Out of a 24-count crayon pack, senior and girls’ varsity basketball team captain Amanda Lewin considers herself a blue-violet crayon because she likes “the idea of being of two in one.”

“There’s more sides to me than sports because it shows that I’m blue and violet. Violet being the sports side because it’s more happy and energized,” Lewin said.

Lewin first joined basketball at Ladera Elementary School in Conejo Valley, then went on to play in the Agoura Youth Basketball Association before joining the Agoura travel team in fifth grade and the Conejo Quakes club team later on. She made the junior varsity team her freshman year at Oak Park High School, working her way up to varsity by the end of the year during competition season. Lewin has remained on varsity ever since.

This 2017-18 basketball season, the girls’ varsity team made it to the CIF Southern Section playoffs where they won 73-61 against Pacific High School, but ultimately lost 65-83 against Knight High School. Overall, however, they improved their wins to losses ratio from 4-21 to 13-12. It was a significant improvement from previous years, according to Lewin.

“We have a winning record for once in like five years,” Lewin said.

How did you become team captain?

It took a lot of learning: freshman year I was the clown, sophomore year I wasn’t in a good spot and junior year I started to take it a lot [more] seriously and motivate my teammates on ways we needed on the team, but my coach didn’t want to make me captain I guess because she thought the seniors at the time should have been captains. But I wasn’t upset because I knew that leadership is more than a title. And then senior year, Coach Doris made me captain just because she saw the leadership I had on the court.

What do you do when you’re not doing basketball?

More basketball or I go to the gym. I’m always working out. I like to go to the beach, but besides basketball, it’s either sleep or more basketball.

What do you value more: sleep or basketball?

Basketball for sure.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

At 27? I want to be a physical therapist. I want to major in pre-physical therapy or kinesiology in college. So, hopefully by then I have my career set. Also, by then I kind of want a family already. With a family and a career, that’s where I see myself. I kind of want four or five boys, no girls. Well, maybe one girl at the end.

Family pets?

A turtle would be cool.

When did you know you were gay?

“The first gay memory is from preschool, but it took me to get through a lot of struggles and confusion to know for sure. By fourth grade, I knew something was different and then middle school I pretty much knew, but I didn’t want to be gay, so I tried not to. Then I was completely comfortable with myself by the end of eighth grade, that’s when I came out. Everyone was super supportive and no one I cared about was uncomfortable. They love me no matter what.”

What’s the most interesting design you’ve shaved into your hair?

Interesting is hard to describe because pretty much what it would sound like would be “a line here and a line there,” but my favorite was last senior night of last year, I put all of the seniors’ initials in my hair. That was sentimental. But it didn’t look good because there wasn’t really a pattern.

If you could recruit anybody to your team who would it be?

Tessa [Costello-Ritchie] because she’s our team manager and we think she should join next year. I think if I manipulate her enough and if she trains, maybe she’ll make it.

If you could have the pep band play one song at your games, what would it be?

None of the music I listen to is geared for orchestras. I guess when I went to the UCLA game with my team their band played “All of the Lights” which was pretty cool, but if it could be one of my songs, I really like the song “Dark Queen” by Lil Uzi, so that would be cool even though I don’t think that’s possible.

Is there anything else you’d like the world to know?

I love you, mommy.