January 21, 2023
By Emily Bontatibus
Growing up, Grace Jaffray was unaware of her potential. She swam competitively as a child and the only reason she picked up a basketball was because her town team, Bluehill, was in need of more players. In fifth grade she tried out, “I ended up making the A team which was the biggest deal in the world for me!”
Jaffray, who is placed 17th in the Maine Ballers class of 2025 rankings, was never much of a basketball buff. “Summer going into my Freshman year is probably when I started taking basketball seriously,” stated Jaffray. Little moments of success drove her to work harder for the sport she was beginning to love, such as her first made three-pointer and making the Varsity team at Ellsworth High School, plus finding out that she was starting.
But, Jaffray couldn’t do this all on her own. “I’m so grateful for the parents I have because they are so supportive,” Jaffray said, “My parents bring me up (to Forge Training) six, seven days a week.” With parents that allow her to make her own path, Jaffray’s passion for basketball remains intact.
With a strong connection to her town, Jaffray owes many thanks to Forge Training’s owner, Mark Baxter. “He has been a huge influence on me. He is a lot of fun, he is very supportive with everything I do, on and off the court. He’s always been very interactive with school,” Jaffray stated that Baxter was her fifth grade teacher and has stayed with her along the way.
Jaffray is a self-made player. She stated how she doesn’t have any basketball idols and just wants to be herself and grow. However, Jaffray has a unique outlook on growth in general, stating wisely that “When you stack bricks on top of each other and smash it, they’ll break. But when you stack paper on top of each other and you smash it, it stays together. It takes little things to become something great.”
In very rural parts of Maine, the competitiveness of sports is low. Ellsworth girls basketball team has a record of 8-2 this far into the season. Their biggest competitor in Class B North is Old Town (12-0), who Ellsworth lost to by only three points earlier in the season. Besides Old Town and Caribou, Ellsworth has been wiping out the competition. Jaffray is consistently the high scorer for her team and a role-model for players.
“Something I’ve had to learn to cope with is “Grace, you’re gonna be called a ball-hog”,” she said. Jaffray relayed the respect she has for her team, stating “If I don’t score then I’m letting my entire team down. You have to have trust in your team that they’ll pick up what you’re lacking.” Jaffray said she realizes she isn’t the strongest defensive player on her team and commends those players who pick up her slack.
Training six or seven days a week can take a toll on an athlete's body and mental health. Athletes such as Simone Biles have spoken out recently on the importance of mental health in athletics. “Somedays for my mental health and my physical health, I just need to take a day off and sleep and eat and recover from all the work I’ve done.” Stated Jaffray.
There is a fear that comes along with focusing so hard on one sport. “If I’m in the gym seven days a week am I ever gonna not love it? Because I want to play in college really badly, that’s a goal of mine,” said Jaffray.
Though, when Jaffray steps on the court she goes into laser focus. “When I’m on the court I see my teammates, the other team, and the two baskets. I’m not listening to the crowd, I’m listening to my coaches. And that’s it.”
There is no doubt that Jaffray will continue dominating in Class B North, driven by her pure love of the sport, her team and her supportful parents, the sky's the limit. As she is only a Sophomore, Jaffray should grow immensely in her last couple seasons at Ellsworth High School.
- originally posted on Maine Ballers
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