Letter to the Editor: The villages of Mountain Brook basketball
The following was written by Mountain Brook High School basketball player Britton Johnson, in advance of the City of Palms tournament over Christmas break. Johnson and the rest of his Spartans teammates will play in the Class 7A state semifinals on Thursday at 1:30 p.m., at the BJCC.
To accomplish a feat of great importance or difficulty, it takes a village. With Mountain Brook basketball, however, it takes three villages and more. Mountain Brook, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, is known for its three historic villages, which form a triangle around the city. These villages are synonymous with Mountain Brook. Similarly, Mountain Brook High School, the reigning Class 7A state champion, has three “villages” that support us and are united with our team.
The first “village” is Mountain Brook’s coaching staff, led by Coach Bucky McMillan. Coach Bucky, a Mountain Brook graduate himself, has won three state championships in the last five years. He drives his team with purpose and instills fundamentals, relentless effort, unselfishness and mental toughness to produce a team of players which always knows what it is supposed to do, both on and off the court.
The second “village” is our school. Mountain Brook High School is one of the top academic schools in the state. Outside of providing an environment for scholastic success, the school is extremely supportive of our basketball program. This support is prominently on display during the playoffs, when the school gives out neon shirts to students and staff and charters buses to games.
The third “village” is the Mountain Brook community. Fans, both young and old, support our team from the season’s opening tip to the final game’s buzzer. This support is cultivated and sustained through a number of Mountain Brook basketball institutions, including “Buckyball Academy” for elementary students, “Cage Club” pregame dinners for parents and fans, and the “Travel Squad” for senior fans to come to our games. These associations result in the community being attached to our program, and they proudly wear their neon shirts to show their support throughout the season.
These three “villages” form a neon triangle around Mountain Brook basketball. Because of them, our team is much more than the five players on the court and thirteen players in the locker room. It represents an entire community.
- Submitted by Mountain Brook basketball