Lucy Young: In the spotlight

By: Lilliana Arechiga

Lucy Young, a sophomore at Hackett is known to be a top prospect regarding the class of 2028. Last year, Lucy made her freshman debut very early on. Lucy will be entering her second year playing high school basketball but has made an uproar amongst the high school women’s basketball community. She started out her basketball career playing middle school basketball which quickly turned from a hobby to a true passion. Standing at 6 '2, she is one of the tallest players on the Hackett Women’s Varsity Basketball team, and was the tallest girl playing at her middle school, Saint Augustine Cathedral School. She later started with a travel team, or more formally known as AAU. She started with a team known as Macon 6 Academy and has played with this team for around 3 years. She was on the national team and went as far as Kentucky to be scouted as a potential recruit for the class of 2028. Her AAU career helped create a spotlight for young prospects like her. 

However, the spotlight and her hard work did not stop during the AAU season. Here at Hackett, she had a ground breaking school record of 44 points in one game. This outstanding performance ultimately led her team to gain a huge victory over known rivals, Kalamazoo Christian. This caused havoc in the basketball community. With her outstanding performance and the support of teammates, coaches, and parents: it shined a light on women’s basketball. The victory for the girls eventually packed the stands for not just boy games, but girl games too. She works relentlessly when it comes to school basketball and for travel basketball. She pushes herself to the limit to give more than just 100%. Lucy does more than just the required practice, but also specific practices focused on speed, agility, shooting, and even ball handling. She pushes her teammates to be their very best and always keeps the atmosphere positive. She has a very strong mental game which ultimately pushes her to play until the very last buzzer. She has a strong worth ethic and wants to prove herself to her team, coaches, and even herself. Lucy is someone that would rather see her teammates score and win than her own self. The way she plays is selfless and for her teammates. Many players cannot say this though. Many of them play for themselves and not for each other. This can create a toxic environment for all members of the community. Lucy, however, has proven time and time again that while she shows up for herself, she also shows up for teammates. 

Not only this, but she has turned lots of heads during her AAU season both this past summer and the previous. She is ranked 3rd in the state of Michigan and was awarded Freshman Player of the Year. While these are big accomplishments, she remains humble. Not only this, she is also ranked 1st in the position she plays, which is Center. This is a huge accomplishment that has definitely not gone unnoticed. She now is onto bigger and better things playing at a level known as Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL). She will be continuing her AAU season with West Michigan Drive. This is a well known team around the Grand Rapids area and also is well known with big tournaments. The majority of their teams are very successful when it comes to playing AAU and it will be interesting to see how Lucy’s development changes.  With all the recognition she has received, she pushes further to become more than just a high school player, but a college player in a Big 10 school. This has been a goal of Lucy’s for quite a while now.  When asked who/what her inspiration was, she responded with, “My mom is my inspiration, she always encourages me to work harder.” Many of us have inspirations such as coaches or teachers, but it is heart warming to see that Lucy’s inspiration is her mother. 

However, with many, recognition changes people. Some become rather spoiled or egotistical, but Lucy has yet to boast about everything she has and will accomplish. In fact, she gets silent when her accomplishments get brought up because she does not want to seem like she is bragging. Following up with the previous statement, when I asked Lucy what keeps her humble, she responded with. “I try not to let anything get to my head, I keep my head down, and keep working, and playing for my teammates and coaches.” Regarding this statement, she is the most humble, caring, and driven person I have ever met. Everything she has, she has worked non-stop for. She never takes away from her teammates and I am very happy to consider her not just a teammate, but a trustworthy friend. 

With everything she has accomplished, questions spike of how she continues to stay motivated and driven.With setbacks and sometimes even failure, it is very hard to stay positive in such negative situations. One might think that for Lucy, her goals of playing further than college play a crucial role in her worth ethic and how she sees herself. However, Lucy had something else to say. She said things that keep her motivated are,“Winning a state championship or winning tournaments. My biggest motivation is to play in college and continue after that. I am also motivated to work hard and to improve my skills each season.” With this particular mindset, minor comebacks lead to major successes in one's life. She is motivated to keep working hard and keep her goals in reach. 

Lucy isn’t just a basketball player, but a daughter, teammate, and friend to many. She is perseverant, focused and disciplined, and contributes a positive attitude towards everyone. She is successful in the things she does because of how she behaves. She is a great friend to all, an amazing teammate to everyone, and a smart student to teachers. All of these contributions show just how amazing Lucy is as an individual.