According to Summer Seward ’21. the thing she cares most about is winning every game.
A member of Andover Girls Basketball team since Junior year, Summer Seward ’21 from Lawrence, Mass. has played basketball for eight years, bringing her determination to win and extensive experience to every game.
Teammate Niya Harris ’21 wrote in an email to The Phillipian, “Just by watching Summer play one game, anyone can see the passion and knowledge she has for the game of basketball. She has a lot of experience so she’s very adaptable and able to think quickly, making her a strong yet shifty post player… Summer always reminds us of ways to manipulate our strengths to get an easy bucket during games and motivates the team with her intensity on the court and high spirit off the court.”
Seward’s powerful moves, knowledge of the game, and versatile skills have earned her this week’s honor of The Phillipian’s Athlete of the Week.
When and why did you start playing basketball?
I started in second grade; my friend invited me to one of her practices and I just wanted to hang out so I just went, and that was when I started.
Where did you play basketball before Andover?
I played for the Mass Rivals, [and] my school team, obviously. Evolution, I’ve played for. I’ve played for New Hampshire Rivals, Rebels; I played for a lot of people, a lot of teams, summer camps, and summer clubs.
What is your favorite memory from basketball?
That’s really hard. I think the national tournament in Atlanta was probably one of my favorites; there was probably thirteen courts, and a thousand people there. It was crazy, but it was really fun and we did really well.
What’s your favorite aspect of basketball?
Winning. It’s a good feeling when you hit that shot, or you drop twenty points a game, sixteen, or whatever. Whatever it may be, and you take a dub, it’s nice.
What’s your favorite position to play and why?
I love playing the post. It’s the position where you have to be the most strong. You have to be mentally tough to play that position, and also physically tough. You have to get in there with the other girls, got to push the other girls, body the other girls, elbow, get dirty, anything to win the game so that’s probably my favorite position.
What’s your favorite part of being a member of the girl’s varsity team?
I have to say definitely the girls. [They’re] really fun, funny. It’s a really fun time.
What’s your favorite memory from your time on the team?
Definitely one of the bus rides. We had just come home from a loss; everybody wasn’t feeling great, but I remember one of our captains now, [Cassidy Musco ‘19] decided to play this game and the whole bus was just crazy. It was really fun and that’s the first moment I felt like I was actually part of the team last year. It was really good.
What are your goals for this season?
To win. I think for me, this winter season is all about winning. In the spring, when you go travel, that’s your time to improve your ball handling or your driving skills. This is the time to win as much as possible.
Is there anything you hope to improve on this season?
I hope to be a better leader. I think I know a lot about the game; I don’t always convey the message that I hope in the correct way. That’s something I need to work on. At the end of the day, I’m not the coach so I think I need to work on conveying the message to the rest of the girls in a way that doesn’t make me seem like I’m the coach.
Do you have any pre or post-game rituals?
One of the things I do that’s really weird [is] I will not use the restroom thirty minutes before a game. Doesn’t matter if I drink a whole bottle of water, I will never use a restroom before a game. The other thing is I listen to my favorite song at the moment, whether it be the most hype or the most classical-violin song, I have to listen to that song before I play.
What’s your favorite professional team?
The Celtics, definitely the Celtics because I’m a Boston fan.
