Comfort in the cockpit has Natalie Whitaker in the clouds. Already a licensed pilot, she has a title and experience that few of her peers can claim. What else does Whitaker have that few of her peers can claim?
A big ol’ ring that says ‘State Champion’.
“Being a state champ requires us to work hard everywhere we go,” Whitaker stated, appropriately decked to the nines in Hawaiian gear for theme night Tuesday to support the boys basketball team’s season opener. “If you are a state champ, people will recognize you in the community. And now with other teams coming in here, they might try to use that against us because we don’t have the seniors that graduated. But we were there, we know what it took to get there. There’s no reason we can’t do that again.”
Whitaker had ventured into the world of Hoosier Hysteria just two years ago, a transplant from southern Michigan where she admitted basketball wasn’t nearly as big a deal as it was just a few miles south of the state line. The wild ride she would take in her first year as a basketball player in the Hoosier state would be one she will never forget, nor will anyone in the Fairfield community.
We all know how last season ended, the Lady Falcons standing tallest as Class 3-A girls basketball state champions. The title was the first team title in any sport, and was as well-received as any singular moment in the history of southeastern Elkhart County. Whitaker was admittedly at times in awe at the spectacle of it, whether it be the size of the crowds in the state tournament, the attention basketball gets in Indiana, or just how much goes into being a champion.
Once the buzz quieted down, it was back to work. And working with a mostly new coaching staff. In the time of transition from the stability of longtime head coach Brodie Garber and his staff came the newness of first-year head coach Kyle Hartman. Which meant that senior leadership from players like Whitaker, Kaylee Dillon and Jayslynn Hall were going to be required, not just requested. With it came a new level of ownership to the concept of being a champion.
“Our team bond this year has been amazing,” noted Whitaker. “Having fun, getting along, that’s huge for us. Interacting in the hallways is just as important as on the basketball court.”
Whitaker has a quiet confidence about her on the basketball court. Largely positioned on offense as a deep threat, Whitaker had averaged around five points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal per game in the early going. But her knowledge on the court, as well as having that intangible of the postseason run in her blood, is what makes her a leader in so many different ways.
“It’s been important for me to remind myself that I don’t have to do everything on the court,” Whitaker said. “If I am setting up my teammates; setting a screen for a three, getting the ball to the post, step up on defense. We learned a lot last year about picking each other up, and being there for each other. That’s what I want to bring to the court every game.”
Check the video to again hear from Natalie on her basketball ventures.