Mercy's Przybyszewski puts in the work

by Matthew Ondesko: Managing Editor

Photos: Geoff Schneider

The countless hours in the gym, the long hours honing your game. The days shooting extra jumpers when no one is watching. It all paid off when you got the call last year making the varsity basketball team as a sophomore.

Not only did you make the team, but you were a starter on a team that played for the championship. That’s how last season started off for Mount Mercy Academy junior basketball player Claire Przybyszewski.

Like most underclassmen, Przybyszewski. had her growing pains. She was finding her way around the court, trying to get those nerves out in the early part of the season. As the season went on, you could see Przybyszewski’s game start to show through.

“My first year on varsity as a sophomore, I was a starter. I was a little shocked, I’m not going to lie. I greatly appreciate that Coach Mac Barry believed in me, and at that time I needed it. Like I said before, I was very nervous at the start and in the first couple of games I played, you could tell. Anytime I got the ball, I would try to get rid of it as fast as I could. By doing this, I created a lot of turnovers and I was hurting my team,” stated Przybyszewski. “Throughout the season, I became confident in myself and my ability to play basketball. I started to become more confident with the ball and make plays to help my team win. I also took shots that I wouldn’t have taken in the beginning of the season. I think that my teammates trusted me more and I trusted them more as the season progressed. I learned that I had to work hard in practice and during games in order to get better. Freshman year things were easier . Sophomore year forced me to work harder and move out of my comfort zone. My dedication never wavered, I just had to learn to work with different people and push myself harder than I had in the past.”

There were big expectations for this Mercy team heading into the season. They made it all the way to the Monsignor Martin Small School finals, and with four starters back, were excepted to make another run.

Things so far haven’t gone to plan as they Magic have gotten off to a rough start to their campaign. As her junior year has commenced, Przybyszewski has expected big things from herself as well.

Like she said, last year was a learning experience playing with new girls when she made the team. This season was just about going out there and playing the game like she knows how. In their recent win over Buffalo Academy of Science, Przybyszewski led the team with a team-high eight points.

Her game has more confidence in it, and it’s staring the show as the Magic hit the important part of the season.

“Going into this season, I feel more confident in myself and with my teammates. I feel like I have gotten better over the off season, I learned a lot this past year playing travel ball for the Buffalo Titans. So, I want to put all of the new knowledge that I learned into the games that I play to help us get a championship this year. I want to be more aggressive and take more shots when I have the opportunity too,” stated Przybyszewski. “I think especially this season, I have a lot of personal goals that I want to accomplish by the end of this season and I am going to be holding myself to very high standards.”

Those standards are playing the front line, and doing everything she can to score and grab rebounds for her team. She is the tallest player on the team, so there are times she is expected to dominate the glass for a team that struggles to score at times.

That means working on her technique during the offseason. Being tall doesn’t mean anything if you are getting boxed out by someone who is smaller than you. Przybyszewski made sure during her travel season with the Buffalo Titans that she worked on all aspects of her game.

“As the tallest girl on the team, scoring and grabbing rebounds is really important to me. I have to put myself in a good position in order to complete both of those things. Over the last couple of years, I learned that just because I am tall doesn’t mean I will always get the rebound, which is true,” explained Przybyszewski. “Boxing out is a key factor in getting rebounds. You need to find someone on the opposite team, box them out and grab the basketball. When it comes to scoring, you need to know where you are on the court. In the beginning of the season last year, I struggled with my positioning on the court. Coach Barry was the one who brought that to my attention and I realized she was right. After that conversation, I became aware of where I am on the court and where I need to be in order to score. Being tall is a perk but there are a lot of tall girls out there. Being humble, intuitive, reading others, adapting, sensing, and being in the right time at the right place are the keys to being a successful player. I’m super pumped for a great season.”

Like most student-athletes at Mount Mercy, basketball is just one of many sports Przybyszewski plays. Przybyszewski is a three-sport athlete as she plays volleyball in the fall, and softball in the spring.

Playing three sports back-to-back-to-back like she does can take a lot out of a person. Przybyszewski makes sure she gets mentally prepared for each sport, and tries to get enough rest during the short break in between seasons.

She also makes sure she stays organized and has her studies in check.

“I mentally prepare myself for each upcoming sports seasons. I know practices can be a lot and keeping up with academics can also be a lot,” stated Przybyszewski. “It’s definitely a balancing act. I get myself ready by getting organized, getting enough rest, drinking a lot of water, and eating right. In between sports,I let myself rest, relax, and heal and gear up for what’s next.”

Each season she plays is different in length, with softball and volleyball being the shortest compared to basketball. She makes sure when the season starts that she is all in on that sport. When basketballs season ends in March, Przybyszewski turns her attention right back to softball and gives her all every time she steps on the field.

But, basketball is her number one sport, and never too far from her mind.

“Each season for each sport is very different. Volleyball and Softball are both short seasons and basketball is the longest. So for each sport I put my full time and effort into the sport I am playing at the time,” stated Przybyszewski. “I give it my all no matter which sport. I have to prioritize and give equal attention to school while also taking care of me. Basketball is my number one sport and is always in the back of my mind.”