After 8 hours of school, 9th grade students Felipe Santamaria and Matias Velez take an hour and a half trip south to Sabaneta, through long lines of traffic. Their destination is Indeportes, where they will train with their basketball team for the next 3 hours. Running, practicing passing and shooting drills, and playing in front of their strict coach are part of their regular workout. After many exhausting physical exercises, they come home at night to work on homework before they can finally go to sleep.

This is a normal day in the week for Santamaria and Velez. These Columbus School students are part of the basketball team in Indeportes Sabaneta, a high profile, competitive training center for students of ages 15 and up. Being part of this team requires competative tryouts, not everyone gets selected. Santamaria and Velez are also part of the school’s basketball team, which also adds to their responsibilities.

Getting Selected

About a year and a half ago, Matias Velez was on the lookout for a new basketball team where he could train outside of school after leaving his previous team in Envigado. He went to his school basketball coach, Yuber Hinestroza for help. Hinestroza knew another coach from Sabaneta, Luis Fernando Montoya, and they contacted him. Montoya was pleased to see Velez train so he got selected for the Sabaneta team.

“The only thing I felt when they accepted me in Sabaneta was the feeling of having arrived home,” Velez said.

Santamaria has been training since he was 9 years old in the school’s basketball team. He was interested to join the team to improve his skills and be more competitive. About a year ago, Hinestroza informed him that try-outs were coming up to enter the Sabaneta team. Santamaria attended them and was selected.

“I felt like all of the improvements, and goals I have achieved were products of hard work, dedication and consistency. It is never easy but hard work always pays off in life but especially in sports,” Santamaria said.

Training

Indeportes Antioquia is an organization dedicated to developing athletes desiring a high level of achievement in sports. This government organization sponsors several sports. There are various locations in Medellin, La Estrella, Sabaneta, and Envigado. The basketball team trains in Sabaneta.

“The practices at Sabaneta are different from that of school. In Sabaneta the session is longer, takes about 2 hours or more. At school is only 1 hour and a half. The school doesn’t focus that much in different areas because there’s lack of time. On the other hand, in Sabaneta, training extends for a longer time so there is more focus in what we do,” Velez said.

Time Management

Velez and Santamaria have to balance their time between practices at school and Sabaneta. Both teams require the players to be committed and there’s even more responsibility when you are also a student with academic responsibilities.

“The most challenging part of my training is to manage my time to do everything; however, I think the balance between school and sports is hard to achieve but it can be done if you optimize your time,” Santamaria said.

Studies have shown that the practice of sports increases blood flow, which helps the brain make more nerve connections that lead to increased concentration, better problem-solving skills, and creativity. Velez and Santamaria both currently have GPAs above 85. However, doing well in school can be challenging when training takes up most of your afternoon.

“Occasionally training affects academic life but not to the point where you fail the year. However, we come home tired having to complete homework assignments so it’s harder, but I wouldn’t say training affects your life significantly.” Velez said.

Competition

Santamaria and Velez played in two tournaments last season. At Indeportes there are also tournaments weekly. While the basketball team in Sabaneta has about 30 players, the Columbus school’s team has barely 20. This means the competition to become a starting player for Indeportes is greater, and only starting players participate in tournaments.

“In Sabaneta there are more starting players to choose from to participate in the games, so this creates a struggle between who is participating and who isn’t. Unlike in school where you already have a secure spot in the game,” Velez said.

Preparation

Both coaches, Hinestroza from TCS and Montoya of Indeportes are very experienced and have many achievments in basketball. Hinestroza was an ex-professional basketball player and Montoya is a certified basketball trainer. Their training is not only physical but also mental.

“The coach tells us to be calm, he doesn’t pressure as to win but to give it our best effort. This helps us prepare mentally for the games and more or less we always win, because of this preparation,“ Velez said.

Since they play for both teams, sometimes there are conflicts in the scheduling of the tournaments. When there is a tournament in which both teams participate in, Velez and Santamaria alwasy play with TCS team rather than Sabaneta’s. Despite these conflicts, both of these athletes enjoy the sport and the overall experience.

“The people who would want to participate in a competitive team I would tell them it is harder but it is worth the effort if they like it,” Santamaria said.