PELHAM – The eighth grade AAU girls basketball Spartans would be hard-pressed to come up with a better way for its first season to go.
After a second-place finish in the state tournament, the team qualified for a trip to the national tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla.

Three local players made the trip to Florida – Lexi Longtin and Ari Sullivan from Salem and Baylee Duarte from Pelham.

By making the trip south for the tournament, the Spartans had an opportunity to improve their play, bond as a team and log some extra minutes on the court.

Head coach Paul Williams said one of the most impressive aspects of the team was its ability to instantly gel, despite consisting of players who did not have experience playing with one another.

Though they were pitted against tough competition, the team was able to perform well in an underdog role.

“Eleven girls made the trip and they really had a great balance among themselves in terms of unselfish play,” Williams said.

During the tournament, which lasted from July 3 to 8, the New Hampshire squad faced some faster and larger players spanning the globe from Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Germany.

Though the opposition was fierce, Williams stressed to his players that if they played the way they had been practicing, they would be able to hang in there and surprise some spectators.

“It gave them a sense of confidence that they can go to a new arena and still play well,” he said.

Sullivan, one of the team’s guards said she was both excited and nervous to be playing on such a big stage, but ultimately the trip was a great experience for the squad.

“We bonded really well,” she said.

Williams said another impressive aspect for the Spartans was their ability to not get distracted by the sights and sounds of Disney World. Though they did get to experience the theme parks, Williams said when it came time to take the court and focus on basketball, the girls were ready to play and excited to hit the hardwood.

“I said, ‘I know we’re on vacation, but if you stay up late you may end up paying a price,’” Williams said. “But once we got to the arena, they were always ready to play.”

As the players prepare to enter high school, Williams said this experience will help them transition to the next stage of their basketball lives. By learning how to mesh together quickly and adapt on the fly, he said these girls will already be a step ahead by the time they reach high school.

“It is an experience they will cherish and they all have made friendships,” Williams said. “They transcended being teammates and became friends.”