, we were able to learn important lessons. The first is, we learned that our defense is poor. Secondly, you guys might have noticed what you are all strong and weak at during the game. Also, fast-paced attacking basketball is our forte. Furthermore, we have 2 new members, joining our team. I'm sure you all remember their brilliant performances during Saturday's game"
A murmur of recognition rippled through the team as the coach gestured towards Oluchi and Mayowa standing off to the side. The team began to chant Oluchi's name, welcoming her in open arms
"Now, let's give a warm welcome to our new members, Oluchi and Mayowa" Mrs. Lawal exclaimed
Oluchi smiled sheepishly as her teammates gathered around her and Mayowa, patting them on their backs and offering them words of encouragement
As the team were busy welcoming their new teammates, the Coach clapped her hands to get their attention
"Girls" she called "I have one more important thing to discuss before you head out"
The team turned to face Mrs. Lawal, a mix of curiosity and anticipation on their faces.
"Some of you might've heard of it but there is a big high school basketball competition coming up this December. It takes place annually. It's a 21-day Tournament. It is the Christmas Champions Cup" she explained
A murmur of excitement and anticipation rippled through the team as they all want to play in official games
"Christmas Champions Cup? Where else have I heard that?" Tosin thought
"Before the Tournament, schools play in a preliminary Tournament to qualify for the main event. This preliminary Tournament is the High school basketball play-offs" she explained. "16 schools in each division will compete in the playoff; only 2 schools from each division will qualify for the Christmas Champions Cup. In other words, only 2 schools will represent Lagos division in the Tournament as well as other divisions. Having said that, the play-offs brackets and fixtures have been released. The draw took place during the weekend and I want to make sure you know what's at stake here. As you can see here, our first opponent is the Charlotte High School" Mrs. Lawal explained
She proceeded to explain that they had just one month to prepare for their first play-offs game-a crucial step in the journey to the main event. The play-offs would serve as a qualification round, determining which teams would ultimately move on to compete on the bigger stage.
"I know it's a lot of pressure, but I believe in each and every one of you; I believe in your abilities" Mrs. Lawal said, her gaze sweeping across the team. "We've got a lot of work to do, but I have no doubt in my heart that if we put in the effort, we'll make it through the play-offs and into the Tournament"
The team nodded, their expressions a mix of determination and nerves. They knew that the month would be field with rigorous training, but they were ready for whatever awaited them. At that moment, they began what was the first of a month-long rigorous training. They began working on their weaknesses as learned from the game over the weekend. They also worked to improve their fast-paced attacking basketball style
At the end of the training session, Mrs. Lawal gathered the team once more. This time, there were large boxes surrounding her. The boxes were filled with the team's brand-new Jerseys and team jacket. The team jacket is pink with white tracksuit lines around the sleeves and the trousers. Charlie Queens was written in white at the back of the jacket. The team's home jersey features a pink jersey with shorts with white stripes and accents. Charlie Queens is written in white on the front of the jersey. The players' names are written in white on the back of the jersey while the players' numbers are written in white on both the front and back of the jersey. The teams' away jersey is a reverse design with a white jersey and shorts featuring pink stripes and accents. Charlie Queens is written in pink on the front of the jersey. The players' names are written in pink on the back while the players' numbers are written in pink on both the front and back of the jersey
"Alright guys," Mrs. Lawal announced "your team uniforms are here!"
Excitement rippled through the team as they eagerly stared at the boxes in anticipation. One by one, they received their jerseys, each adorned with their names and numbers.
As the team inspected their new gear, Mrs. Lawal cleared her throat. "Tosin, I have a special surprise for you"
Tosin looked up, a puzzled expression on her face. Mrs. Lawal handed her a jersey, and Tosin's eyes widened as she reads her number:10
"Coach, are you serious?" Tosin asked, her voice filled with excitement "This is the jersey number Kobe Bryant wore for the United State of American National team"
"That's right" Mrs. Lawal said with a bright smile "you idolize Kobe, correct?"
"YES!" Tosin said, putting on a bright smile "He's my favourite player"
"I thought as much" Mrs. Lawal said
"Thank you, ma" Tosin bowed. Her face filled with excitement
The team was dismissed after the jerseys was distributed. Tosin however stayed behind to practice her shooting.
"I figured you might be here" Oluchi said, standing at the entrance of the gym.
"Oluchi" Tosin called "What are you doing here? Aren't you going home?"
"That's my line" Oluchi said, dropping her bag and collecting the ball from Tosin "Let's train together. One on one" she said
"YES!" Tosin said almost immediately. Her eyes widened with excitement
"Make that a 3 vs 3 mini game" A familiar voice said. It was Shalom accompanied by Eno, Mercy and Mayowa
"That'd make it easier to practice our defense" Mercy said
"Guys" Tosin said, smiling
"We can't let Tosin outdo us" Mayowa said
"I no go let Tosin beat me" Eno said
"With the play-offs fast approaching, we've got to improve really fast" said Oluchi
"Yeah" Tosin nodded in agreement4
Mrs. Lawal's announcement about the play-offs served as a wake-up call for the Queens and they knew they needed to step up their game. From that day forward, they threw themselves into rigorous training.
Early morning workouts became the norm, with the team hitting the gym before the school's morning assembly. They pushed themselves through grueling drills and conditioning exercises, determined to improve their strength, stamina, speed and agility
In the evenings after school hours, they spent hours practicing plays, studying their opponent's weaknesses, and fine-tuning their strategies. Oluchi quickly proved herself to be a valuable asset, bringing fresh energy and skill to their practices
As the days counted down to their first playoffs game, the Queens were a flurry of activity. Practices intensified and each player worked tirelessly to improve their skills and perfect their strategies.
The anticipation in the locker room was palpable, with conversations often turning to the upcoming game. Nervous excitement hung in the air as they discussed their opponents' strengths and weaknesses, and how they could capitalize on any opportunities that presented themselves
On the eve before the first game, Mrs. Lawal gathered the team together for one final pep talk
"Tomorrow is the day we've all been working towards" she began, her voice filled with determination. "Remember, you've put in the work. You've trained harder than ever before. You're ready for this. You've got nothing to fear. Go out there and give it your all"
"Yes ma!" The team chorused
"Having said that, this is our starting lineup for tomorrow's game against Charlotte High School. Oluchi, Mercy, Shalom, Mayowa and Eno" she said "all 5 of you will start the game tomorrow. We are going to beat Charlotte tomorrow and advance to the quarter finals of the playoffs"
"Yes ma!" The team chorused
After the pep talk, the girls returned to their homes to rest and prepare for the game. Tosin stayed up late, reviewing game film and visualizing their success on the court. Others opted for an early night, hoping to wake up refreshed and ready to give their all. Regardless of the pre-game rituals, each player felt a mix of anticipation and nerves as they drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow was the day they had been waiting for, the day they would show the world what they were made of. But as they slept, none of they could have predicted the unexpected challenges that laid ahead
The day of the big game finally arrived and the Queens awoke with a sense of purpose, each player went through their morning routine, fueling up with a nutritious breakfast and mentally preparing themselves for the game ahead. Crammed into the school's bus, the team made their way to the arena. Upon arrival, they marched straight to their locker room to change into their team jerseys. They were to wear their white kit against Charlotte who were wearing blue. After changing, they went to the court for a 30 mins warn up. They returned to their coach for a short pep talk
"Alright Queens" Mrs. Lawal began "today is the day we show them what we are made up. You know the game plan, now let's go out there and execute it"
"YES!!!" the team chorused
"Alright guys on 3, 2, 1, Charlie Queeeeeens!!! Fight!!!" Yelled Tosin
"Yeaaaahhh!!!" The team yelled
The Queens took their positions on the court, their eyes locked on the opposing team. The tension in the air was palpable, as both teams waited anxiously for the game to begin. Suddenly, the referee stepped onto the court, basketball in hand. He glanced at both teams, ensuring that they were ready before tossing the ball high into the air for the tip-off
Eno was beaten to the ball as Sola, the center of the Charlotte High School team rose highest and tapped the ball to her team. The ball ended up in the hands of Esther, the point guard of the Charlotte High School team who then slowly moved the ball up the court for their first attack as they aim to score the first point of the game
"Let's take it easy" Esther said bouncing the ball while being marked by Oluchi
Suddenly, Esther smoothly went into her shooting motion; releasing the shot from the 3-pt area. The ball spun through the hoop for the first 3 points of the game
"Hah! Looks like we have a stroke of good fortune in this first rounds" Esther said, putting on an evil grin "This match is gonna be super easy"