Senior Week- Jessica Lieber

Senior Night this week vs. UTHS on Thursday. Time goes by pretty fast. We have a great group of six senior players and two senior managers. They have represented their school and community so well. I asked each of them to reflect on their basketball careers. As I receive their replies, I will post them.

This is from Jessica Lieber.

When you were younger, was there a male or female player you watched who inspired you? What was it about them or their game that drew your attention?

A basketball player I always looked up to was Deron Williams! I learned a lot of things from watching him on tv and mostly in person! The way he handled the ball and was a leader to his team really inspired me!

What have been your favorite classes or teachers at GHS? Why?

My favorite class and teacher was my freshman year when I had Mr. Hillier for Civics! He is a really good teacher and is so friendly! 

What are you options or plans for next year?

I plan to attend University of Illinois at Springfield on a golf scholarship and potentially a basketball scholarship.

Do you have an idea of what you would like to study after high school, or what kind of career you would like to go into?

I plan to major in Kinesiology/Sports Medicine!

I am sure there are many things you appreciate that your family have done for you. In what ways have they inspired you?

My family has by far inspired me greatly! My parents and grandparents do not miss a basketball game! That means so much to me to always have them supporting me! My Grandpa that is now deceased taught me anything and everything that I know about basketball along with my dad!

After the season is over, what could your teammates say about you that would make you the most happy to hear?

I would hope my teammates would say that I was a good leader and good role model on and off the court and that I hoped make them better each and everyday that I played with them!

Your senior class is a special group. How have these relationships made it a good experience for you?

My senior group has made my whole basketball career at Galesburg very special! I feel like we are all so close and just like sisters and I am so proud to say that the other 5 seniors on my team were a part of my graduating class as a silver streak basketball player! They mean so much to me as does my whole team! 

What are some of your favorite memories from your basketball experiences?

Some of my favorite memories are all of the summer trips we took and I will never forget my junior year when we were going to North Carolina and we stopped at that state park and we went canoeing and 2 of the canoes tipped and you and Allen had to go back and pull the canoe back to shore! I will always remember our classic charleston trips and always having fun bonding with the team finding things to do in such a little town! And last but not least the trip to the Elite 8 my sophomore year! One of the greatest experiences and memories of my life and the regional championship my junior year!

What advice do you have for junior high or freshmen/soph players?

My advice to the underclass men is to never take anything for granted! Get out there and put in time and work HARD, don't slack! The more work you put in the better you will become! Remember it is not just putting in time that makes you a good basketball player it is the amount of hard work you put into that time! Be proud and have pride to be a silver streak because it is something special!

I know you will be pulling for your younger teammates who return for next season. What do you hope the freshmen, sophs, and juniors on the varsity have learned from this season? What message would you have for them?

I hope that you guys have learned what it feels like to be on a team that is like a family, I hope that you have learned what it is like to play as a team and play for a great basketball program! I hope that us seniors have been great role models to you! Go make us proud next year and don't forget, your former teammates will always be there to support you!

What do you hope fans say about our team?

I hope that fans say that we were an exciting team to watch because we were undersized and had a lot to prove! I hope that they say we played as a team and looked like we had a lot of fun playing together!

The best thing about basketball is.....

The best thing about basketball is playing basketball as a silver streak is truly a special honor! The amount of support that we get from our fans is amazing but the amount of support you get from your coaches and teammates is the best! You learn how to play as a team, and

get to compete in a very tough conference that makes you a better basketball player!  Our coaches definitely know how to prepare us to play in a conference like the western big 6! Basketball is a special sport that should be played with heart and dedication to your teammates and coaches on and off the court!