Brooke Aldrete is a junior here at Glendale High School, and she is part of both our girls’ varsity basketball and varsity softball teams. In her free time, she likes to go to the beach, cook, hang out with her cousins, shop, and of course, play sports.

Basketball has been a part of Brooke’s life ever since she decided to join her school team in the eighth grade at Wilson Middle School, just for the fun of it. During a game against Rosemont, one of her current coaches asked her if she was going to GHS in the fall, and if so, she should try out for their team. 

When the tryouts came around, Brooke was there, and she ended up making our JV team. From that point on, she never looked back. “Ever since then, I’ve been playing basketball a lot, and I really love it,” she said. As of now, Brooke is the shooting guard for our varsity squad.

Brooke’s favorite thing about the sport is how it is a very fast-paced game. “I really like basketball, because it’s very physical and competitive, especially in games where you feel the competition,” she claimed. “And there’s a lot of pressure, too.” 

Whenever she feels pressure in a game, Brooke handles it by ignoring it as much as she can. “The more you think about something, the more you’re gonna mess up,” she said. “In basketball, I just try to imagine I’m in practice, because I play much more aggressively.” This is a great mental approach to have during a game, because when she feels pressured, she lets go of it and tries to play her game without it getting to her. 

One of Brooke’s favorite memories with the basketball team is when she and her teammates went against Pilibos Armenian School. The girls on the Pilibos basketball team know the girls on our team, so whenever they play against each other, it gets hyped since they have a bit of a rivalry. 

“I was so nervous,” she admitted. “We went into my coach’s class, and she showed me who I had to guard. And it was their best player, and I was like, okay, whatever.” 

Even if Brooke felt nervous about this game, our team left that night with a win. “At first we started so well; then it became a close game,” she said. “And then we were up, and we ended up winning the game.” 

While basketball is a big part of Brooke’s life, it isn’t the only sport she excels in. She has been playing softball ever since she was five years old, and she’s basically been playing without any breaks since then. She has been our starting shortstop on the varsity team ever since she was a freshman.

Brooke first played softball with an organization called CV United Softball and was able to play on their All-Star team, which plays in tournaments during the summer. Being on the All-Star team allows a player like Brooke to compete at a higher level. 

One of the things that Brooke loves about playing softball is the joy that comes from success on the field. “It’s such a good feeling when you get a hit, and you’re just running around the bases,” she said. “I love it so much, and especially when we have rallies and stuff. It’s fun to see everyone scoring.” Brooke likes hitting more than playing defense, but she says that she still loves playing shortstop. 

The worst aspect of softball is getting into your own head and knowing you’re not playing your best. “The entire game, you’re thinking about your next at bat,” she admitted. “And when you finally get up to your next at bat, you get out, you strike out or you ground out. It’s literally the worst feeling ever.” Softball is often called a game “full of errors,” but it is still very easy to get into your own head and lose confidence. 

Every athlete has times when they make mistakes and aren’t feeling 100%. But for Brooke, the most important part of being an athlete is learning from your mistakes and moving forward. 

Overall, Brooke is an outstanding athlete who has worked hard to succeed in two difficult sports. Through all the pressure and challenges that come with competition, she continues to stay dedicated and give her best effort. Her passion, determination, and love for the game truly stand out, and she has become a key part of both teams at Glendale High School.