See all posts in the Kirk’s Captain Corner series
(Kirk’s Captain Corner is a regular feature that will allow Carver County residents to get to know the student-leaders of the various teams in our high schools. Today, we feature senior captain Grace Seubert of the Chanhassen girls basketball team.)
How long have you been playing basketball?
I have been playing basketball since kindergarten, so it has been around 12 years!
Tell us more about your youth and club career — what AAU teams did you play for?
I played on a CAA team all throughout elementary and middle school. I was lucky enough to be able to have my mom as the coach for some of the years. In 7th grade, I started playing AAU for Fury. The next AAU season I played for Crossfire and felt at home in that community. I played for Crossfire for five years total, and I am so grateful to have met my coaches and teammates who are some of my biggest supporters and best friends.
You are in the midst of one of Chanhassen’s best seasons ever. What has that been like?
Being a part of one of our best seasons ever has been an incredible experience. It has been fun pushing each other every day at practice to make each other better and help take our game to the next level. The energy within our team is electric and every game feels like a chance to make history at our school. Overall, I feel the strong support of my teammates, coaches, parents and the community is the difference maker for our team.
You have an extremely talented team — what is your role and how do you best contribute to your team’s success?
As a point guard, I enjoy setting the pace as well as setting my teammates up for success by pushing the ball up the court. There is no better feeling than hitting an open teammate and the celebration that follows. Overall, I make the most of my time on the court by executing plays and encouraging my teammates.
What is everyone’s mindset as we head into the post-season? It’s always such a tough section, but you can play with anyone.
As we head into sections, our mindset is focused and confident in our abilities. We know we are in a very tough section, but we believe if we play our style of basketball at our level we can compete with anyone. We have put in countless hours of work and have grown through adversity. We are focused on trusting each other, having fun and most importantly staying composed when the pressure is high.
What’s this about your team becoming a viral TikTok sensation this year?
Yes! Another senior, Ellie Jacobs, and I run a Chan girls basketball TikTok account and we posted a video pranking our coach. It’s at 1.2 million likes! We posted another one the other day with our coaches and it went semi-viral again! So now we make it a joke that every time we post about our coaches we go viral!
What are your plans for next year?
I will be attending the University of Iowa to study marketing!
What does it mean to you to be a team captain?
As a captain I strive to set a good example for my teammates on and off the court. I accomplish this by working hard and being a good teammate. Most importantly, I enjoy building connections and making everyone feel welcome. I aim to be a positive influence and lift others up whenever they need it. I recognize when we need a good laugh or when we need to go viral on TikTok again! As I play my last season, I am most proud of leading my team in prayer before each game — I know this brings us closer as a team.
The Chanhassen girls’ basketball team opens its post-season with a home game at Chanhassen High School on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m.
