When somebody asks me what kind of benefits that basketball can offer I don’t even know where to begin. Of course we have the basics: it keeps you in shape, forces you to learn to work under pressure, teamwork, coordination, flexibility and all those good things. But it’s the intrinsic benefits of the sport that I’d like to focus on this time – the things that leave me speechless... well, almost speechless!
Basketball clinic in Lusaka, Zambia
If I could have predicted which opportunities would have presented
themselves when I was growing up, I think I would have laughed at
myself. Growing up in North Kildonan to immigrant parents, I was taught
to appreciate everything – from my first pair of Payless basketball
shoes in junior high (that’s what I was told they were), to my first
sports road trip to Brandon to the homemade 
Cheryl and giraffe and my buddy Jordan W.
Now here I am a few years later (OK maybe more than just a few) and
I’ve been to Europe twice (Switzerland, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria),
Africa once (Zambia and Rwanda), to the States at least twice each year
for the past 10 years (and no, not just North Dakota but Minnesota,
Florida, Wisconsin…Illinois). I’ve travelled to almost every major city
in Canada and played, coached or reffed in over 30 university gyms in
this country alone (not even including colleges), and I’ve travelled to
places where they sweep the outdoor courts with tree brush before they
play to places where playing in full sunlight at 10:30 at night is just
another summer day. Craziness!
Attitude of Integrity presentation in Kigali, Rwanda with our interpreter Jado
Now am I saying all this to boast? I hope you don’t take it that
way. My intention is to show you how incredible sport can be to someone
who had no idea the places it could take her. I think of the incredible
friends I met in Lusaka and Kigali – men and women who have taught me a
lot about being thankful. I think of the incredible kids I met in Baker
Lake, Nunavut – playing ball because they love it (almost as much as
sledding – not)! I think of the coaches who have helped me along the
way and the coaches I meet now almost everyday that share that same
passion to teach, mentor and lead the next generation.
Members of our AIA team – Tom W. (Canada), Steph D. (Canada), Cyrus M. (Uganda), me and Jordan W.(Canada)
Sometimes people seem to get confused about what a successful basketball personality is – we see
players complaining that they have to wear business attire when one of
their earrings probably costs more than everything I owe times two! Is
that the only way we judge success? Looking at the recent basketball
high school provincial championships, award ceremonies and all-star
games one of my biggest dreams is to see each female athlete continue
to stay involved in basketball after graduation. Whether it’s playing
at the university or college level, beginning a career as a referee,
coaching a club team or junior high or high school team, volunteering
at a community club or being a gym supervisor, being on an organizing
community or teaching summer camps – wouldn’t it be crazy in Manitoba
if we could boast that basketball builds our community in more ways
than just developing athletes?
Stephanie D and I eating supper at Hotel Rwanda
I’ve learnt that playing basketball only lasts so long. My knees
hurt, my back hurts, and it seems that every sports injury I’ve never
let completely heal is now coming back to haunt me. But the friendships
I’ve made both close to home and very far away, the people I’ve met and
the experiences I’ve had have made this journey an incredible story.
And you know what? It’s not even close to finished yet! Wow, maybe now
I’m speechless!!!
Basketball scrimmage with students from Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in Rwanda
Nunavut clinics: Baker Lake Blizzard athletes
Me and some caribou (make great meatballs!)