DeSouza tearin' it up

By Rachelle DeShazo

February 15, 2005

Shannon Kruger, head boys’ basketball coach, recently made a decision to suit up and play a hard working and determined athlete, sophomore Nick deSouza, at not only the junior varsity level but also varsity.

“I was really happy because at the first part of the season, I didn’t even think I was going to suit up varsity, but after Coach Kruger told me I was going to suit up, I was pretty happy and I got to play, so that was pretty cool, too,” he said.

His hatred of losing is what makes him hustle and play aggressively.

“I don’t like to lose; it is the worst feeling ever. I just want to do everything I can not to lose,” he explained.

DeSouza has spent a lot of time preparing for the point he is at right now. He was participated in basketball since he was in the fifth grade.

“I played a lot of sports when I was younger and just tried to stay in shape,” he said.

It is obvious that all his past work and preparation have paid off. DeSouza now plays a significant role on the varsity team as point guard.

“I have a lot of responsibility as the point guard. I have to call plays and get everybody in their right spots, but when something goes wrong, it is usually your fault,” he said.

No matter what goes wrong, deSouza is still planning on participating in basketball for the rest of his high school career.

“It’s something to do, and I like doing it. It gives me a challenge,” he explained.

DeSouza’s goals for his remaining years in high school basketball are difficult but achievable.

“My goals are to keep getting better as a player and as a team. We have a lot of good freshmen this year, and I hope they will be able to step it up next year, which they will, and have a little bit better of a record. We need to just keep taking steps forward,” he said.

DeSouza said that he feels the team could go the distance and achieve the ultimate goal: competing at state.

“I think we can go pretty far in substate if we all stay healthy, keep rebounding, and play like we did against Atchison. Our ultimate goal would be going to state because that is the highest you can go really for high school right now,” he said.

DeSouza has two roles on the high school basketball team. DeSouza also plays point guard for the junior varsity team. His positions are similar, but his roles are quite different.

“I think on the J.V. team I have to be a little bit more of a leader like in setting up all the plays and making sure everyone is in their spots. It’s a little bit easier to do in the varsity game because everyone has a little better feel for what’s going on,” he explained.

Not only does deSouza excel on the basketball court, but he also expresses his athletic talent on the soccer field. Soccer is his all-time favorite sport.

“Soccer is really my favorite sport because I have been playing it all my life. It is a great sport,” he said.

DeSouza plays regularly in a soccer league at the Sports Zone. He believes that playing multiple sports at one time, such as basketball and soccer, is beneficial.

“I think it has a positive effect. Anytime you can get out and do something every day, it helps you stay in shape,” he said.

It doesn’t matter if deSouza is playing aggressively on the soccer field or the basketball court, he still feels the same when he is playing.

“It’s a great feeling; I don’t know really how to explain it. It’s just so awesome to be out there getting some playing time. I don’t know how to explain it, but it feels great!” he added.