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03/01/2023 07:45 AMOften in sports, family influence is a major reason why athletes decide to take on a new athletic endeavor. For North Haven junior forward Ava Johnson, this was exactly the case.
Ava has been playing basketball since she was in first grade, and was around always around the sport, both as a spectator and a player.
“I have two older sisters, Jillian and Olivia. Watching my oldest sister play got me inspired to start,” says Ava.
Ava does not play any other sports, as her main focus is on basketball, and she plays year-round to constantly improve her game. With all of the training she does, Ava developed a can-do attitude that helped her have the ability to overcome obstacles.
One of those obstacles was an unfortunate season-ending knee injury that she suffered last year, which had her sidelined until this season. The process of bouncing back was no easy feat, but Ava stayed determined and trusted the process.
“I went to two trainers, one of them helped me stay physically fit and get back to being the athlete that I was. I also went to a basketball trainer who taught me new things and kept pushing me to be better,” says Ava. “I put those two things into the season and make up the lost time from last season. I think with the team we have this year, it has been so much fun and great playing with them, which has helped me both mentally and physically.”
Nighthawks Head Coach Jessica Neuweiler has seen the determination Ava had to continue moving forward after her injury because she has stepped up in a big way on the basketball court this season to make a positive impact on her team.
“She has stepped into a bigger role for our program this year. She was not a starter for us as the season began,” says Neuweiler. “As you look at her stats day in and day out, she has been an extremely important contributor for our team. She took her role and kept working hard and believed in our process, eventually got to a place early on where she took on a bigger role. She took on a starting role, she is a big part of our offense, and we have come to rely on her more and more. That to me is impressive that she was able to navigate through that.”
Not only has Ava improved and been a powerful force on the floor for this Nighthawks squad this year, but she has also been a dependable and reliable leader for her teammates, as well.
“I really just pushed myself when I was not starting to keep going 110%, be the best one out there,” says Ava. “Being a leader, for me, the girls and I on the court work well together, so it is not hard being a leader out there. Everyone wants to win and make it far, which makes it a team effort.”
Ava is averaging about 9.5 points per game, 7.8 rebounds, 2.6 steals, and two assists a game. She has also had four double-doubles so far this season, which makes her stand out from the rest of the roster.
“Two of those were against extremely competitive teams, Hand and Foran. She also had a double-double against Cheshire and Guilford,” says Neuweiler. “She has really become an offensive threat for us, and it has been nice seeing how she has been progressing throughout the season.”
Ava has had to come back from two knee surgeries over her basketball career, but despite all of that, she has always remained team-focused and has helped them work through the challenges this season that comes with losing players.
“We lost some players, but other than that, we have not let that distract us from the games that we have been playing with tough teams,” says Ava.
As Ava and the Nighthawks look ahead to the remainder of the postseason portion of their campaign, Neuweiler is excited to see what Ava can do to improve and continue to make a difference on a daily basis.
“The key for Ava is continuing to improve day in and day out as we come into the postseason. In the postseason, the intensity gets turned off because if you win, you stay; if you lose, your season is over,” says Neuweiler. “As a team, we are excited to be in that place, and for Ava, I am excited for her continuing to be that important piece of our team, helping us offensively and defensively. The more well-rounded we are, the harder we are to play. That has been a big piece of Ava’s success for us, that she gives us a great option on both sides of the floor.”