Being a point guard means the ball is in your hands, and so is the responsibility. Since her freshman year, Midland Christian junior Selah Fox has handled tempo, decision-making, and leadership for the Lady Mustangs, learning that the hardest part of running a team is controlling yourself first.

“There is a lot of pressure on myself as the point guard of the team to do well,” Fox said.

Basketball has been part of Fox’s life since she was six, first playing on a co-ed team at the Boys & Girls Club before moving into Upwards basketball.

“I got so famous as a little kid when you would run out of the banners at Upwards, and everyone would cheer for you,” Fox said. “Foxy.”

Behind those early moments stood Bob Chapman, the coach she credits with teaching her how to play the game and believe in herself.

“He taught me how to make a layup and was very supportive during our basketball seasons early on,” she said. “He was there for my older brother Andrew, but he was there for me too.”

As a freshman, Fox said she struggled with emotion. Missed shots lingered. Turnovers felt personal. The speed of varsity basketball amplified everything. Over time, she began to understand that the position required steadiness more than perfection, so she started building habits to cultivate it.

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Before games, she intentionally slows herself down. She prays during the national anthem. She writes three words of affirmation on her hand. Reminders she can return to when the pace quickens.

“‘Legs’ — no matter how tired I am, push through,” she said. “‘Pocket’ — even if my shot isn’t going in, find my rhythm. And ‘You got it’ — when I’m having a bad game, just keep it up.”

She also developed an in-game reset to shift her focus outward. Instead of replaying a mistake, she reconnects with the team.

“I love to high-five my teammates,” Fox said. “It’s like a reset for me, knowing it’s not about me. It’s about my teammates. It’s not about the pressure anymore.”

Fox spoke openly about the mental load of playing basketball, something she believes isn’t discussed enough.

“We don’t really normalize the pressure and mental health that goes into playing a sport like basketball,” she said. “It’s a hard game, and when you aren’t focused, that’s when mistakes happen.”

That awareness grew as her responsibilities grew, bringing years of experience and expectation into every practice. The point guard position demands constant awareness: calling sets, reading defenses, and balancing scoring with distribution. Her days stretch long, beginning with practice and often ending with extra shooting sessions.

“If I have a bad shooting day or an off day, I’ll come back later and shoot more until I feel good about my shot again,” she said.

She sharpens that commitment in the offseason, where daily shooting, ball-handling, and strength training become routine. Fox thrives on drills that replicate game pressure, especially scout-team sessions. The Lady Mustangs regularly bring in help to simulate opponents, including eighth-grade boys and Fox’s younger brother, Karter, who helps raise the intensity.

Fox’s leadership journey evolved each season. As a freshman, she struggled to manage her emotions. As a sophomore, she learned to embrace pressure by focusing on making others better. This year, as an upperclassman, the responsibility deepened.

“It takes more of a toll because you have to be there for everyone,” she said. “But I’ve been able to confide in the seniors, Addi [Tatsch], and my parents have been very supportive. I don’t have to bottle everything up, and it’s okay to struggle sometimes when you have a good system like that.”

“My mom and dad and Coach Voss helped me understand that it’s okay, as a leader, to not be okay,” Fox said. “But knowing the responsibilities that come with that, making sure my teammates are good too, that’s how we perform our best.”

Her favorite game this season came against Seminole, not because of individual numbers, but because of how the team functioned.

“We got to see how great we could be,” she said. “We worked together as a team, and it was really fun.”

Fox said she is more intentional this year about balancing intensity with enjoyment. She understands when to lock in and when to breathe. Basketball, she said, has given her connections and opportunities to meet and play with people she might not have otherwise had. When asked how she hopes to be remembered, her answer was simple.

“I want everyone to remember me as No. 15,” she said, “and that I always looked like I was having fun on the court, with my friends, winning.”

Coach Voss said that legacy is clear and believes Fox’s impact will last.

“She leads our team not only on the court but off,” Voss said. “A lot of 14-year-olds can’t handle that type of leadership pressure, but Selah could. It wasn’t easy, but she did anything and everything I asked her to.”

“She’s special,” she said. “She’ll be a Lady Mustang that people talk about long after she’s graduated.”

For Fox, the evolution hasn’t been about eliminating pressure. It’s been about learning how to respond to it, especially when things don’t go her way.

“Not everything will go your way all the time,” Fox said. “And that’s okay. Really, it is.”

And at the point guard position, response is everything.