Varsity basketball has tradition of unique handshakes

Begging the coach to let them do it took a lot of convincing, but finally he said yes. Continuing the tradition the seniors started four years ago, starters Jazmin Shields (12), Shelli Thigpen (10) and Breanna Stephens (10) begin the varsity girls’ basketball handshake.

“I started the handshakes, but all our girls wanted to do it,” Shields said.

When the girls perform their own handshake they make each one unique to them.

“What makes mine unique is that we clap down to my feet,” player Elexsa Smith (12) said.

Before the game starts, if they have time, the girls sit along the benches and the rest of the girls line up forming a tunnel. When the referees call the girls, names and positions they start to run.

“When they call my name I feel overly excited, focused on what I’m about to do,” Lauren Garcia (10) said.

Running through the tunnel made up of the rest of the team, the starters slap hands as they go down, continuing their unique handshake that only Captain Shields would know, but they aren’t secret, the other girls can put a spin on anyone’s to make it their own .

“It reflects on my personality and how I am,” Breanna Stephens (10) said.

After they finish their handshakes, they shake hands with their coach, the referees and the other team’s coaches.

“Each handshake is unique to the person’s personality,” Smith said.

After the boys adopted the tradition, the girls wanted to make it a varsity basketball tradition.

“It’s ONLY a varsity thing,” Smith said.