Junior Emma Buchanan plays on both the varsity girls soccer team and basketball team.

Buchanan started playing both sports in first grade, but took a break from soccer in the sixth grade, and later decided to pick it back up freshman year. She describes the La Salle team as “super positive and uplifting,” which is why she loves playing. 

Her favorite part of soccer is going to practice and joking around with teammates, but when it comes to game time they are focused and locked in. Buchanan likes that the team is “able to connect and joke around outside of it,” she said.

Because she plays as a right back for the team, her job is to “look at who their best players are and then see how our defensive line could shut them down in the most effective way and how I could play a role in that,” she said. 

This year, the team had a goal to make it to the championship and “we [were] all pretty dedicated to it,” Buchanan said. She felt that the team as a whole was a little more focused in comparison to previous years, which helped them get to the OSAA 5A state title game. 

The final game was very memorable for Buchanan and was “one of the most fun games we have ever played in,” she said. “It was super eventful and just kept us on our toes.” 

Buchanan plays basketball for a club team, as well as for La Salle. Buchanan has played club basketball since fourth or fifth grade and has played for her club team, Northwest Select since sixth grade. 

Her favorite part about playing club basketball is the new people she meets and the friendships she has outside of the La Salle community. 

Buchanan also enjoys basketball because “I can just go to the park and shoot hoops and it’s kind of meditative,” she said.

The La Salle team’s goal this year is to make it as far as they can and to win every game. The only way to achieve this goal is to focus, work hard and “get better as a unit and challenge each other in practice,” she said. 

“The work you put in is what you’ll get out.”

Because spectators were not allowed to be present at her games last year, Buchanan is most excited for “the energy” the crowd will bring, she said. 

Due to there being younger players this year, Buchanan feels as if she is going to take more of a leadership role by “helping my teammates through the plays,” she said. 

A tip she has for other athletes is to get school work done earlier so that they aren’t stressed and thinking about it at practice because it can interfere.

A big part of Buchanan’s life is her family, they are very supportive during her games, and cheer her on from the stands. “Knowing someone is there for you and watching you is always nice when you’re playing a game and to have someone to talk after a game and analyze it with is always nice,” she said.

Although Buchanan does not have someone she looks up to, “I always appreciate getting advice from my dad,” she said because he grew up playing sports. 

With college around the corner, Buchanan is always thinking about her plans and she said playing basketball in college is always in the back of her mind, but she is not really sure yet. No matter where she goes, she still wants to continue to play basketball whether it’s for a club team or for a school.

Buchanan “definitely wants to get out of Oregon and just explore somewhere else,” she said. Some places she is looking at are Colorado or possibly Vermont because she wants to be somewhere with mountains.