Between layup lines with players dressed in nun warm-up costumes amid chants of “Thou Shall Not Lose” and pre-game Sun Salutations (a series of intricate yoga poses) the girls’ church league teams do not mess around.

While all 10 teams remain both dedicated and competitive contenders, the atmosphere surrounding the courts of local parishes is ultimately about having a fun experience before, during and after the game.

Playoffs will begin for the first time in the history of the league on Saturday, May 21. All teams make the initial cut, but the games are single elimination.

Despite the buildup for this year’s playoffs, most girls in the league are just excited to play together every weekend regardless.

“What I really like the most about girls’ church league is you can play really, super competitive sports in other places, but church league is about having a really fun time with your pals,” First Congressional Church of Western Springs (First Congo) member Bridget Kirby ‘16 said. “While you are still playing a sport and being competitive, after the game you also just laugh it off no matter if you win or lose.”

The girls’ league differs vastly from the intense showcase between the athletes of the boys’ league during the winter.

“The girls’ league is a lot more fun,” St. Francis-Blue’s Julia Hughes ‘16 said. “I don’t think we have as many ‘evil rivalries’ as the guys do. They can honestly be insane sometimes, but the girls are a lot more focused on having fun while still winning.”

And winning is something St. Francis-Blue, with an undefeated record, knows very well. According to Hughes the plan is for Francis to release a hype video in a couple of weeks for the championship game.

The league’s legacy extends beyond wins of course, and many teams place a lot of emphasis on weekly game traditions.

“Marina Gonzales ’16, a member on my team, has a ritual that before every shot she takes in warm-ups she says ‘Curry’,” St. Cletus’ Lauren Engels ’17 said. “Also the last two weekends my team has won with a buzzer-beater three-pointer.”

Ultimately, for all teams involved the season is not geared towards a championship win or even a winning record for that matter. Even the coaches appreciate the enthusiasm the girls have regardless of the score board at the end of the second half.

“In my opinion, the girls’ league is not as competitive of a league as the boys. Part of that might be because the league has not been around for as long and part of it might be because the girls take a different approach when they get on the court,” First Congo coach Laura Tilden said. “Because the emphasis is not solely about winning games, it creates a fun and inclusive atmosphere that I think is rare in a sports league for high school students.”