CAMP PENDLETON, California — “One team. One fight”, a well known phrase Marines live by. Teamwork combines the actions of a group of individuals to accomplish a similar goal.

1st Sgt. Janet Marrufo, Charlie Company first sergeant, 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, also plays guard for the All-Marine women’s basketball team. She believes that great teamwork can be built on and off the court.

“There are a lot of similarities that we can take away from the basketball court and apply in the Marine Corps,” Marrufo states.

Watching her sister win a state basketball championship sparked an interest in the sport. Marrufo began playing basketball around seventh grade. Basketball then became her passion as she continued to play all through high school.

“One of the most memorable moments is probably my freshman year of high school,” said Marrufo. “I just started to get really good at the game. I had 15 steals in one basketball game and I knew that was my niche.”

After graduating high school, Marrufo joined the Marine Corps. She continued to showcase her love for basketball, playing with the Marines in her unit. In 2004, she encountered Marines playing basketball; intrigued, she approached the group and discovered the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California basketball team.

“I played for Camp Pendleton for a couple of years until about 2011, on and off,” said Marrufo. “I found myself again reimmersed in 2022.”

Not all members of a team are offensive players that score points. All players support one another in achieving the mission. Accomplishing the mission requires comradery, trust, and teamwork, whether it be with a unit or a team.

“You don’t get to pick your team or who you work with; but you can control how you build that teamwork and family bond,” said Marrufo. “A game of basketball, like war, is a series of battles and decisions of a team that ultimately determine a winner.”