Breyenne Mosey’s best sport isn’t her favorite.

The Crosspoint Academy junior gladly admits she prefers soccer to basketball. But when the Lady Warriors tip off the 2009-10 season Nov. 28, it will be the 6-foot-2-inch center who the team looks to for leadership — and on-court dominance.

“I’ve learned that encouragement is the key to success because without encouragement, we don’t get along together and basketball just doesn’t work,” Mosey said. “You really have to encourage your teammates.”

The three-sport star leads by example.

She averaged a team-high 14.8 points and 15.7 rebounds per game last season, despite drawing double- and triple-teams, and posted double-doubles in 14 of the team’s 21 games.

Former coach Yvonne Brittain called her “one of the best post players in the area, no doubt” and her role figures to increase this season with the loss of key players Irene Moore and sister Michelle Mosey, both of whom graduated.

With just one senior — Carlie Rouse — listed on the Lady Warriors 12-player roster, Mosey hopes to teach the underclassmen the same lessons she learned from her predecessors.

“My key is just to help all the girls. We have a really young team, so I just want to help them and prepare them for the next couple years because it’s going to be a lot different than it’s been in the past,” Mosey said. “We don’t want to give up on the basketball program, we want to keep it going.”

Crosspoint (formerly King’s West) has a rich basketball tradition — the team placed a school-best fourth at the Class 2B state basketball championships in 2007-08 — but slipped up last season, ending shy of state with a 12-9 record.

Mosey understands the challenges associated with getting back to state, particularly with majority of the roster having little-to-no postseason experience, but she embraces the role of teacher and recognizes rebuilding isn’t an overnight process.

When she reflects on the state-tournament appearance of 2007-08, when she was a freshman, Mosey remembers being afraid. But she also remembers the upperclassmen showing her support and putting her in position to succeed.

Now it’s her turn.

“I’m looking forward to working with all the new girls and being a leader,” she said. “We can’t win games without working together. I need to encourage them to be strong.”

Much of what Mosey preaches echoes the sentiment of first-year coach Ronald Barton, a Belfair resident and father of five who replaces Brittain.

Barton prefers positive reinforcement and enthusiasm to screaming and yelling. He motivates by emphasizing camaraderie rather than winning and losing.

“If they have confidence, things will take care of themselves. Motivating them through confidence, in my opinion, is the best way,” Barton said. “They are out here because they want to have fun doing things. When they put things together as a team, they’ll do well.”

The first-year coach continues to assess the talent of his new team — this was the first full week of practice — and he has yet to finalize the starting rotation.

He’s aware of the school’s successful tradition, but he’s also excited to give the program a new voice.

“This is a new year for us. I think I’m right up their alley in regards to giving enthusiasm,” Barton said. “We’re trying to take the tradition back. This is a school that’s really been strong. We just need to rebuild.

“The biggest thing is to make sure that we keep these ladies together as a team. When they start selling out for each other, it doesn’t matter what kind of talent you have.”