In varsity boy’s basketball journey of becoming bi-district champions, their captains have played a crucial role. One of its captains, Indy McBrearty ‘25, has proved to be a vital part of the team, balancing players and strengthening the team.
Like most everyone on the team, McBrearty had an early love for basketball. It was clear that the sport would be a big part of his life; from handling a basketball as an infant to playing for fun with friends, McBrearty couldn’t wait for the day he could take his skills to a more organized court.
“I’ve always had that kind of love for basketball since I was kid,” McBrearty said. “There’s a video of me when I was about nine months old; I picked up a basketball and tried dribbling it, [basketball] has always been my passion.”
When the day finally came to prove his worth in a club basketball team, he jumped on the opportunity as a starting shooting guard. This opportunity was not the spark, but rather a kindling for the interest Indy already had. Continuing to climb, Indy sought to better his game.
“I started playing Town and Country basketball in around second or third grade,” McBrearty said. “I never stopped after that. I started playing in more serious clubs starting my eighth grade year and continued playing in clubs until this past summer.”
Graduating from middle school basketball, McBrearty set his sights on the varsity basketball team. Continuing as a shooting guard, he carried his skills from his time in clubs to his freshman year, starting on the freshman A team. Eventually moving into the JV team in his sophomore year, he helped the team reach 3rd in the district, again as a shooting guard (and, occasionally, as a small forward). Finally, in his junior year, he moved on to varsity and has been starting on the team ever since.
“My club team unlocked a lot for [my playing at Westwood],” McBrearty said. “My freshman year I stuck to mostly shooting three pointers but my club coach got me to drive to the rim more and become a more versatile player. The usual path for a Westwood basketball player is that you spend your first year on the freshman team and work your way up the ranks.”
In his final year of Westwood basketball, McBrearty was able to differentiate himself, rising to be a captain along with his teammate Thomas Burke ‘25. Through their hard work and persistence, their coach recognized their importance to the team and elevated them to be captains.
“I’ve always prided myself on being a hard worker,” McBrearty said. “I’d be the first person [on the court] from my sophomore year to senior year. I was fortunate enough to have a dad who works at Westwood, so I have the access to open the gym.”
Since the basketball captains are picked by their coaches, the future captains are a bit of an open secret amongst the team. As a result, the prospective captains can focus on their game and their synergy with teammates instead of striving to be elected.
“It was kind of [guaranteed] that me and Thomas were going to be captains this year,” McBrearty said. “It was honestly a great feeling. I felt that my team respected me and I respected my team and that we have a great relationship.”
Becoming one of the captains was only the first step in this journey for McBrearty, though, as actually executing his responsibilities as captain was the most important role. To do this, he has to not only make sure the team is close-knit off the court, but that they’re working optimally together on the court.
“[Helping my teammates perform well together] is my job to an extent,” McBrearty said. “I help keep this team bonded together. We’re very close off the court, but on the court, in the heat of the moment, [the team] gets very intense and starts talking trash, [so] sometimes I have to hold them back and calm them down a little bit.”
McBrearty is not only one of the varsity captains though, as he is involved in other extracurricular activities like Westwood’s chapter of the Peer Assisted Leadership (PALS) program, a program where high schoolers go to elementary and middle schools to mentor the students.. He has been able to balance these commitments quite well, with him being able to make a large impact in both organizations.
“I actually think that being a basketball captain has complimented my other extracurriculars,” McBrearty said. “Being in PALS, you’re a mentor. So, as a caption, I feel like those two go hand in hand. I get to teach kids, and being a captain doesn’t demand too much of my time because there’s some obligations you have to do but it’s amazing to have all these extracurriculars.”
Though balancing similar extracurriculars was not too challenging, managing his role as a captain with rigorous school work proved more difficult.
“High school is demanding,” McBrearty said. “But we’re student-athletes, so you gotta put your academics first. You have to knock your homework out [first], and then you can put all your focus on basketball. You just gotta make sure you stay on top of your academics, because if you don’t pass, you can’t play.”
After graduating from Westwood, McBrearty intends to pursue a management role on the Texas A&M basketball team, meaning his love for basketball can continue far into his collegiate career.
“I will never stop playing basketball,” McBrearty said. “I will almost certainly play intramural [basketball] at A&M if I have time, and I’m always going to keep playing basketball because that’s my passion.”
Throughout his time playing basketball for clubs and school teams, along with his time mentoring and teaching young kids, McBrearty has made sure to stick to a strict motto: Don’t work hard for others to see, work hard to improve yourself.
