When the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s executive board changed its vote and it was announced that there would be a high school winter sports season, it was welcome news to student-athletes throughout the state — especially the seniors. One such senior was Yazmein Mestas, a guard on the Mingus girls basketball team.
For Mestas, having a winter season doesn’t just represent a chance to play one more season of high school basketball. It also means a chance to extend her basketball career beyond her time with the Marauders — which is one of her main goals this year.
“This year I am really hoping to accomplish a tighter bond with the girls than we had over the last two years — and try to get recruited,” Mestas said. “I feel like I need to work on my mental state this year. See the floor better and all of that.”
Even before the season was canceled on Friday, Jan. 8, then reinstated on Tuesday, Jan. 12, Mestas acknowledged that things have been challenging. The winter sports season had already been delayed twice before the initial cancellation and because of COVID-19, the typical offseason workout program was essentially wiped out.
But despite those challenges, she’s kept an upbeat attitude with an eye on getting the actual games underway.
“It’s definitely been a hard adjustment but there’s nothing you can really do but be patient and hope for the best,” Mestas said. “As long as they don’t cancel the season, I’m fine with pushing it back.”
Basketball is not the only sport that Mestas has played during her time at Mingus. She played volleyball for the Marauders in her freshman and sophomore years and has been an outfielder on the softball team for her first three years. Whether she’ll return to the diamond this year will depend on how basketball and her drive to get recruited goes.
Other than playing more basketball, Mestas hopes that her life in college includes some architecture classes and in her words, “a lot of math and science.”
Those courses will help her achieve her desired profession.
“As of right now I’m looking to become an interior designer — for now that’s kind of what I decided,” she said. “I’ve really been into designing and building things. I didn’t want to do architecture but I figured an interior designer or decorator would be good.”
And that’s part of the message that Mestas wants to send to potential college recruiters.
She wants colleges to know about her academic life and interests and also hopes to show them what she can do on the floor once the season gets underway.
“I want them to know that I take it all seriously — academics and athletics,” Mestas said. “I’m into school as much as sports. I come with both sides.”
“I would definitely tell them [recruiters] about the academic side of why I should be there,” she added. “Then tie in basketball and tell them why I’m worth it. And hopefully after the COVID stuff is over, give them a chance to see how I play.”
