Bryan Stalder
Contributor
Photos submitted by Scuola Vita Nuova Charter School

For the first time in its history, students at Scuola Vita Nuova Charter School, 535 Garfield Ave, had a team to cheer for this winter.

The school’s newly-formed girls basketball team recently wrapped up its inaugural season—marking the first athletic program ever launched at the Northeast Kansas City charter school. While the team spent much of the season learning the fundamentals of the game, players, coaches, and school leaders say the impact went far beyond the scoreboard.

Coach Nacho Garrido said building the program from scratch meant starting at square one.

“None of them had prior basketball experience, and none had ever been part of a sports team,” Garrido said. “From explaining the rules of the game and the layout of the court to teaching fundamental skills, everything was new. The greatest reward has been seeing their improvement week after week.”

Without previous teams to model themselves after, Garrido said the players created their own culture—one built around encouragement and teamwork.

“The team truly became like a second family,” he said. “They embraced each other and encouraged each other to get better.”

School leaders say the new program has also transformed the atmosphere at the school. Principal Jessica DiGiovanni said games quickly became community events, with families, teachers and classmates filling the stands.

“The school spirit has been amazing,” DiGiovanni said. “From handmade posters to chants and cheers, the SVN Warrior pride at each game was unmatched.”

For the players themselves, the season carried special meaning. As eighth grader Maria Sandoval Gomez noted, the team will always hold a unique place in school history.

“It feels really special to know that we were the first basketball team in SVN history,” Gomez said. “Our names will always be remembered as the ones who started it.”

Fellow eighth grader Lesslie Alcaraz said the team’s biggest improvement came in how they learned to work together.

“Looking back at our first practice, I see the most improvement in the way we worked together to learn new things and help each other out,” Alcaraz said.

Players say the season taught them lessons in confidence, discipline and perseverance. Even during difficult games, the team focused on supporting one another.

“One moment I felt really proud was when we supported each other during a tough game,” Gomez said. “Even when the score wasn’t in our favor, everyone kept encouraging each other.”

School leaders say the success of the first season has already sparked plans for the future. DiGiovanni said launching athletics has been a goal for years, and the response from students and families has reinforced the value of expanding opportunities.

“The success of our first basketball season has given us the confidence to keep building,” she said.

For the players who started it all, the message to future teams is simple.

“Work hard, support each other, and have fun,” Gomez said. “Being part of the first team means starting a tradition.”