Goolsby adjusts to American basketball

Alex Goolsby knows the game of basketball very well, having run the courts in Germany for most of his life. However, the Lincoln High junior is having to make adjustments to his game now that he's in the United States. "I'm still learning how it is here and trying to get used to it," said the 6-foot-1 Goolsby, who moved to Lincoln this past summer to live with his father Nate. "The style of play is way more physical here and the shot clock is 35 seconds instead of 24, slowing the game down."Goolsby plans to get bigger and stronger by lifting weights in the off-season in order to help him deal with the physical play. Despite the adjustments, Goolsby still leads the Zebras (5-14, 1-4 in Pioneer Valley League) in scoring with 10.9 points-per-game. Goolsby also averages 3.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and a team-high 3.3 turnovers. He is shooting 33 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the free-throw line."He's always been a good shooter and he's handling the ball better now. Shooting and dribbling are his best assets," Lincoln coach Mike O'Connell said. "His defense is probably his weakness but he's getting better with it."Alex has got a lot of basketball experience and he's been a great addition to our team."It is the first school team Alex has ever played for as Germany only had club teams.Because Germany schooling is completed after 10th grade, Alex's parents Nate and Remate wanted him to spend two years in an American high school. They decided on Lincoln after Nate earned a teaching job at the high school prior to the 2002 school year. "We were looking for a place to move after Alex finished school in Germany and this is a good community, not a lot of crime or drugs," said Nate, who moved from Germany to Lincoln in the summer of 2002. "And (Lincoln) was the best ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) job available for me as well."Nate has been involved in the air force since college and transferred his family to Germany about almost two years before Alex was born. The family lived in a small town near Bitburg in West Germany.Alex likes his new community although he does miss his former home, where his mother still lives with his older brother Konrad."I had been looking forward to the move but it's still hard to leave my friends and family," he said. "I email my friends everyday and sometimes talk on the phone. Two of my friends are coming visit in couple of months."His friends from Germany may be surprised at how little they see of Alex when they are here."In Germany we spend a lot less time in school," Alex said. "It's five days a week like here but it goes from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and then it's done. There are no school sports there. Here school is longer and then there is sports and other after school activities after that."Despite the extra time he must spend on the Lincoln campus, Alex enjoys being a part of a school team."In Germany no one from my school even knew I played basketball," he said. "But here, if you have a good game or something, people come up to you and say something at school."Alex became accustomed to some of his new teammates when he visited his dad for two weeks last year.One of those teammates, senior Chris Wharton, says Alex hasn't had a problem molding into the team."Alex is probably the most athletic guy on the team and he's a good shooter, but his offense is off and on," Wharton said. "I think American basketball is different than European and he just needs more (American) experience."Alex's offense has been inconsistent this season. Although he's been the team's leading scorer on most nights, Alex has scored seven points or less in seven of his 18 games. Goolsby knows the team counts on him to be its top scorer."I was usually the point guard in Germany and now I'm the shooting guard," Alex said. "Before the last game (Mesa Verde, Jan. 20) coach O'Connell told me to look to shoot first and pass second more, so I'm trying to do that. The most important thing is to win the game, so I'm doing whatever I can to make that happen."