West Frankfort freshman adapts to American life-style, play fashion

WEST FRANKFORT — Like some other 14-soon-to-turn 15-year-old American freshman, Kateryna Honchar is just attempting to slot in together with her friends one of the best she will be able to. 

And if working by way of that awkward time in her life wasn’t troublesome sufficient for a teenage lady, think about having to take action out of the country.

Honchar is a local of Ukraine. She moved to Southern Illinois 5 years in the past together with her mom, Nina, and brother, Losha, now 12 years outdated and a scholar at Central Junior Excessive College in West Frankfort.

Slowly, however absolutely, Honchar has grow to be fluent in English. She has additionally grow to be an honors scholar. Briefly, she is becoming in to highschool life simply wonderful – maybe higher than a lot of her American buddies.

Honchar is now making an attempt to make her mark as a student-athlete. This 12 months is her first full 12 months of basketball. The 6-foot put up participant was a member of the eighth-grade crew a 12 months in the past, however spent the 12 months recovering from a knee harm and studying the basics of the sport and competing solely in apply, not in precise video games.

This previous summer season, nonetheless, Honchar received her first true style of dwell recreation motion in camps and is now showcasing her expertise with the junior varsity, and infrequently, the varsity for the Frankfort highschool Redbirds. 

“Kateryna works extraordinarily laborious,” mentioned West Frankfort women coach Jason Thrash. “She’s fairly uncooked talent-wise, however she has already realized loads and continues to be taught an increasing number of in regards to the recreation.”

Thrash mentioned the upperclassmen on the Redbirds squad have taken Honchar underneath their wing, so to talk.

“They encourage her and love on her. It is actually fulfilling to see. Kateryna is unquestionably a favourite with all the women.”

Thrash mentioned the freshman’s potential is limitless.

“Kateryna’s actually lengthy with a giant wingspan,” he mentioned. “She runs the ground nicely. Defensively, her peak and attain have already affected the photographs of our opponents. Offensively, she’s working laborious on studying put up strikes and growing a capturing contact. And there’s no communication drawback. She has excellent English abilities.”

Honchar mentioned cross nation was the primary sport she participated in when a scholar in junior excessive, however determined she needed to broaden her horizons with the addition of basketball.

“A variety of my buddies had been taking part in basketball and I believed I’d give it a strive,” she mentioned. “I actually get pleasure from taking part in. I just like the teamwork that’s concerned within the recreation. In cross nation, it is all particular person. In basketball, it’s a must to work collectively along with your teammates. For me, it helped a lot to play ball over the summer season. That have has made a giant distinction in my improvement.”

Honchar mentioned she is working diligently on her put up strikes in an effort to grow to be a dependable scorer.

“I prefer it after I be taught from my errors,” the freshman mentioned. “Studying is what’s going to make me higher. Defensively, I’m doing OK, however I nonetheless want to enhance my capturing loads.”

Honchar mentioned math is her favourite topic at school with PE being a detailed second. She can be a member of the science membership, journey membership, and drama membership and can quickly be rehearsing for a homicide thriller presentation scheduled for February. She plans to attend faculty after graduating from FCHS.

“Proper now, my objective is to get extra taking part in time with the varsity – and enhance my free throws,” she laughed.

Honchar mentioned her teammates have handled her very nicely.

“They’re all so supportive of me. I could not ask for something extra,” she mentioned. “I’ve actually loved making so many new buddies.”

Whereas the teenager has adjusted nicely to Southern Illinois life, the world information of the day has definitely been an disagreeable distraction. The struggle that has ravaged her homeland and prompted nice lack of life is disheartening to Honchar and her household.

A paternal grandmother – Olga – stays in Ukraine in a metropolis that is still occupied by Russian forces. A maternal grandmother has relocated to Southern Illinois.

“It was laborious at first to look at the information every day,” she mentioned. “However thankfully, most all my kin have made it in a foreign country. I do know 4 cousins and an aunt are all in Spain. As for my grandma who remains to be there, I keep in contact together with her by way of my dad.”

Honchar mentioned she does not blame the Russian individuals for the atrocities dedicated in opposition to the Ukrainian individuals.

“They’ve just about been brainwashed by Putin,” she mentioned. “He is aware of precisely what he is doing. There isn’t a means again for him from this. Finally, I feel Ukraine will win the struggle. We are going to by no means quit.”