Baller Status: Ana Capotosto
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May 28, 2010 • Emily Fisher
Filed under News, Sports, Top Stories, Uncategorized
By: Emily Fisher
All tied up with five seconds to go, Capotosto with the ball at the top of the key, leaves defender with broken ankles as she crosses over taking the ball up the lane. 2,1, Stopped by weak side defense, Capotosto pulls back for a jump shot inside the paint and she scores! After the swish of the hoop, she turns around and stares at the empty gym. Although her shot was only a figment of her imagination, buzzer beaters are just one in the same when it comes to Ana Capotosto. She loves the game of basketball. “The thrill, the speed, and the intensity,” says Ana, is what keeps her interested in such a sport. She eats, sleeps, and breathes basketball.
Ana first discovered that she valued the game of basketball when she played in Community Recreation at Douglas Elementary School. Ever since those years in grade school, she has been continuing to grow and pursue the game. Regardless of her mom playing as a high school and college student, and her older brother, playing all the way through middle and high school, Ana keeps playing for her own intentions. Even though her family has a major impact on her, it is self-motivation that influences her to move ahead.
For the past few years, I have had the pleasure of being a teammate of Ana’s and watch her in action on the court. Just this past season, I was fortunate enough to play with her on the Saugatuck varsity girl’s basketball team, which she has been playing on for all her three years of high school. I finally could witness first hand, her relentless exertion on the court. Her passion for the game is her driving force and is an inspiration to all her teammates including myself. Head varsity coach, John Green says, “Ana deserves all the opportunities that she has, because she has worked so hard.”
Working hard, she does. Ana is persistently in the gym, working on her ball handling skills, and form shooting. She screams the label, “There is no off-season.” When she has down time, it is taken up by academics or basketball. Ana reveals, “Recently I’ve been in the gym everyday, whether it’s in athletic skills or after school. In season, I’ll stay after practice to get shots up, but whenever I have free time, basketball is usually what fills it because it’s one of my highest priorities. The best part is, I enjoy it.”
Ana’s efforts also pay off in statistics. This past season she averaged 20.1 points, 2.5 assists, 1.2 blocks, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.2 steals per game. Now, where will she go with all her talent? Ana plans on attending a Division 1 University on a full ride basketball scholarship after high school. This will not be hard to come by for Ana. She has already had numerous coaches from universities, example Michigan, scouting her during the season. However, even though that level of playing is not far out of reach for Ana, she still has one more year of high school, which is one more year to shine. Her senior year has the potential to further increase her chances of attending some college favorites like Texas. After college, Ana doesn’t know what’s in store for her. As far as I’m concerned, if she keeps at the pace she’s at, it’s WBNA all the way!
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