Thud, thud, thud. Her heart pounding in her chest. Thoughts running wild through her mind. Uncharted territory, a place to find good opportunities and grow stronger. 

On Monday, August 31, junior Alexis Beier officially retired her title as a Linn-Mar Lion and proudly became a Xavier Saint in order to achieve her dreams in girls basketball.

“My transition to Xavier has been awesome! All the teachers have been super sweet and multiple teachers have checked up on me and in my transition since the year began,” Beier said.

Although teachers have helped make her transition smoother, Beier admits that being on the basketball team has kept her motivated to keep a positive mindset in her new environment.

“There were times at the beginning of the school year where I was really questioning the switch and struggling overall,” Beier said. “When basketball started, it was just nice to have that feeling that people are excited to see you everyday and love having you around.”

Beier also expressed how the change to a new team was really easy for her because of the prior connections to the other junior girls on the team from playing basketball with them on their elementary team, the Bulldogs, and on her club team, Team Iowa. 

One person that has really taken Beier under their wing this year is Aree Beckmann, who is also a junior at Xavier High School on the girls’ basketball team.

“I know I can always talk to Aree if I’m struggling at practice or with school,” Beier said. “She’s so encouraging and she has so much confidence in me it’s super contagious.”

Beckmann has been very pleased with Beier’s move to Xavier High School and her contribution to the basketball team.

“Alexis has a lot of energy and really keeps things alive on the court,” Beckmann said. “I wanted to make sure she felt like a part of the family and that everyone treated her like family too in order to help her feel comfortable so she can play to the best of her ability.”

Another person who has had a huge impact on helping Beier feel welcome is girls’ basketball Head Coach, Tom Lilly. 

“Alexis has the emotional intelligence to fit wherever she lays her hat,” Lilly said. “She has a confidence that radiates towards others.” 

Lilly also mentioned how noticeable it is that Beier wants to be successful, and because of that, she expects a lot from herself. He was not wrong when he talked about Beier setting big goals for herself. 

“I want to grow as a player, gain leadership skills and prove that I am not the same player that left Linn-Mar,” Beier said.  

Lilly has no doubt in his mind about Beier meeting her goals for this season. 

“My analogy is making soup,” Lily said. “Every player on the team adds a specific flavor, get the right mix and everyone will find it to their liking.”

A liking for sure has been made. Come support the Xavier girls’ basketball team Friday, December 18, at 7:30 p.m. at Xavier High School and watch how Beier adds her flavor to the team.