By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Former Medfield High School (MHS) girls' basketball star players Camilla Silk, Annie McCarthy, Lillie Cumming, and Kate Olenik are currently continuing their basketball careers in college, as well as maintaining their friendship throughout the journey. These girls, who were four of the five starting players in the 2020 season, expressed their gratitude towards MHS basketball and how it shaped their current college careers.
When discussing their experience playing for MedBall, MHS’s girls’ basketball team, each of the girls gave great praise towards their high school coach, Coach Mark Nickerson. “He made it really easy,” said Camilla Silk, who begins her senior season at Babson College this fall. “He helped me and the girls to transition, feel comfortable and fit in. Even me being a shy freshman when I first started, he really did a good job at making the team feel like a family.”
The word “family” came up consistently when discussing their team dynamic throughout their years at MHS. Strong competitiveness and determination to succeed were other major lessons learned during these girls' high school MedBall careers. Year after year, Medfield became known as the team to beat, and they certainly did not take that lightly. “We had Covid during my sophomore year,” stated Annie McCarthy, currently going into her junior year at Amherst College. “That kind of stunk, but other than that we made a deep run every year. I feel as if we were always fighting for the state title. We always had really good competition.”
All of these aspects together allowed these four outstanding MedBall players to transition smoothly into their college basketball careers. Along with Silk and McCarthy, Kate Olenik will be a sophomore at Colby College, while Lilly Cumming will be a junior at Trinity College. McCarthy, Silk, and Olenik committed relatively early in high school, while Cumming's commitment came later due to a torn ACL injury she endured during her junior year at Medfield High School (MHS). Cumming described how, even through their Covid season, her Medfield High School team acted like family, hanging out both on and off the court—a trait vital to team chemistry at any level.
While college athletes can have different experiences playing their specific sport, these four girls share many similarities. They all wholeheartedly love playing basketball and have learned numerous valuable lessons throughout their time on the court, especially at the collegiate level. One such lesson is the necessity of time management. Olenik mentioned, “It took a little getting used to balancing academics and basketball, but once I got the hang of time management, I was able to truly enjoy when we are in season and being an athlete in college.”
McCarthy additionally added, “College basketball is definitely a bigger time commitment and then mixed in with the rigorous academics it has just been a little hard to adapt. For me, it really helps to plan out my week and be good with my time management. It is definitely doable and all the athletes like to help each other out as best as we can. It is all worth it in the end.”
Despite the occasional hardships that come with playing a collegiate sport, McCarthy, Silk, Olenik, and Cumming all encourage kids to strive to play in college. They agree that if someone loves the sport enough and is willing to make the commitment, it is absolutely worth fighting for. “I think if they love the sport, they should stick with it and if they don’t, they shouldn’t”, advised Silk. “If they ever feel like they don’t love it anymore, they definitely won’t love it in college because you have to be all in.”
Silk also touted the Division 3 level of collegiate sports; “I was all about basketball but I also had a life outside of it and that’s why a division III school was perfect for me. It just really depends on the person. I think if they love it and they’re willing to work hard and make sacrifices, it’s something I would 100% advise them to do. I personally believe it can help in many aspects of their lives whether it's time management, working with others, meeting new people and more.”
Cumming further stated, “My advice to any kids thinking about playing a college sport is that if they want something, go get it. I learned that myself through my ACL injury. I knew what I wanted and that I was capable of doing it. There are always going to be people who are going to support them throughout the way. Reach out to as many people as they can, lean/rely on their coaches to help them get there, and enjoy the experience of it as much as they can.”
It's clear that these four college athletes are truly enjoying their college experiences and eagerly anticipating their upcoming seasons. McCarthy, Olenik, and Cumming play against each other every year and cherish the opportunity to reconnect. Although Silk is in a different conference, the four have formed a lifelong friendship that allows them to pick up right where they left off each time they reunite. As McCarthy states, “We all still support each other. It is like a bond that's forever lasting.”
