Athletes of the Week: Eva Carchidi, Claudia Lee and Bethany Lucey

Game after game, the Girls’ Varsity Basketball team has shown resilience and quick thinking. Under the guidance of co-captains Eva Carchidi, Claudia Lee and Bethany Lucey, the team hopes to sweep this season. 

All three captains found their love for the sport at a very young age; Lee was introduced to the sport of basketball in fourth grade. “One of my friends was on our elementary school team and, during lunch, she’d play Knockout with the boys,” Lee said. “I wanted to hang out with her so I joined the game, having no clue what I was doing.”

For Lee, victory came unexpectedly. “Somehow, my first shot went in, and I knocked one of the boys out of the game. She then convinced me to join the team, since her dad was the coach, and I’ve been playing ever since,” Lee said. This early success led her to pursue a basketball career throughout high school.

Conversely, Lucey and Carchidi picked up basketball in their city’s recreational leagues, Lucey in third grade and Carchidi in first. “I’ve always enjoyed [basketball] but started to take it more seriously in fourth grade, when I started playing year-round,” Carchidi said. Both Carchidi and Lucey have found their early years of gameplay beneficial in their roles as captains. 

The three have gained an extensive knowledge of the sport and great technical skill. Upper Erin McCann highlighted Carchidi’s constant reliability on the court. “Eva is probably one of the best shooters in the league. She’s always on her game and we can always count on her to hit three-pointers, even when we are down,” she said.

“Bethany is our rock. She is able to play every position, she’s a great shooter and knows how to lead our team on the court,” McCann continued. “Bethany can play every position flawlessly. She can score from the three point line and then post with ease, and she’s also incredibly strong.” 

Given their skill, the trio share their wisdom with the younger players on the team. With coach Hadley Camilus’s assistance, they train vigilantly, always in search of the next victory. Having three enthusiastic and energetic leaders has been useful for creating a positive and accepting atmosphere for the team.

As captains, the three also foster team spirit and motivate players to work their hardest. To do so, they must give their all no matter the conditions. Each looks for opportunities to share their experience and knowledge with the team. “They are the people on the court that [teammates] can look up to,” senior Mia Glinn said. “They are also amazing people!” On and off the court, the captains are role models for the rest of the girls.

Lee noted that the culture of the team impacts their performance. “It may not show up in the record, but I want this program to be a place where people can have fun, be competitive and bond with one another,” she said. “It doesn’t take talent or skill to be a good teammate.” 

Despite a tough start to the season for the team, the captains expressed their excitement for the rest of the season. “I’m looking forward to our team getting better and finding out what works for us so we can start to turn our season around,” Carchidi said. “We’ve already had a tough loss to Andover this season when we weren’t playing our best, so I’m looking forward to E/A when we can come back and beat them.” 

Lucey emphasized her optimism for the team as well. “I’m excited for the team to turn our season around by continuing to improve and learn after each game and practice,” she said. 

This focus on improvement exemplifies the impact Lee, Carchidi and Lucey have had as captains. “This is my last season playing high school basketball, and I want to leave the program better than I found it,” Lee said.

Teammates have felt the effect of having such passionate, motivated leaders. “They’re always coming up with new ways to help the team improve,” prep Amelia Byerly said. “[Lucey] is always hustling... in practice and gets everyone to cheer for each other. She’s insanely good and betters the players around her.”

Glinn affirmed this impact. “As captains together, they talk to coaches openly about problems, concerns, or things happening without the team,” she said. “They bring different perspectives. But they help us improve together.”