September 11th, 2015 | Uncategorized
I anticipated that our club team was going to have to be the scrappiest and quickest five players on the court. Katie and I had our first Super League game Wednesday night against the Kilkenny Ladies. Naturally, they had players that were much thicker and taller, but height does not necessarily guarantee a win. In my basketball career, I’ve always been defined by the quote “it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.” I’ve embraced the underdog attitude and it has sculpted me in to the person I am today. The Wildcats may not have been the tallest girls on the court but we did win, with our speed and hustle, and more importantly we won as a unit.
As a player, it is always refreshing going in to the next practice after a good win. Before we even touched a basketball, our coach, Mick Evans, said something to us today in practice that struck me as a player and as a person. He said, “Do not apologize for shooting the ball and don’t be afraid to shoot the ball because you naturally hesitate when you’re afraid. You can’t play this game if you are afraid and you don’t know what you can achieve if you are afraid.” Most of my basketball career, I was always afraid to shoot the ball. Not because I can’t shoot the ball but because I didn’t believe in myself. My discomfort with the skill and fear of missing led past coaches and spectators to accept that I couldn’t shoot. As a player, it’s our competitive nature and drive to want to be the best that we can achieve. There’s nothing more disappointing than allowing your career to be defined by your flaws and even more disappointing to allow others to let it define you. Confidence is worst thing you can take away from a player. Luckily, my Irish experience so far has unmasked the little things in life that we subconsciously overlook daily. Knowing that the coach has more confidence in us players than we do ourselves this year is sparking the rebirth of my basketball career. The Wildcats will be ready to play our hearts out this weekend in our tournament in Dublin. As for me, I am no longer afraid and believe its time to unleash the beast that has been held captive for so long….
Victory Scholar: Jazmen Boone
Present University: Waterford IT
US League: CAA
Club/Community Partner: Waterford Wildcats
Alma Mater: The College of William and Mary
Sponsored by: Teamwear Ireland
