This is an article in Sporty Seniors, a bi-weekly column celebrating M-A senior athletes’ dedication to their sport.
Senior Luisa Tava has played varsity basketball for all four years of high school, with her love for the sport dating back to 6th grade.
Tava’s dad grew up playing basketball and football, inspiring her to try out for the Hillview Middle School team. Her interest was solidified when she saw her friends joining.
“I had a pretty late start, because most people start when they’re super young, like five or six years old, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly,” Tava said. Before playing basketball, she dabbled in tennis and soccer, but they didn’t stick.
Despite her late start, Tava quickly adjusted. “It took a lot of hours of training, but I definitely caught up to where everyone was.”
Tava started high school at Pinewood in Los Altos, where she played varsity basketball as a freshman. She transferred to M-A in October of her sophomore year, immediately joining the varsity team.
“When I transferred, people already knew who I was, so I was on the team right away,” she explained. Tava already knew many of her teammates from middle school. “It was a pretty smooth transition because I knew a bunch of the kids already, so I didn’t feel out of place.”
Despite a smooth social transition into her new school and team, Tava found adjusting to the difference in play style during games and practices challenging. “At my old school, we played at a faster pace, it was just go, go, go,” she said. “But here, we think about what we do before we do it and take our time more during games.”
To adjust to this difference, Tava found it helpful to watch film to see her mistakes and stay consistent during practice.
Since coming to M-A, Tava’s favorite memory is Senior Night. “I love having so many people in the gym and like celebrating our seniors,” she said. She is looking forward to her own senior night this year. “It’s going to be sad, but the energy is great and it’s exciting.”
Tava is also a team captain alongside senior Molly Gray. She explained that they were chosen by their team to be captains based on their strengths and enthusiasm. “We both show great leadership skills and are always encouraging our teammates, pushing them to their best potential,” Tava said.
Tava is looking to continue her career in college and has been supported through the recruitment process by her trainer and parents. “I’m very grateful for them,” she said.
She is currently talking to schools in Los Angeles and hopes to receive an offer after basketball season ends. “They have high interest in me,” she explained. “If I don’t get an offer, I want to go to BYU and maybe walk on.”
She described recruitment as the most challenging part of her athletic career. “I feel like basketball has one of the most competitive recruitment processes in all sports,” she said.
Tava’s advice to other athletes is to keep working hard. “People just think you could go to practice and be good at something, but you have to put in time after practice, in the mornings, and late at night to get extra reps in,” she said.
