Basketball captains, Addie Kerkhoff and Ryan Dolphin, have seen it all during their four year experience of high school basketball.
Both players have gone from inexperienced freshmen to senior captains on their basketball teams. From the very start of their high school careers, their basketball experiences have been anything but dull. Their high school experience kicked off when they were freshman, filled with emotions and valuable lessons learned.
Kerkhoff was able to learn what high school basketball was all about during her freshman year. “It was an eye opening experience and it helped prepare me for what was to come in the next couple years and what it was like to be a good leader,” she said. “It was a great learning experience.”
Freshman year for Dolphin was also a pivotal time that led him to be the player he is today. Coming into his first season with the varsity basketball team, he was unsure of how his skills compared to veteran players. “During my freshman year I learned a lot about myself and realized I had a lot of work to do and maturing to do,” he stated. “I felt nervous and scared playing against experienced players.”
The two stand-out players quickly adapted to the intensity of a varsity level game which helped them get on track to kick off their successful basketball careers. With two years of high school basketball under their belts, a new challenge was thrown into their path. COVID-19 took their junior year by storm and limited their interactions with teammates prior to the start of the season.
Kerkhoff knew this would be an opportunity for her team to set itself apart from others. “It affected how much work we were able to put in as a team and really challenged us to put in our best work with the little time we could,” she said. “It separated some of us because we wanted to put in the time and to work hard when no one else was watching. I think that’s where a lot of growth was seen.”
Dolphin also found himself putting in extra work with the large amount of free time he had. “COVID allowed me to put in more work on my own. There was more time on my hands and there wasn’t a lot to do so I started lifting to get stronger for the upcoming season.”
The hard work over the years has started to pay off for Kerkhoff and Dolphin as they reach the home stretch of their senior seasons. Kerkhoff hopes to demonstrate what it takes to achieve success and leave a lasting impact on the girl basketball program. “As a senior and this being my final season, I’m wanting to lead by example to do as much as I can to help my team accomplish all we can, just like I watched the other seniors the past three years continue to leave an impact.”
Being a role model to the future seniors on the boys basketball team is also an ambition for Dolphin. Dolphin has seen improvements in his leadership skills that have been on display all season. “This year I am being way more vocal than I have in previous years. The communication is becoming more natural as I try to lead by example for the younger guys,” he said.
Kerkhoff and Dolphin continue to leave their impact on the basketball programs at PVHS. Both athletes have already achieved large amounts of success during their senior seasons, including leading their teams to MAC championships this year. With hopes of continuing their teams’ success heading into the postseason, Kerkhoff and Dolphin have no plans of slowing down.
Ryan Groenenboom • Feb 23, 2022 at 12:31 pm
I remember dolphin playing as a freshman and it has been really cool to watch him develop into the guy and be the second leading scorer in the conference this year.