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06/11/2020 12:00 AMAfter sitting out her junior season to focus on academics and various extracurricular activities, Zoi Burns came back to the court as a senior with North Haven girls’ basketball team this year. Zoi was the Indians’ starting point guard for most of the season and proved crucial in helping North Haven have a resurgent campaign that featured 14 victories, including one apiece in both the SCC Tournament and the Class L State Tournament.
Unfortunately, Zoi didn’t get to finish her senior year alongside her teammates on the floor. On Feb. 14, when the Indians hosted Law for their Senior Night contest, Zoi suffered a torn ACL in her left knee, forcing her to miss the rest of the season.
However, despite her injury, Zoi remained an active member of the squad by continuing to attend practices and games, while doing everything else in her power to support her teammates. For her dedication and overall great attitude, Zoi was presented with North Haven’s Coaches’ Award for Leadership.
“It was really hard for me to not participate in states and the SCCs and help us do as well as we could. It was difficult to not be a part of that,” Zoi says. “But I knew that being a part of a team is more than just when you’re on the court. If you’re a part of a team, you’re a part of that team 24/7. You’re a community. You’re a family. You support each other.”
Zoi’s senior season coincided with Tom Blake’s first year as head coach at North Haven. In the span of a few months, Blake got a good look at Zoi’s skills and was impressed with how she piloted the Indians at the point guard position.
“The kids were telling me Zoi was going to come back to the team as a senior, and the coaches were telling me she was pretty good. She was much better than that,” says Blake. “Zoi was the point guard on this team, and she always got us into our offense and defense. Having her on the floor was like having a coach on the floor. That’s how good she was.”
When she wasn’t on the court, Zoi participated in a variety of activities at North Haven High School. She the vice president of the Class of 2020, a member of the school’s Debate Club and Student Council, and also the president of North Haven’s Diversity Club.
Zoi joined the Diversity Club in her freshman year and was named its president as a junior. The club would travel around Connecticut and also out of state, including places such as Canada and Indianapolis, to attend leadership conventions. Zoi believes that being a leader in the Diversity Club shaped her time at North Haven and made her feel more comfortable when it came to getting involved in other extracurriculars.
“The Diversity Club was extremely important to me. It was more than just about in-school things. It was students teaching students,” Zoi says. “We made presentations based on what we were interested in, things like mental illness or self-awareness. We always had catchphrases such as, ‘Emphasize, don’t Criticize.’ We always tried to teach emotional lessons to other students about understanding one another. It was a great community outlet that helped me gain different perspectives.”
Zoi started playing basketball in North Haven’s recreational league when she was in 4th grade. Zoi had recently moved from Maryland to Connecticut, and some of her new neighbors were athletes who played basketball. Zoi was living across the street from the Okwuosa family. Eveani Okwuosa, now a sophomore at North Haven, ended up being Zoi’s teammate with the Indians.
Zoi decided to play basketball to get closer to the Okwuosas and make new friends. Once she started to practice and learn more about the sport, Zoi realized that she had a future in basketball and was going to be in it for the long haul.
“Basketball is where I met most of the friends I have to this day,” says Zoi. “The social aspect really helped me meet new people and made the transition to Connecticut much easier. Sticking with those friends through basketball, it helped me make a lot of connections.”
Later this year, Zoi will attend the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where she’s planning on majoring in political science. While she isn’t going to play basketball, Zoi is hoping to find a role as a coach in the area.
“I love being able to build a team’s confidence. Everything you tell your students or players, you have to show that same attitude,” Zoi says. “I just love being able to teach them more than just the sport. It’s more than just basketball or soccer or lacrosse or whatever sport you play. It’s about helping create a community and a family.”
Zoi feels glad that she returned to the Indians to help them achieve one of their best seasons in recent memory. Zoi and her fellow seniors displayed great growth throughout their high school careers and went out on a triumphant note in 2020.
“Freshman year, everything was new. I was young and nervous. The Class of 2020 was hesitant, and we had a lot to learn and learn how to mesh as a team,” Zoi says. “As a senior, I was bit hesitant, because I quit and came back, but everyone was supportive. I came back with that Class of 2020. It was a lot of growth that I came into. Senior year, we were pushed to our limits. It helped us win and grow together. Senior year, we knew our potential.”