By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The Rootstown girls basketball team room serves as a hub of energy.

It is always filled with life and laughter, stories and snacks, positivity and players.

Players like Colbie Curall, who always arrive at the gym as early as 1 hour before the official practice start time.

Why?

They just want to be there — and they can’t get there soon enough.

For Curall, she wants to be with her teammates, who are more than just her friends, but her sisters.

She wants to be with her Basketball Family.

“I have never been on a team like this before,” Curall said. “Every single player is like my best friend and none of it is forced between us. We all just get along so well, and we enjoy each other.”

And she is not alone.

The time spent before training sessions are not specifically built into the practice plan, but they are a social activity that genuinely builds chemistry and strengthens bonds.

It is not only an important culture layer for high-school athletics, but all you need to do is watch the Rovers play to understand that it also has a positive impact on how they play on the court.

Roles are accepted and celebrated, and they play for each other.

Curall’s role has shifted and expanded throughout her career.

As a freshman, she began as a JV player, but coach Joe Leonard began to see parts of her game that led him to give her an opportunity to earn varsity minutes.

“She was very active defensively and was able to force many steals and intercept passes,” Leonard said. “Offensively, she was not afraid to drive to the rim and finish. As I watched her in a JV game, I said to myself, ‘I have to give her a chance to get some varsity minutes.’ When she got them, she performed. She did not play like most freshmen. She belonged.”

Her varsity trajectory began at that point.

She was a complementary piece as a player that injected energy to the team when she was on the court. Her game and leadership has never stopped ascending.

Now, as a senior, Curall is a cornerstone piece, who not only was a critical component to the team’s state-finals run last season, but now as one of the returning standouts to lead this year’s group.

Curall is an elite defender, who can guard on the ball with pressure, but with a knack of avoiding fouls. She gets into passing lanes and can also protect the rim with good leaping ability, which also makes her a strong rebounder. Offensively, Curall has developed a nice perimeter shot, but is a dangerous scorer slashing to the basket and also cleaning up under the basket.

In the young season, Curall is averaging 16.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. She also has 14 steals and three blocked shots.

“Colbie is a super athletic wing player, who is very creative at finishing,” Leonard said. “She works on her game and tries to find new ways to use her athleticism to her advantage. I once had an official tell me, ‘What a nice move,’ after a move she made under the rim. I told him, ‘We see that every day in practice’.”

Curall’s numbers show her impact across an entire game, but Leonard has noticed growth in another category that does not have stats to track.

“Colbie has really improved as a leader for our program,” Leonard said. “She is very competitive and expects the best from herself and others. She is now more understanding that a positive approach goes a long way. She is a worker and speaks from the heart and sometimes she has direct things to say, but the girls all know she comes from a place of wanting to win and share the game. She wants to win, and she puts her money where her mouth is by sharing the ball. Many dominant players won’t do this, but Colbie will.”

And she will be very early to practice today, too.