Eighth-Grade Cut Motivates JV Basketball Player

Name: George Thissel

Graduating Class: 2014

Team: Hopkinton Hillers JV basketball (power forward), track in the spring.

Coach: Mike Greco

Hopkinton Patch: How is the season going for you so far?

George Thissel: So far, the team is having a great season. We have only lost one game by 2 points, and we have won 18. I have been starting most of the season, which has been great.

Patch: When did you start playing basketball?

Thissel: I started playing back when I was a little kid. My father played basketball in high school and college and worked with my skills. He has coached my sister and I since we were young.

Patch: Who has influenced you the most?

Thissel: My father has influenced me the most. He is always coaching me and helping me. Even when he is in the stands, when I look up at him, he is still giving me pointers.

Patch: How do you manage sports and academics?

Thissel: It's pretty tough sometimes, but I always study at night after practice. It's a balance.

Patch: What is your most memorable moment?

Thissel: I would have to say that it is when I got cut from the eighth-grade team and made it onto the JV team this year.

Patch: Do you have any advice for younger student athletes?

Thissel: To practice a lot and stick with it. If things don't go your way, keep practicing and things will get better.

Patch: Do you train in the off-season?

Thissel: I run track in the spring and do basketball camps in the summer. Track helps me with speed, and the summer camps help me to improve during the regular basketball season.

Patch: What are your plans for next year?

Thissel: I hope to play basketball for the varsity team.