Avoiding the stress and expectations of a high school basketball player, Senior Zach Diele along with several of his close friends, formed a recreational basketball team, the “Hardwoodies,” during his sophomore year. They formed their team through Hotshots, a youth basketball league held at Hardwood Place in Roseville. Ever since, Zach has taken this opportunity to enjoy spending time with his friends as well as being able to take a sport he appreciates seriously.

“My favorite thing about playing on the Hardwoodies is probably just playing with my friends; it’s our senior year together. We’re all seniors on a team; we all just really get along and become better friends through basketball and whatnot,” said Zach.

With ten games and a guaranteed spot in playoffs, Zach and his friends practice once a week on Wednesdays along with a game every Friday around 8 or 9 PM.

“It’s something to look forward to every week,” he continued.

On the flip side, this is Zach’s last year with Hotshots, the end of his senior year calling for other things in life to end. However this fact only drives him to make this last season count, as he just wants to have fun playing a game he loves with the people he loves.