“I chose to play basketball because I grew up watching and playing the sport with family and friends,” said Olivia Thompson. “My dad first introduced me to the sport, we would go to the park or simply practice dribbling and shooting for fun.”

“I have been on the JV team for two years and I have played during middle school for three years. My freshman year I had a personal record for 30 points in a game!”

“My most memorable meet would be against a scrimmage early in the season last year. I was very nervous to play and I wanted to do my very best. In the end, I scored a season high of 28 points during the game and my friends and family were all there to support me. During the game the whole team played their hardest and we were all proud of each other because of work and large win of the night.”

Thompson generally plays point guard but is open to playing whatever position is necessary, but all of that has been challenged by COVID-19. “It has been harder to play while being socially distanced and finding places to condition,” she said.

“During quarantine I have been non-stop conditioning my body and trying my best to stay prepared for the season… I love playing and I would be pretty sad if I could not play.” In a normal year, Thompson would be spending the winter developing stronger bonds with her teammates, and working hard in the gym.

Basketball has normally taken her time in the winter, but she has also been on the Varsity Volleyball team since freshman year. “I am in the Art Club, Crochet Club, Psychology Club and the National Honors Society. Some of my hobbies include painting portraits, listening to music, playing or watching sports, being with friends (when quarantine ends), playing on my ps4 and watching movies,” she said.

She keeps herself active and that won’t stop after high school. “After I graduate, I plan to go my dream college Howard University and major in anesthesiology while selling my artwork.” She also hopes to play basketball for the team. “I want to be an anesthesiologist when I finish college,” she said.

Thompson is paving the way for her younger siblings. “I have 2 brothers and 1 sister. My brother Kelvin, 14, is an incoming freshman. My sister Paris, 13, is in the 7th grade, and my youngest brother Bryson, 10, is in the 4th grade,” she said. “My role model would be my grandparents. They support and love sports, just as I do, and they’re really fun and wise to be around.”

If she could change one thing about Armijo, Thompson said that she would change the girls’ sports programs “and possibly add more sports, because I feel they need just as much recognition as any other club or sports offered at Armijo,” she said. “I would also add a nap break at the school for everyone to refresh their brains and be ready to take in more information.”