Since her freshman year, sophomore Yazmin Lopez-Estevez has been a part of the La Salle girls basketball program.

Lopez-Estevez began playing the sport in fifth grade, and since then has played in middle school and high school, mostly on the right wing.

She has had a lifelong love of the sport, and this year, stepped into a new role as the JV girls basketball team manager. As the team manager, Lopez-Estevez plays a significant part in helping the team be successful, she said.

One of the things she does as the team manager is share quotes with the players to help them get into the game mentality.

Her favorite quote to highlight is “be like a goldfish, because goldfish always forget,” she said, as it encourages the team to have a next-play mentality, emphasizing moving forward rather than lingering on mistakes.

Lopez-Estevez said that being the team manager offered a new perspective that she hadn’t been able to see before when she was a player.

“Watching them grow is beautiful,” she said.

Reflecting on her experiences in the role, she emphasized how amazing it was that the team had such great chemistry and the ability to welcome each other.

JV Assistant Coach Annette Idler, who offered her the spot as team manager, is Lopez-Estevez’s favorite coach in La Salle’s basketball program.

Lopez-Estevez said that the opportunity allowed her to continue her basketball journey and motivated her to also keep playing.

She emphasized how Idler was very welcoming, similar to the rest of the team and community.

“When I met her in freshman year, she was just this bubbly type of person, and she’d always make jokes with me and stuff,” Lopez-Estevez said.

Another person who has influenced Lopez-Estevez during her time at La Salle is varsity head coach Lucas Fiorante. Many times the team would get exhausted during games, and Fiorante helped in reminding them that it was all mental, she said.

According to her, he helped her focus on her capabilities and belief in herself rather than giving up in difficult moments. Lopez-Estevez reflects back on Fiorante’s words frequently when she needs to keep going.

Fellow sophomores Gema Ruiz Lopez and Anahi Valdivia have also contributed to Lopez-Estevez’s journey to the athlete she is today.

“They love to lift me up whenever I’m down,” she said.

In addition to her friends and coaches inspiring Lopez-Estevez, her younger sister freshman Karla Lopez-Estevez, who was on the JV team with her this past year, has also been someone Lopez-Estevez strives to be like.

“I feel like her just being bold and being herself is a good thing, because she never wants to be someone else, for anyone else,” she said.

These positive qualities of her sister helped Lopez-Estevez in overcoming challenges and stepping out of her comfort zone, making her a better player overall, she said.

Kamorea Arnold, guard for the UConn Huskies, is Lopez-Estevez’s favorite college basketball player.

“It just kind of inspires me because even though she is tiny, she’s pretty good,” Lopez-Estevez said.

She said that Arnold encourages her because she isn’t that tall herself, and Arnold persevering and becoming just as good as the other taller players helps Lopez-Estevez to know that she can do whatever she sets her mind to.

To younger kids trying to get started playing and who might be struggling with their mental game specifically, Lopez-Estevez would tell them to “just keep going and going and going because it just keeps getting better and better after that.”

She also recommends going to peer tutoring if you are struggling with managing school and sports.