Simone Overbeck carries on her legacy
A young girl, barely in elementary school, waits for sun to rise over a blacktop court to begin playing with a basketball that is just as big as her. She goes up for a layup, pushes the ball with all her force, and the clanking of the chains from the hoop creates a music to her ears. Twelve years of practice later, this girl is now one of the most feared in the Marmonte League– a six foot, lengthy guard for the Girls’ Basketball team who pushes her team to the next level. Her name is Simone Overbeck.
Overbeck, junior, has devoted her life to becoming an elite player in the many athletics she has pursued. During the winter sports season, Overbeck has pushed herself and her teammates to play to their highest potential in every game.
“I’m just trying to take over and do what’s best. I want to try and incorporate everyone, and encouragement is also really important because you need to have fun with the game you will end up playing. We play hard, but also make sure to have fun,” Overbeck said.
Overbeck has created a lasting impact on her teammates and influenced them throughout their basketball experience. One of her teammates, Emma Smigel, sophomore, has taken away many lessons from working with Overbeck.
“She is a really good leader. She’s not afraid to tell us what to fix and how to become better as players and individuals,” Smigel said.
The development of Overbeck’s journey in athletics has been a complex one. Mastering both basketball and volleyball, Overbeck committed to the University of Arizona to play Division 1 volleyball after high school, but the process of committing has not affected Overbeck and her basketball state of mind.
“It’s kind of to keep my court IQ ‘cause the more you know about multiple sports and different views, it can help play a role in other sports,” Overbeck said.
Averaging 12.5 points a game, Overbeck has not grown to an elite level alone. With help from all her surroundings; her sister Kayla, a basketball star at Vanderbilt, her many teammates who surround her with positivity or her head coach Darren Burge who has recognized her skill she brings to the table each and every game.
“Simone is a competitor. You can always count on her to compete down to the final buzzer. In sports, that’s all you can ask of a player. As a teammate, she’s a bright light – she enhances her surroundings at practice and in games with her spirit and her positivity, which is infectious and invaluable to her team,” Burge said.
