Even from an early age, Megan Graves ’18 dominated the court. She first learned about and playing basketball through recreational leagues, starting in the first grade. However, Megan didn’t always know that basketball was her destiny. She describes “playing a lot of sports growing up,” and it just so happened that “soccer and basketball were just kinda the two that stuck.” Megan also attributes much of her passion for the game to her mother, who played in high school, and certainly influenced her decision to try out the sport.
As she grew up and continued playing, Graves explained that height often became a challenge that she needed to overcome, but this struggle only seemed to motivate her development. It allowed her to focus on other aspects of her game, such as the mental facet. She details how appreciative she was to have “a lot of really good coaches who have built up my confidence in the sport,” and has come to learn how to be “able to accept that I can’t control everything on the court.”
Credit: Jeff Brown
When it soon came time to play basketball at Deerfield, Graves was certainly no stranger to the atmosphere she would playing in. As a kid, she remembers watching the girls varsity basketball games, and “wanting to emulate some of those players.” Megan sees herself as “more of a defensive player,” but has enjoyed being challenged to add more offense to her game.
Coach Caroline Stedman remarked that “her impact on our team has grown to become so invaluable. She is the type of athlete who does not take one single play off – in both practice and games.” She also added that Graves is “one of the most coachable players with whom I have had the opportunity to work because of her work ethic and leadership skills.”
As a captain in both her senior and junior year, her goal has been to “lead by example,” and her teammates certainly recognize and appreciate this about her. Emma Reavis ’19 noted that “Megan is an amazing leader. She always tries to push every player to be the best they can be.”
In looking towards the future, Graves stated “I would like to play in college,” but she isn’t “ready to let go of this part of my life.” In the meantime, all eyes will be on Megan and the girls varsity basketball team, as they finish out the last few games of their season.