Not many people can say they played at the varsity level as a freshman, but junior Baileigh O’Brien is one of the select few. It was no cakewalk to get that level though, as O’Brien has gone above any coach’s expectations in work ethic and dedication.

Since the first day of mini-basketball in first grade all the way to her junior year in high school, O’Brien has continued to work on her game, trying to extend her God-given abilities.

She has even gone to the extent of traveling to Waterloo West to work with a coach there.

“I went and worked with Coach Papis. He really furthered my fundamentals and worked with me on the areas of my game that needed attention,” said O’Brien.

O’Brien also attended a variety of camps throughout the summer, along with a showcase, which took place in Chicago.

“There were around 80 coaches. It lasted all day and we just kept playing games. Everyone was out for themselves, trying to impress the scouts. It was really intense,” said O’Brien.

Through all of the hard work, O’Brien has picked up a lot of strong attributes, the biggest one being her versatility.

“Baleigh has the ability to play down low and be very effective, or she can go outside and shoot the three. This is something most big players can’t do, said head varsity coach Kim Vaughn. “She also is an excellent ball handler. She can bring the ball down the court against a press very effectively.”

O’Brien, though, is still working to improve her game even more by perfecting her off-handed shot and her aggressiveness on the boards.

“I need to work on my rebounding intensity and going to my right,” said O’Brien.

With all of the experience she has gained and all of the skills she’s accumulated throughout the years, O’Brien is going to be called upon to be a leader.

Other juniors like Ashley Vratny and Courtney Vaughn also have valuable varsity experience, which is going to be big this year because of thin numbers in the senior class.

“Baleigh is a team player and she will do different things depending on the situation we are in. She may be expected to go down low and score and rebound or play on the outside and handle the ball,” said Vaughn.

Vaughn added, “The junior class has played together a lot and will do whatever needs to be done for the team to have success. The juniors bring varsity experience with them which is very valuable.”