Thomas Jefferson

High School | Home of the Spartans

Reaching New Heights

Posted 03/06/2025 by Billy Rodriguez Jr

The Spartans planning up the keys to victory during a timeout. photo by Jonah Smith

This season, the Thomas Jefferson High School Boys’ Basketball team was pushed to find a way to rebuild their team after losing eight seniors. 

Despite a slow start to the season, the Thomas Jefferson’s boys’ basketball team returned to prior levels of success that the team found last year. The Spartans ended with a record of 19-6. While trial and error has presented hardships, the players and coaches have worked to build each other up, allowing the team to reach a higher level as a whole.

Junior captain Simon Turner explained that, because only a few players from the previous season returned to the current season, many new players “struggled playing at the varsity speed,” and they often made silly mistakes due to the pressure. Coach Grant Laman expanded on this challenge, depicting the struggle the team endured to rebuild with the majority of the previous team now being graduated seniors off at college. Laman stated that, “without those guys, it was a struggle, we started out pretty slow.” The former seniors were the individuals who spent the most time playing on the court, and, now, many players are either new to the varsity experience or returning players who previously had a limited role on the varsity squad. Overcoming this challenge has been good for the program, forcing positive growth among the squad. 

The best parts of TJ’s basketball team are not only seen on the court, but off the court in the bond, the connection, and the support that coaches and players bring each other. When a team disregards these qualities, they often lose sight of the importance of the chemistry that mutual connection and support build within the team. However, this is not the case for the Spartans. Laman said one of the most positive behaviors he has seen thus far is, “when the guys on the team are happy for someone else on the team, not themselves.” When the team can connect on the court, when a player makes a perfect pass, or when a duo runs that perfect play, the guys around him get excited; this can improve the chemistry. 

Basketball is a sport that numerous individuals can and should try; the sport will teach people a lot about themselves. Turner said that basketball has taught him to “not hold on to mistakes…recognizing that I’m human and mistakes are going to happen.” This is one of the most important values even non-athletes should carry throughout their lives, and incorporating this within a sport is a very important lesson. Laman said “basketball is life” and this specific extracurricular has taught him what is called the “10/90 rule.” This describes how the important things in both basketball and life are 10 percent what happens and 90 percent how someone responds. “If you miss a free throw, are you gonna be so angry that you mess up the next play?” The question Laman wants to leave ingrained in his players is, “What are you gonna do?” 

The coaching is a very special, integral part of the program here at TJ, as Laman knows what having a good connection with coaches looks like from his time as a student athlete. Laman never knew how hard coaching was until he stepped in, and he wants to “be a better coach than the ones I thought I got.” Laman finds importance in making sure the players are given a good experience within the sport by being the coach he wished he had. He’s not just interested in improving these athletes’ skills, but in improving their lives as well; this is in the form of teaching them lessons, giving them advice, and simply being there for his players. Good coaching is vital in any sport, and having an amazing coach like Laman makes TJ’s basketball team unique. 

Basketball is a team sport that requires players to work with other people. Just like in life, people need to get along to accomplish goals with a group or team. This sport not only teaches how to be a good athlete or how to get in shape, but informs players how to live life as many evolve beyond the sport. Though the season may not last forever, the lessons that come with the game hold a special place within a player’s heart. When it comes to students considering joining the sport, don’t be afraid, instead be excited! Basketball holds so much value for all players. Turner encourages more people to come and try out, saying,  “Even if you don’t make it, you at least know that you tried and don’t have to live with the fact that you never took a bet on yourself,” and to “Just do it.”  There’s nothing to be afraid of, just give basketball a chance and see what might happen. Our Spartans represented TJ well, making it to the sweet 16 round of playoffs and achieving the best record in the last 20 years of the program.