Robbie Nyamwaya ’24 takes a leap for the shot.
Boys Basketball Co-Captain Robbie Nyamwaya ’24 leads through inclusion and encouraging personal connection across the team. He strives to be a role model for the younger players on the team, putting an emphasis on communication and optimism.
Nyamwaya started his basketball career at around four years old. He shared that the contentment he felt on the court initially got him invested in the sport.
“I felt like I was always happy on the court, so I just decided to do something that made me happy. No matter what time it is, or no matter how I’m feeling, I can go and get some shots up, and I feel like I’m at peace,” said Nyamwaya.
Nyamwaya’s positivity was highlighted by teammate Olilanya Ogueri ’25. He noted Nyamwaya’s ability to connect the team on and off the court.
“[Nyamwaya] texts us if we’re having a bad game, or if there’s some internal stuff within the team. He always makes sure that we sort it out off the court. I think our team chemistry this year is actually a lot closer than it has been in the past other two years, and a big part of that is our current captains.”
Nyamwaya shared that he aims to be a role model on the team, especially for the younger players. He mentioned his hope that his younger teammates could one day model his leadership style.
Nyamwaya said, “I try to be the best person that I can be around the younger guys. I try to be someone that they can look up to, someone they can follow, and maybe one day model their character after. I try to be the best teammate [and] friend that I can be.”
Ogueri emphasized Nyamwaya’s efforts to involve each player on the team. He noted that Nyamwaya works to connect with teammates off of the court.
“[In] our group chat, Rob [Nyamwaya] and [the younger players] are always talking to each other, always hanging out. If I see Rob, he’s always making the underclassmen feel happy. Actually, one of the first times we met [Oliver Velez ’26] was last year on the Montenegro trip… Ollie was a pretty quiet kid. He had just met the team. Rob always made him feel invited. He would always invite him into the conversation. And I think part of the reason we’re so close is because of how welcoming he is, and how everybody really looks up to him, especially since he’s one of the older guys on the team,” said Ogueri.
Despite only playing with Nyamwaya this year, Jeremy Woodley shared some of his leadership skills. In addition to being an overall great leader, he noted that Nyamwaya strives for an inclusive team environment where communication is prioritized.
“I’ve only seen him this year, but he’s a really good communicator and talks well on the court, gets everyone involved, great leader,” said Woodley.
Nyamwaya shared some of his core values as a co-captain. He prioritizes the team dynamic, putting an emphasis on optimism.
“I always try to be positive, no matter what’s going on, no matter if we’re winning or losing, and I think that’s something that our team is doing really well. I feel like no matter what’s going on we all have each other’s back, we all have great chemistry, and so I try to always be their leader and try to be a captain to that,” said Nyamwaya.
Nyamwaya hopes to continue his basketball career in the future.
