The Van Arsdale Varsity basketball team had much potential in their 2023-2024 session but weren’t able to make it to the playoffs this year. Only winning five games this season wasn’t enough to get them to the playoffs. With Jonathan Beckmen being their only coach they did what they could and worked very hard to get some points on the scoreboard.

The Van Arsdale varsity basketball team started practices late October to get a head start on practices before their season had started. They had a very promising team made up of 18 players and ended with a 5-9 record, according to the PSAL website. Over the season, Beckmen tried his best to be a coach and father figure to these young men.

I had written an article before the season had started on what could be expected from the coach and players. I could say I was not wrong in what I wrote. I was at almost all of the team’s practices and games. I’ve seen them work very hard. Even players that weren’t part of the starting 5 still showed up to practices and games ready, so, when they would get their chance, they were ready.

They did play some schools that were a challenge to them, but there was nothing they couldn’t handle if they put their minds to it. When I asked Cai, one of the starting five players how he felt the season went, he responded, ”it wasn’t one of the best, and we could have won a lot more games, but we always have next year.” Cai is a junior that attends Williamsburg School for Architecture and Design (one of the three schools in the Van Arsdale building).

I am also one of the managers that helped the team throughout the season. Through the season I have learned a lot about not just the players but the sport itself. The sport is mental as much as it is physical. I noticed that a lot of the players might not only struggle physically but also get into their own heads, which didn’t allow them to perform as well as they could.

Overall, however, they played great and will come back stronger next season!