Editor’s note: Athlete of the month is released by ASB a week after the month ends. Stories on each athlete are delayed for this reason.
Basketball in hand, shooting guard and team captain Charley Pegg (12) was awarded February Athlete of the Month. Pegg has over a decade of experience in the basketball world. Next fall, Pegg will attend Johns Hopkins University for Division III basketball.
Pegg transferred from Francis Parker High School in her sophomore year and joined the school’s varsity basketball team in her junior year, now being on the team for two years.
Pegg describes the game as highly versatile.
“Basketball is very fluid,” Pegg said. “You kind of play all the positions, [but] my position shoots the most.”
Pegg explained that she enjoyed the competitiveness of basketball. She also met some of her closest friends through 10 years of playing the sport.
Preparation is a consistent part of Pegg’s routine as an athlete.
“Usually I try to watch film from the other team, or learn about the other team, and then go from there,” Pegg said.
Rucks explained that Pegg’s preparation and mindset is displayed in a game setting.
“She’s really good at keeping her emotions under control,” Rucks said. “In really close games, she helps all of us settle down.”
Teammate and center player Holly Rucks (10) highlighted Pegg’s physical role in gameplay.
“She’s just a really good shooter and she can drive super well,” Rucks said. “She’s just an amazing defender.”
Varsity girls head coach Alaysia Styles, or “Coach Bird” to her team, describes her role across the season as consistent.
“Charley was on the bench for maybe a total of ten minutes this entire season and played multiple games from start to finish, guarding the best player,” Styles said.
Rucks discusses Pegg’s efforts as a player when in specific match-ups: she is “always on” opposing players when playing offense.
This role places her in defensive gameplay with other top scorers, where, as Rucks described, “she does a really good job handling that.”
Rucks recalls a specific moment from a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) game against the Oceanside High School Pirates, the game was “highly intense,” as the outcome would result in advancement. In the game, Pegg was assigned to guard their main offensive player.
“She did really good at keeping that girl from catching the ball,” Rucks said. “When she did, that girl could not score on Charley.”
Off the court, as “she [is] very welcoming and always willing to help,” according to Rucks.
For Rucks, Pegg is someone teammates turn to for guidance.
“The amount of times I’ve texted her … she really helps,” Rucks said. “She’s just so knowledgeable.”
Styles pointed out Pegg’s ability to maintain a consistent approach throughout games.
“I have never been around someone her age who does so well at staying in the moment and not getting too high or low,” Syles said. “She stays even the entire time.”
According to Styles, Pegg leads with “her actions.”
“She is a silent leader,” Styles said “ … She leads with her demeanor, her actions, her work ethic and her heart. Pegg helped build a foundation for our program that will last for years.”
Outside of basketball, Pegg spends time with her family, including her two dogs, Moose and Luna, and enjoys reading.
Along with athletics, Pegg’s academic performance characterizes her high school experience.
When balancing her responsibilities, “school always comes first and then basketball.” Her social circle includes other athletes who understand similar busy schedules.
“Charley is insanely brilliant,” Styles said. “She has a 4.83 GPA. The way her brilliance translates to basketball [helps her] understand what to do and when, [and] the why surrounding each decision as well.”
Looking to her college years, Pegg wants to “make a difference on [her] team.”
Styles spoke about Pegg’s long-term potential.
“Charley will be just fine in doing whatever she decides to do with her life,” Styles said. “She has the honor, the determination, and the integrity to do anything she wants. I know Charley is going to be on Forbes one day for inventing something or becoming the world’s first person to do something, mark my words. She can handle anything; I mean anything. I know that whatever she decides to do, she is going to tackle it with the most honest conviction anyone could ever.”
