The Steinbrenner girls’ basketball team headed out to play against Space Coast in late November and won with a score of 58-39. However, senior Alyssa Bongiovanni came home with not only a win, but also a school record of being the fourth player in Steinbrenner history to score 1,000 career points.  

Bongiovanni began her journey in basketball as inspiration from her father who also played, and who is one of her biggest supporters. 

“My parents have been there for me since day one, also, my teammates and my coaches, they’ve really built me from the ground up, and instilled a level of confidence in me since freshman year,” said Bongiovanni. 

Reaching such a major milestone in her career also came with challenges, such as “having to maintain a positive attitude during the entire process,” said Bongiovanni. 

Being able to get through good and bad games but staying level-headed and having an enthusiastic outlook on things has always been a mindset to keep Bongiovanni going, even throughout the rough times. 

After scoring the final few points to gain one thousand, Bongiovanni describes how she felt in the moment of reaching such a goal. 

“I wasn’t expecting to get it that game, but when I scored it Coach Goldstein called a timeout, and everyone jumped off the bench. It was a really emotional moment because I never expected to get there, so it was a really cool feeling,” said Bongiovanni. 

She hopes to celebrate further at senior night, since such an accomplishment was made at an away game. 

However, with having to leave the team, Bongiovanni gives some much-appreciated advice for her fellow teammates and anyone who may look up to what she’s accomplished: 

“It’s about playing the role that you’re given, taking advantage of all the opportunities that you have, and working in the off season to develop your skills,” said Bongiovanni. 

Now that she’s reached such a vital point in her career, Bongiovanni has never been closer to reaching her goal of continuing to play basketball in college. With it being her final season at Steinbrenner, Bongiovanni is hoping to commit soon and be able to continue the sport she loves.