The bounce of the basketball vibrated loudly in Ava Johnson’s blood, as she discovered at a young age. But as she grew in the game, the blood pumped through her heart and displayed her pure passion for the court.

The North Haven senior captain had two older sisters that performed on the hardwood, and so that became Ava’s introduction to the lane. From there, she became enamored with the sport, and worked her way up to the Nighthawks’ varsity ranks. She has persevered through a leg injury and subsequent surgery last year to lead North Haven to another postseason berth on this young campaign. Ava has also averaged marks of 11 points and 8.1 rebounds per game--both team tops.

“I love having friends and developing friendships from the sport. Those connections have helped me continue with it. I also saw my sisters develop a passion for the game, and so it helped me develop a love for the game,” says Ava. “My trainers have helped me out with improving my skills. My coaches have assisted me, too, by pushing me to be at my best.”

The surgery on the leg was actually Ava’s third on the identical right leg. She details that while it was tough to miss her final foray with AAU hoops, she gained a tremendous amount of mental discipline and physical perseverance to lead her back to the floor.

“The injuries and surgeries were mentally tough on me. It was also tough because I missed the AAU season last year, but I kept my head up,” Ava says. “I went to physical therapy every day to strengthen my ankle, and I just kept telling myself that I got this. I never think negatively or acknowledge any thoughts of having another injury when I play.”

Doubling as a forward and guard, Ava assumes many different valuable vantage points around the perimeter. She adds that it is that scope of the floor that enables her to make snip snap decisions on what to do with the rock in her hand.

“Whenever I get the ball, I slow down and take a second to think and look at my available options,” says Ava. “If I see someone cutting to the hoop, I’ll give it to them. Or, I will shoot if I am open, or drive to the hoop myself if I can pick my defender off. I love playing on the wing and taking a girl off the dribble, and being tough to defend. There can be points where I have to work around it, so I just try to think of better options.”

Ava shares the captain’s helm this winter with two of her closest companions in center Ava Halovatch, and fellow backcourt colleague Ava Papa at guard. While relishing the opportunity to lead with her friends, she is always there to nourish and support her younger teammates.

“I am captain with two of my best friends, and it is so great. The team is phenomenal, and it is an honor to be named a captain and lead the team,” Ava says. “The girls on the team are so fun and nice. I try to encourage the younger girls, and help them when they are lost. I always tell them that it is okay to mess up and make a mistake.”

The Nighthawks are certainly living it up on the floor, by carving out several triumphs by the midpoint of the regular season. Still, they are staying grounded and humbled by never letting the inevitable hurdles snowball into mountains.

“It really has been a team effort; we work well together out there,” Ava says. “We all love winning, of course, but when we do have a loss, we never get discouraged. We just keep pushing and pushing the ball on offense, while trying to make stops on defense.”

Nighthawks Head Coach Jessica Neuweiler observes that as North Haven’s leader, she saw that Ava dug deep within herself to reclaim her place back on the court. She additionally used her intangibles to bolster her abilities as a floor facilitator and leader as captain.

“Ava has had to overcome a great deal of adversity from injuries that she sustained. She worked tirelessly to get back onto the court, and remained a positive teammate throughout the entire process,” says Neuweiler. “This season, Ava has continued to work extremely hard, and was named as a team captain. She leads by example; she’s always asking great questions, talking on the court, and helping her teammates where needed. She has a tireless work ethic, and a drive that has helped her not only return to the sport, but has propelled her in that she has had to overcome so much to get to where she is.”

Budgeting her time during her tenure as a scholar and squad captain, Ava asserts that she is certainly well-rounded and ready for the road ahead. She explains that she is additionally equipped with interpersonal attributes that have given her a grander sense of self-worth.

“I have picked up a lot about time management. I have learned how to get a good balance of school and sports,” says Ava. “It will help me for the future, because I would like to play basketball in college, and so it will help me prepare for exams while being an athlete. My communication skills I have gained while being on the team have helped me become more independent and confident.”