COMPETITIVE STREAK: Redbank Valley Junior Addy Bond Hates to Lose — at Anything

(This is one in a series of summer player profile articles. If you would like to participate, fill out this PLAYER PROFILE form for a chance to be selected.)

NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (EYT/D9) — It doesn’t matter what it is.

Basketball. Volleyball. Even a board game or cards with the family at home.

Addy Bond is as competitive as they come. The Redbank Valley junior hates to lose. Loathes it. Can’t accept it.

Sometimes it bubbles over.

“If I don’t win, I might flip the table,” Bond said, laughing. “Yeah, I’m just really, really competitive.”

Most standout athletes have that kind of streak in them — think Michael Jordan, who famously competes in everything like it is Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Bond is the same. If it’s a contest, she wants to come out on top.

“But flipping tables is probably not the best option,” Bond said, chuckling.

No, but winning cures all and Bond has done a lot of that in her athletic career with the Bulldogs.

After starring off the bench for the Redbank Valley girls basketball team as a freshman, Bond moved into the starting lineup over the winter as a sophomore guard and had a breakout campaign.

She averaged 14.7 points, 3.3 steals and 2.6 assists, helping the Bulldogs to another District 9 championship.

Bond wants more this coming season and may just get it with seniors Mylee Harmon and Kira Bonanno returning and sophomore Elaina Carrico sharp shooting from the perimeter.

What Bond will miss the most, however, is her sister, Izzy Bond, who graduated after a standout season as a senior leader.

“We’re really going to miss Izzy for her rebounding and hitting 3-pointers,” Addy said. “We’re really going to miss her. It’s going to be different for me because I’ve always had her for anything and everything. It’s going to be strange not having her here with me.”

THE BOND FILE

Name: Addy Bond

Year: Junior

Sports: Volleyball and basketball

Q: How would you coaches and teammates describe you?

A: I think they would describe me as humble and kind of shy.

Q: What have you learned about teamwork from your experience playing sports?

A: You always want to put your teammates in the best position. They are the people who are always going to have your back in the game and nothing works without them.

Q: What would you consider the greatest challenge of being a high school athlete today?

A: Keeping up with schoolwork. Sometimes you have to leave right after school for games and make long trips and you don’t have time to study. You really have to take advantage of your study halls.

Q: A lot of people have mentioned that challenge. How do you balance it all? Do you have any tricks?

A: I literally live off my study halls. When I get there, I just get to work because I know that I’ll have to leave early, or I have a practice to get to, so I won’t have much time later to study.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received from a family member, coach, teammate, etc. while playing sports?

A: I actually have two. So my uncle always tells me that I have to make my free throws because, well, they’re free (chuckles). And then my dad is a really big one because I always look at him after games for advice. He tells me what I have to work on in the next practice.

Q: Does Izzy ever give you advice?

A: Oh, yeah. She definitely does. Even during games she would come over to me and be like, ‘OK, you need to do this.’ It was fun playing with her. I’m really gonna miss her.

Q: What are your other interests outside of sports?

A: Well, I really have to say I do love to watch Netflix with my dog.

Q: Your dog?

A: Yeah, she’s my Netflix watcher with me. Her name is Ollie and she’s a mini golden doodle. She’s my Netflix and chill partner.

Q: What are you goals in sports?

A: I want to go to college to play. I also really want to go far this year (in basketball) because I do think that we could.

Q: Complete this sentence: In my fridge you’ll always find (blank).

A: I’m actually a pretty healthy eater. So in our fridge, you’d probably always find yogurt and fresh fruit and vegetables. Stuff like that.

Q: One last fun one here. What three famous people would you like to have dinner with and why?

A: One would be Paige Bueckers because I look up to her as a great basketball player and the person she is. She’s always super humble and I want to be just like that. Two would be Eric Dane because he is my favorite character on Grey’s Anatomy. And third would be Caitlin Clark because I would like to know her shooting routines in practice and stuff like that. That way I could become a better shooter.