Basketball has evolved into a way of life for many people, and seniors Kaushik Mahorker and Ameya Pandit are no exception. As an officers of the basketball club, Mahorker and Pandit are involved in a multitude of activities, all working towards one goal: bringing the gift of the sport to as many people as possible.

EE: What is your history with basketball?
Mahorker: The first time I started playing was in the third grade. I played in the YMCA league, and that was my very first beginning at basketball. At that time, it was just something I’d do for fun, and I didn’t really care about it. It was seventh grade where it started getting more serious. It was something I played every day. I played for my school in eighth grade, [at]  Lawson. In ninth grade, I didn’t make the team. So, I worked my ass off and made it the next year. I didn’t really like the experience because, honestly, it made me worse. It gave me a gap of in-game time because, usually, I’d be playing another league. I wasn’t able to get the in-game experience I needed, and that set me off my track. I still love basketball and there was a point where I wanted to pursue it further than just high school. But there comes a time and a point of realization where you just know that everything has its end.
Pandit: Basketball has been with me for a while. It was the way I made my first friends when I moved [to Cupertino]. I’m still good friends with the people I met playing basketball at first.

EE: How does your club align with your perspective on high school basketball?
KM: I feel like this club is a completely different environment. It is competitive but at the same time it is much more fun, and it’s a place where you don’t have to worry about people judging you. Its also a place where you can try new things. We play pick-up games and you can try new things. This is more of a safe environment to experiment. It invokes a sense of enjoyment in basketball.
AP: We’ve definitely opened our doors to everyone, teachers and students included. It’s open to competitive and casual players. You might have an intense pick-up game on one end and a relaxed shootaround on the other.

EE: How have you been able to balance school and basketball?
KM: I think basketball forced me to have time management. Thats one thing that sports [do]. It forces you to manage your time because you have so many other things going on, but at the same time you are trying to pursue this passion. You just have to focus. Your life might become a little bit robotic, because you have to follow a strict schedule. Distractions take you away from your sleep, it adds more stress. It takes away from your game or takes away from your school.

EE: How will you continue your passion for basketball?
KM: I’m going to continue, probably intramural basketball, in college. Just pick-up games, everywhere. Because basketball is how people make connections. It’s a medium in which everyone is equal. I feel like it’s the way I made friends and once I go off to college it will be a great way to start making new friends with the same interest.

EE: If you had to come up with a motto for your club, what would it be?
KM: I would say ball is life, but I don’t know.
AP: I mean, a cliché one is ball is life.

Co-reported by Pranav Jandhyala