Shoes squeaking on the floor, freshman Patrick May comes to a halt as he tosses the ball past a defender. The ball finds the hands of an open teammate, who then races to the basket, putting the Longhorns another two points ahead of their rivals, the Parkway Central Colts.

May has been playing basketball competitively since first grade. He has played many positions on the court but is currently playing point guard in his first season with the freshman basketball team. 

“I’m one of the main guys on the court. It was important to [learn] to help your team out.  [When] I came to the high school team, a couple [of] new kids made the team. It was strange at first, but now we are all really close.” May said. 

While he works hard to better his level of playing, he also works hard to create new friendships with members of the program. He has an especially close bond with the athletes who also play point guard, including freshman Quinton Wallace.

“Patrick is a leader on the team. If you were to come to one of our practices and listen to what’s going on, you would hear his voice talking more than anyone else. He’s always helping and making sure that everyone’s doing what they’re supposed to do, and if I’m in the wrong position, he’ll tell me what’s going on. He’s just on top of it all,” Wallace said.

Learning to balance the rigorous course load that high school carries as well as the sport he’s passionate about has been difficult. However, this time has taught him many important lessons.

“It’s been very [hard] for me to balance school and sports. [But] failure [has] helped me learn. [This year has taught me] a lot of skills [for] my life. Mental toughness is definitely one [of them]. If you make a turnover, you [have] to be mentally strong, not get down on yourself and continue to play the game,” May said.

Boys basketball coach and business teacher Evan Stern is new to the boys basketball program, yet he has already taken notice of essential traits in his May. For instance, regardless of the game’s result the night before, May maintains a positive and determined mindset during practices and games each day.  

“He wants our team to be successful and helps hold other players accountable and to a high standard,” Stern said. “[May’s] leadership has [stuck out to me]. He was a finalist to be one of our captains this year. He is someone that everyone on the team looks up to and gets along with. After a tough loss, he is someone I can count on to help us rally together and have a good next day at practice,” Stern said.