Professional players to appear at students vs. faculty games for girls

It may not be basketball season yet, but Jamie Prescott, the Mercer Island High School girls varsity coach, and the Mercer Island Girls Basketball Booster Club have been hard at work for weeks.

On Monday, May 23, The Seattle Storm will send one or two players to support the MI Girls Basketball Program during two students-versus-faculty exhibition games at Islander Middle School.

The middle school girls play against IMS faculty at 6:30 p.m. The high school girls versus MIHS faculty game will begin at 8 p.m.

The Seattle Storm will address the girls and community about basketball from 7:30-8 p.m. Admission is $3. Raffle prizes and concessions will be available. Students are also selling tickets to Mercer Island Night at the Seattle Storm game on June 15 at the Key Arena.

Prescott and the booster club are continuing their effort to grow and improve the girls basketball program in the coming season.

“I want to build a girls’ basketball program on MI based on four cornerstones: the fundamentals of scholarship, sportsmanship, teamwork and competition,” said Prescott. “My long term goal is to reach the state tournament with the varsity team within the next five years. I want our players, coaching staff and booster club to believe in that vision: we will strive not just to improve; we will strive to compete at the state level as soon as possible. It is time to raise the bar.”

The booster club recognizes that one of the things the program needs is more girls playing competitive basketball more often in order to achieve its goals.

Last year, the middle school had one team playing spring basketball. This year, the booster club, partnering with Emerald City Basketball Academy, had 55 fourth- through eighth-grade girls turn out for spring play. There are four teams competing in spring leagues throughout the city.

“I want our girls’ program to become a `community’ where girls feel safe and like they belong,” said Prescott. “I want our emphasis to be team. I want our emphasis to be together. I want our emphasis to be on defense and then on offense. I want us to respect all and fear none.”

Donations for the Mercer Island Girls Basketball Booster Club can be sent to: PO Box 1036, Mercer Island, WA 98040.