The frenetic pace of the game of basketball works Emma Preiss up into a frenzy, and truly houses the source of her passion for the court. She loves the sport, along with her team so much, that she is willing to take on any court assignment asked of her.

The North Branford sophomore grew up playing soccer and basketball, prior to dropping the former in favor of cross country and track and field–both of which she still takes part in with the Thunderbirds. After emerging as a fantastic freshman last year as a guard in the girls’ basketball squad’s march to the state tournament quarterfinals in Class S, Emma has taken on a larger role as a forward this campaign.

“I love the adrenaline rush from the game and just the game in general,” says Emma. “Playing the game makes me happy, and I also like watching it and seeing when a team gets into a good rhythm. Playing forward can be tough because I do not have the height, but I know some post moves. Without the height, it can be hard to get rebounds or post up, but I enjoy the moves you can make at the position. I also love getting the ball on a fast break and using drop step moves.”

The bedrock of Emma’s acceleration on the hardwood has been largely produced by her family, particularly by her father. She recalls that he assumed a mentorship role with the sport as her first true coach.

“I started basketball around seven years old, and my dad and I practiced in the driveway,” Emma says. “I would say he helped me the most with my success. Him and I would work on new drills, shooting, etc. I also did camps during some summers and learned new plays and moves. My family overall, though, has been my biggest supporters for me with basketball.”

Emma explains that in her humble beginnings as an athlete, she would get too in her head and harp on a miscue for far too long. Now, with a greater sense of perspective and purpose, she avoids any negative feelings or emotions after realizing the effect lingering negativity can have on others.

“At the start, I would always talk myself down in my head,” says Emma. “Yet now, I think about my team and teammates and how I should move forward for their sake, along with realizing how much they rely on me. That thought process and mindset makes me feel better and want to push harder for them.”

Getting some time in the varsity spotlight as a rookie last winter, Emma has a leg up over some of her Shoreline Conference contemporaries. Not only has she eased a great deal of her anxiety when she steps upon the floor, she has garnered a new level of confidence and data on her opponents.

“Freshman year helped me be a lot less nervous heading into this year,” Emma says. “I do still have some nerves now, but nowhere near as much as I had at first last season. I used to be shaky and hard on myself then. With that year of playing as a freshman, I now know more about how players are, what they do, and their tendencies.”

After making a run to the Round of 8 last postseason, Emma and the T-Birds feel they can take flight to an even more elite status within the league and state standings. North Branford has crafted quite a cohesion thus far in the young season, with a drive and desire to attain more victories.

“This team has gotten way better from last year,” says Emma. “We have awesome team chemistry. We feel we can get to the both finals of the Shoreline and state tournaments. We also feel we can push ourselves to win a lot more games than last year.”

North Branford girls’ hoops Head Coach Sabrina LeMere notes that Emma certainly takes the game seriously with the extra steps in conditioning and training she took. On the court, she is a diverse threat all over the floor, with her shot and on the glass.

“Emma came back at the beginning of the season in shape and ready to go. She has grown as a player so much in the last year, and definitely proved she can play at the varsity level,” says LeMere. “Emma brings so much to the court. She moves her feet well on defense and helps her teammates whenever she can. On offense, she is a threat when it comes to her mid range jump shot and her drive up the middle. Emma crashes the boards hard and, even though she is not the tallest girl on the court, she definitely makes her presence known in the paint. She has a great attitude, and does whatever she can to get better.”

Not even fully through the first half of her high school career, Emma expresses a maturity well beyond her years. She details that any mishaps must be shelved away in the past, and cannot be allowed to snowball into compounding errors.

“I have learned to never put yourself down or be mad at yourself for one mistake,” Emma says. “I used to get so nervous and upset about myself after I made a mistake. I have learned that it is in the past, and you just have to get right back out there and keep moving.”