As her senior season is underway, star basketball player Mikayla D’Ambrosio continues to prove why she is an asset to the team.
D´Ambrosio is a lifelong lover of the game. When asked about where and when she started playing basketball, she said, “I’ve played for seven years. I started playing for St. Raymond’s, then after I started playing for AAU.”
From St. Raymond’s CYO to AAU, D’Ambrosio has dedicated so much to the game. “My first team that I played for was Game 7, but I also played with Rising Stars; right now I play for Level Up,” she said. Since she has been playing for a long time, D’Ambrosio has had many chances to experience playing various positions. “I played point guard when I got older; I played guard but sometimes both,” she said.
D´Ambrosio has had many supporters along the way but said that her parents are her biggest. “My parents are my biggest supporters because they always come to my games. They love watching me play the sport I love and having fun. I’m always happy when I see them in the stands before games.”
D’Ambrosio’s journey has been a long one, and she has learned what it takes to be a great basketball player and overall athlete. Her message to young athletes starting to play is “that you should have fun while you play and enjoy the game, but you should always strive to learn and improve. Working hard really pays off, and never forget the importance of teamwork.”
She has many memories of playing basketball. When asked which one was her favorite, she said, “One of my games when I was younger was when we only had five girls to play a championship. The score was tied, and I shot the game-winning shot. I remember how happy I was and how excited everyone was.”
Not only is she a great basketball player, but she also plays soccer and runs track. As for her future goals, she said, “I want to keep working hard. I want to play Division-III basketball in college while also playing soccer in my future. Down the line, I would love to be a coach for younger kids.”
D’Ambrosio is admired by her teammates. Junior Brooke Mazzei said,“Mikayla is one of the people who leads by example; she is always working her hardest whether it’s in practice or a game. She never lets up and always makes sure her teammates know she is all in. This highly contributes to our team’s success because she sets the standards for everyone else and helps everyone get better, which is the best thing a teammate can do for a team.”
When asked about how confident she is going into a game knowing that D’Ambrosio is on her team, senior Jesse Bodian complimented D´Ambrosio: “Knowing how determined and hardworking Mikalya is as a player, individual, and teammate, I know I can count on her to have my back.”
Varsity basketball coach Koren Pena only praised D’Ambrosio when asked about her growth and maturity up to now: “I have seen tremendous growth from her over the last two seasons. She puts a great deal of time into the game of basketball, and it shows! This season, she looks stronger and more confident than last year. She comes to practice each day with 100% effort, and that’s exactly what a coach wants and needs from senior players.” D’Ambrosio’s leadership and skills will be a big factor in the team’s success this year as she will try to help LHS make it back to Hofstra for the playoffs in February.
