By Keira Bixler
Freshman Cassidy Ashford discusses her first year on Redwood Varsity Basketball and her basketball career.
Cassidy Ashford, ’26 is a freshman on the varsity girls’ basketball team at Redwood. She is a center and a power forward as the only freshman to make varsity girls’ basketball during the 2022-2023 season.
Ashford is excited for the upcoming year saying, “All the girls are amazing! I love the game. It is so fast paced so you have to just think everything through. It is amazing.
She shares her journey through her years of basketball experience. She says, “I had played basketball when I was 5 and 6 but I didn’t like it at all so I went to softball. When I was 11 years old my dad signed me up for basketball without me knowing because of my height. I was mad at first.”
Ashford says, “My first year back to playing I was picked up by two travel teams. I played with the Royals for a while and then switched to my new team called the Rebels. That is where I learned a lot and what helped me reach the level I am at now.”
Seeing that she has four seasons of Redwood Basketball in front of her, Ashford says she is most looking forward to, “Getting exposed to more teams and more experiences in the world of basketball.”
She advises to other people laying sports:
“Keep with it. Whenever sports get hard, you have to have determination and grit.”
Cassidy Ashford, ’26
Ashford says she is often “really scared before each game. I have to remind myself that everyone makes mistakes and that we are working as a team.”
To calm her nerves, she says, “I do a little prayer before every game to calm me down. I also have to wear a specific pair of shoes in order to do well.”
In reflection on this rare opportunity, Ashford says, “I am honored to receive this experience as a freshman. I love it. All of the girls are super nice and the environment is amazing.”
Tags: deep dive, humans of redwood, keira bixler, rangers, Redwood, redwood basketball, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, redwood sports, rhs, varsity girls basketball, visalia ca