From Transition To Traction: Lakeside Girls Basketball Teams Lean On Culture And Leadership

After last season’s runner-up finish in the state tournament, the Lakeside girls’ basketball team entered the new year with a dramatically different roster and a new voice on the sidelines. The program lost its head coach and a core group of senior leaders, but the Lions have not lost their competitive spirit.

Now sitting in sixth place in the Metro League standings, Lakeside is guided by Sandy Schneider, a figure deeply embedded in the school’s athletic history. With decades of experience in Lakeside athletics, Schneider sees the current moment not as a setback, but as the start of a new arc of success.

Schneider believes deeply in a culture of sacrifice and shared responsibility. Her coaching philosophy is encapsulated in the acronym T.E.A.M., which stands for Together Each Achieves More, a message she works to instill in every player.

“We’re in a team sport and so are our skills together being enhanced or are they being diminished, the value of the team process is what can you do for the team to help this team become its best version of itself,” says Schneider. “So, we’re super focused on that and including some players have to sacrifice maybe the role they played in AAU in order to do something that our team needs them to do to fill the gap, so you might have to sacrifice something to gain something bigger. We talk a lot about that sacrifice.”

That mindset resonates with senior captain Lili Brown, whose leadership reflects the values Schneider preaches.

“I think coach Sandy is really big on focusing on us as a team. Not worrying as much about the other team and really focusing on what we can do as a team,” says Brown. “I think that’s what I would say coach Sandy’s philosophy is.”

Brown plays a pivotal role on and off the court, setting the tone for communication, hustle, and selflessness. As a vocal leader during games and practices, Brown works to maintain intensity while keeping the group unified.

Schneider’s own journey in basketball stretches back to her time as a high school athlete at Blanchet. She began her college career at the University of Washington, joining the program during a transformative period for women’s sports in the early days of Title IX. Though UW’s program was still developing, her talents were quickly recognized, and she was encouraged to transfer to further her growth.

She chose Central Missouri State University, where she played under Dr. Mildred Barnes, a trailblazer in women’s basketball and a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

“I went to Central Missouri State University playing for a legendary coach named Doctor Mildred Barnes, who’s in numerous Hall of Fame and she was the head of the US Olympic Committee for women’s basket,” Schneider recalls. “So, I literally got in my car, drove 2000 miles away, and got dumped off in the middle of Missouri and played at Central Missouri for Doctor Barnes for 2 years. I had an amazing experience.”

Now one of the longest-tenured educators in Washington high school sports, Schneider brings that same boldness and belief in growth to Lakeside’s program. She says she emphasizes not only skill development but mental sharpness, tempo control, and team cohesion.

“We move the ball well, we shoot the ball well, and frankly, I was kind of looking at the stats league wide, and we were, if you’re going to judge defenses by how many points the other team scoring, we are holding the teams to the fewest number of points,” says Schneider. “We really focus on tempo control. There’s a tempo that we play at that we’re kind of optimal. When you’re playing an East Side Catholic or a Roosevelt who’s really run and gun, they’re really good at it, by the way, to slow them down and make them play half court, that’s what we’re going for and we’ve been pretty successful at that.”

Brown echoes those strengths, pointing to selflessness, communication, and basketball IQ as central to the Lions’ identity.

 “I think, selflessness and hustle and also shooting. I think we’re really good shooters. I also think selflessness in the way of passing, like working off of each other and then also just communicating on the court about like what offenses we’re in and defense,” says Brown. “Then obviously listening to Coach Sandy about what she wants us to do and executing well and then obviously also IQ and looking at what the other team’s defense and then figuring out our offense based off of that and things like that.”

The Lions have established themselves as a high-percentage shooting team from the perimeter. However, both Schneider and Brown said scoring in the paint remains a work in progress, especially when facing physically aggressive defenses.

 “I think our weaknesses right now shooting at a high percentage especially in the paint when we’re playing against more aggressive teams on defense,” says Brown. “I think as a captain, I can help with that. So that’s why I’ve been bringing to practice boys so that we can play against higher competition in practice so that translates into our games, and then obviously bringing up confidence for the team because I think confidence is a really big thing in basketball.”

Schneider agrees and says the next step for the Lions is achieving consistency.

 “Becoming more consistent and just more effective, that’s the next leap for us and that’s, that’s a work in progress,” says Schneider.

The current Lakeside roster includes four seniors, five juniors, two sophomores, and four freshmen. That diverse mix of experience and rising talent allows for both leadership and long-term development as the team continues to evolve.

Despite the challenges of transitioning from a state finalist roster, optimism remains high. Last season’s postseason run continues to serve as a reference point and source of confidence. The Lions know what it takes to compete at a high level, but their focus remains grounded in the present.

With experienced leadership in Brown, a seasoned guide in Schneider, and a shared commitment to team-first play, Lakeside is positioning itself for another meaningful run. Still early in the season, the emphasis is on steady improvement, trust in the process, and approaching each game as its own challenge.