North Branford High School boys' basketball captains Mike Forgione, Matt Scavo and Ricky Paolini certainly have a history with the sport as Forgione and Scavo have been playing since age five, while Paolini started playing on a team in 8th grade.

North Branford Patch: Why did you start playing basketball?

Forgione: I got into it through my dad, he grew up playing it. I started playing with friends and my brother, then got serious with it and I stuck with it. I was made captain when I was a junior. We all put a lot of time and effort in, we were in summer leagues and ran conditioning programs. 

Scavo: My parents got me into it so naturally I just kept playing.

Paolini: I go to a campground and I'd play all weekend, every weekend, every summer and everybody who I played with said I should play at my school so I gave it a shot. I've played in every single league and I'm one of the three seniors who have been playing all four years. Coach decided with our dedication that we deserved to be captains.

North Branford Patch: What is your favorite part about being a captain?

Forgione: Just the players, I love the group I'm in. We keep them motivated and try to get a bunch of wins–it's what makes me want to come in every day. 

Scavo: Well, there's not one specific thing, just being there for your team.

Paolini: Honestly, not too much has changed since being named captain. I'm a leader on and off the court, I get everyone pumped up and help people. It's the usual leader skills, but kind of elevated now that I'm officially named. There's more effort and pressure on myself. 

North Branford Patch: What characteristics would you say a captain needs to have?

Forgione: You have to not be afraid. You have to be able to tell kids what to work on to make them better and try to keep everyone up in practice and motivated for the games. It's about being there, supporting them and being a good role model.

Scavo: You’ve got to be a leader and be able to relay your thoughts to everyone, show them that you're capable of leading them. Communication is key.

Paolini: You need to be very vocal. Coaches can only do so much. We need to be the leaders on the court, the coach can't be screaming from the sidelines the whole time. You need to set a good example.

North Branford Patch: What is a day in the life of a basketball captain like?

Forgione: There's school, then practice for a good two hours. We usually have a pasta dinner before games at someone's house or in the cafeteria. Then there's homework and basically sleep. 

Scavo: For me, because I've been hurt for a while, I can't really do much. Since I can't be out there with them in the lockeroom like a normal captain, I'm just out there just cheering for them and doing what I can from the sidelines. The first game I was playing, my knee went the opposite way and I felt it pop. I tore my ACL. The recovery is four to six months so I should be back in the summer wearing a brace.

Paolini: It’s pretty average. I'm generally a pretty good kid, it's not like I've got to stay out of trouble in order to keep captain name. I need to keep everyone out of trouble if we have practice after school, I've got to make sure everyone's heads are in the game. Usually I just go home, get homework done, give my body a rest. Basketball is every day so it can get pretty tiring. Every opportunity I have, I rest and give my body a break. It is tough, I've rolled both ankles this seasons, so I ice them and elevate them.

North Branford Patch: What’s the toughest part about being captain?

Forgione: I'm kind of a quiet guy and it's hard getting on a kid's case if he's not performing the way he needs to be. That’s the most challenging part. These guys are like my family so it’s hard to get on them and you have to be willing to do it. It’s for the best for the team. Most kids listen, though.

Scavo: If you don't agree with someone's actions, you've got to keep them acting how it is best for the team. Sometimes they dont want to listen to you.

Paolini: Keeping a positive attitude despite diversity–I'm very competitive, so after a tough loss, even after a tough practice, we have to be the ones who don't put our heads down or have a bad attitude. If one person has a bad attitude everyone does.

North Branford Patch: How would you say you guys are doing this season? Games coming up? Who are your rivals? What makes them your rivals?

Forgione: Right now, we’re 3-6. We’ve lost two or three games within 10 points and we’re woking hard, trying to get better each and evrey day. We're working on getting the kids to get up from the loss. Today and yesterday we had a really good practice. We know what we need to do to shut their key players down and we’re going to do fine.

Scavo: We’re doing pretty well, it's an improvement from last year. I think we’re doing a lot better this year, but it's still kind of early to see how it's going to end up. 

Paolini: I think we're playing a lot better than everyone expected. Every game people come to North Branford and they really do think 'This is going to be tough.' In the paper, you see them doing well and then they come to North Branford and we keep them at 40s, low 50s.

North Branford Boys' Basketball 2011-12 Schedule

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