Steinbrenner High School Senior Bailey Hooker had an impressive 26 points including 4 three-point bombs in an impressive 65-58 win over Tampa Bay Tech last week. Hooker surpassed 1,000 points for career before half-time with a beautiful three point shot that was nothing but net.
Hooker stated, “I’ve been playing basketball my entire life. When I turned 11, I started playing AAU ball (Amateur Athletic Union) and while doing that, I played ball at a private middle school. Watching my game and career evolve over the years has been exciting.” Hooker has averaged 17.8 points a game and has 142 total points already in the young 2012-2013 season. These impressive stats will only get better as the season progresses.
Steinbrenner High School Head Varsity Woman’s Basketball Coach Charles Allen states, “Bailey puts lots of work in, she puts lots of effort in, and she never gives up or stops trying. That’s why she deserves this. If you are going to put effort into something and work towards a goal hard enough, then a reward will be presented to you.” When I asked Hooker about her diligent work ethic she replied, “For me, it’s not work, its fun. I never procrastinate and I never give up no matter how hard it gets. I have one chance at most things in my life and I won’t waste them.”
As soon as the 3 point shot went through the net, Coach Allen immediately called a timeout to allow a much needed sideline celebration for Hooker’s historic moment. According to Allen, it was the first time in school history that a student has scored 1000 plus points in either men’s or women’s’ basketball. Allen said, “There are only so many games a year, and obviously getting to playoffs boosted her chances each year. Those extra rounds gave her the opportunity to score more points, and she realized what was happening and took advantage of it.” When asked about her historic milestone Hooker responded, “I identified this milestone as one of my biggest goals for this season. When I was 11 playing private-school ball I saw older player reaching there 1,000th point and I was determined to do better. Obviously I reached my goal, but I couldn’t have done it without the support and motivation from my team. Without them, I wouldn’t have gotten past 500. Their passes, blocks, picks, speeches, and dedication all helped me along my journey and I am grateful for it. Just because I reached my goal does not mean I am going to stop putting all my effort into the rest of the season”
Hooker has officially signed with South Eastern University. It was a tough choice because she had 6 other division 1 and 2 offers on the table; however, she could not turn down a chance to attend the same school as her sister. South Eastern is a NAIA school (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and also has a strong Christian base which Hooker really identified with. She claims she will start school there in the fall and that she expects it to be a very fun experience.
Hooker has won many awards and broken various milestone records. She has received acclaimed by various publications but nothing can top scoring 1,000 points. According to Hooker, “Our team is big on we, and we have great chemistry, and without those characteristics on and off the court being shown, I don’t know how we would ever be able to compete. We hang out not just in practice but also outside of the school environment and I don’t think I could have done anything great in terms of basketball in my life if my team had not been their every step of the way for these past 4 years.”
– Evan Abramson