FALLS VILLAGE — Squeaking sneakers could be heard in Ed Tyburski Gym the first week of December as athletes hit the hardwood for basketball practice at Housatonic Valley Regional High School.
Part performance and part style, shoes say a lot about a player. Ahead of the coming season in the Berkshire League, the Mountaineers’ varsity and junior varsity squads shared insight into the footwear that connects them to the court.
Girls
Senior captain Olivia Brooks, a 5-foot 1-inch point guard, will be playing this season in a pair of Nike LeBron 20s. She said she was drawn to the “violet frost” colorway and the double swoosh.
Her sister and fellow captain Victoria Brooks, 4-11 guard, was also wearing a pair of LeBron 20s that “didn’t fit my twin sister’s feet.”
Senior captain Maddy Johnson, 5-7 center, laced up her Nike LeBron NXXT Genisus shoes. She chose them for both fashion and function: they’re lightweight and she liked the white and Aegean storm colorway.
Hayden Bachman, junior 5-3 guard, was wearing Nike Sabrina 3s, the official shoe of Sabrina Ionescu, in the summit white, iron grey and photon dust colorway.
Carmela Egan, junior 5-7 forward/center, wore blue Puma x LaMelo Ball basketball shoes.
Grace Graney, junior 5-5 guard/forward, was in a pair of purple Steph Currys by Under Armor.
Selena Black, junior 4-11 guard, wore high top CL Bangs in a purple and white style.
Lily Gold, sophomore 5-3 guard, had white Under Armor shoes on.
Noell Laurry, freshman 5-7 center, wore Giannis Immortality 4s in the wolf grey, luminous green and metallic silver colorway.
Aubrey Funk, freshman 5-2 point guard, was wearing pink custom Nike KDs.
Mya Weed, 5-5 freshman guard, also wore Nike KDs, the official shoe of Kevin Durant.
Keely Malone, freshman 5-3 guard/forward, had Nike Sabrina 3s in the summit white, iron grey and photon dust colorway.
Autumn McKone, freshman 5-4 guard/forward, was wearing Nike Luka Doncic 4s in flash crimson and sunset pulse.
Olivia Simonds, freshman 5-4 guard/forward, had white and pure platinum Nike A’Ones. She liked the A’ja Wilson shoes for their clean look, plus “they’re comfy and bouncy.”
From left, Rhys Culbreth, Anthony Labbadia, Owen Riemer, Timothy Coon, Henry Berry, Wyatt Bayer, Anthony Foley, Wes Allyn, Simon Markow, Nick Crodelle, Tyler Roberts, Peyton Bushnell, Jaxon Visockis, Bryce Salmon and Jasper Oyanadel. (Not pictured: Ryan Segalla)Riley Klein
Boys
Simon Markow, senior 6-2 forward, chose his SpongeBob-esque Way of Wade Shadow 6 V2 “Road to Finals” sneakers because they match the Mountaineer yellow and “Dwyane Wade was a big dunker, and that’s what I plan to be doing this season.”
Anthony Foley, senior 6-3 forward, had Nike Sabrina 3s in the “Radiant” colorway, which is described as a mix of grape, magic ember and bright peach. He liked the flashy colors and said they are “rated one of the best grip shoes.”
Owen Riemer, senior 6-2 shooting guard, wore teal Nike G.T. Cuts. He said the shoes have VKTRY insoles and are “really light with a lot of spring.”
Nick Crodelle, senior 6-0 point guard, was in black and white Curry 11s that he described as durable and comfortable. While he chose them for function, he noted, “They look good though.”
Tyler Roberts, senior 5-8 guard, also had on Ja 3s. His pair was black and blue in the “Scratch 3.0” colorway. He noted they have good cushion and traction.
Anthony Labbadia, senior 6-1 guard, wore Nike Ja 3s. In the “Hustle & Flow” style, each shoe is unique: one yellow and one purple. “They looked really light and Ja [Morant] loves to dunk.”
Henry Berry, senior 5-10 guard, wore ANTA KAIs, Kyrie Irving’s official shoe, in a blue and red design. The shoes, he said, have great cushion and help him move easily.
Wyatt Bayer, junior 5-11 guard, had Curry 12s in the “fire and ice” style. One shoe was blue Atlantis color, the other dark orange. He liked the the look and support of the dual colored shoes.
Ryan Segalla, junior 6-2 forward, will be playing in a pair of pink Nike KD 18s.
Rhys Culbreth, junior 6-0 guard, was wearing nightmare red Nike Ja 2s, which he described as “really comfortable” with great traction.
Jasper Oyanadel, junior 6-0 center, wore wolf gray Nike Giannis Immortality 4s. “They’re reliable,” he said. “Won’t tear on the sides, good grip.”
Peyton Bushnell, sophomore 5-10 point guard, was in Nike Sabrina 2s for their functionality. He chose based on ratings for best traction and ankle support.
Jaxon Visockis, freshman 5-2 guard, wore white and turquoise Nike G.T. Cut 3s. He said they are “durable with good grip. I can stop quick and get to where I want to be.”
Timothy Coon, freshman 5-9 guard/forward, wore Nike Giannis 4s in the white and sky-blue style. “They’re the first ones I saw.”
Bryce Salmon, freshman 5-7.5 guard, had gray and light blue Nike G.T. Cuts.
Wes Allyn, senior 6-4.5 center, was rocking a leg brace and a crutch as he recovered from knee surgery due to a football injury. He said he plans to be back on the court in February, at which point he will be wearing Jordan Why Not 0.6s, the Russel Westbrook shoe, in a bright red colorway with green accents. “They’re really roomy for bigger insoles with a larger toe box.”
These Way of Wade Shadow 6 V2 “Road to Finals” sneakers will be worn by Simon Markow, forward, in the coming basketball season.Simon Markow
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John Carter
Carter arrived at his calling by a circuitous route. After graduating from Yale, he joined the Peace Corps, then returned to his hometown of Milton, Mass., where he founded and ran the Carter Tree Co. for seven years. After closing the business, he attended Virginia Theological Seminary, earning a Master of Divinity. During that time, he and his wife, Deborah, were involved in the hunger movement. Carter said every venture he undertook was made possible by Deborah, whom he described as his constant companion and indispensable partner in his pursuit of compassion and justice. Still, he questioned himself: “Who am I, and what should I be doing that I’m passionate about?”
John Carter and his wife DeborahPhoto by Deborah Carter
In the face of new challenges, volunteers joined the effort to revive the original program, VS1. The Rev. Heidi Truax, recently retired rector of Trinity Lime Rock, has been a strong supporter of Vecinos Seguros from its inception. Glenn Formica, an immigration attorney from New Haven, gave a presentation informing the community about the second Trump administration’s amended policies. Formica also generated written materials in English and Spanish, advising private citizens and employers how to prepare in the event of a visit from ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement). William Tong, Connecticut’s attorney general, a proponent of many social justice issues, including the opioid crisis and fair pricing for generic drugs, has also provided support since the establishment of Vecinos Seguros.
The VS2 steering committee, which includes Carter, is led by Jill Drew, a local civic leader. Drew has worked with Judiciary Committee co-chairmen Gary Winfield and Steven Stafstrom in support of SB 91, a proposal by Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont to limit ICE actions in “protected areas,” including schools, hospitals and religious buildings. She has also supported HB 5499, which would place limits on the use of automated license plate readers, addressing concerns that the Trust Act is being circumvented through technology deployed for other purposes. Other committee members include Amy Lake and Lee and Sophia DeBoer.
VS2 has launches a range of initiatives, including distributing “know your rights” flyers; creating an online resource with local legal and social services for immigrants; hosting in-person events to educate neighbors and train volunteers; organizing a rapid response team to verify reported immigration enforcement activity and support those affected; providing financial assistance for legal expenses, rent and utilities; and advising employers — from farms and restaurants to stores and private homes — on how to protect workers if immigration agents arrive.
As the annual report states: “We are committed to building on the powerful work of Rev. Carter, who, in the first seven years of Vecinos Seguros, assisted a significant number of individuals and families. It is our mission to continue this important work.”
Few descriptions capture the moment more clearly than Carter’s own words:
“The human cost of current ICE practices is appallingly high. Evidence of the brutality and cruelty of these practices is everywhere. Minneapolis is a recent and egregious example. ICE enforcement is doing much more than deporting individuals. It is also the systematic destruction of families. According to some reports, 90% of deportees are male. They are husbands, partners and fathers, often the primary contributors to family finances. There is heartbreak, trauma and stress experienced by the families left behind. The humanitarian response to the violence and chaos in Minneapolis is inspirational and instructive. Both citizens and immigrants came to the aid of residents living in fear and peril. It should be noted that people of color, whether their status was legal or undocumented, were also deeply shaken by what they witnessed in their communities.”
Carter also described how communities responded. That out of devastation, he said, came something else:
“A new word was born out of the compassionate response in Minneapolis: ‘neighboring.’ In caring for each other, they were ‘neighboring.’ The mission of Vecinos Seguros 2 is to ‘neighbor’ members of the immigrant community whose lives have been turned upside down by current immigration policies.”
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