Lainey Duggan '24 Recruiting Profile

My name is Lainey Duggan and I'm currently a junior at Bella Vista College Preparatory school. I play for the Bears on both their regional and national teams. Although I have only been playing competitive, club-level basketball for about 5 years, I've been playing the game I've come to love so much since I was in 2nd grade. A big reason I enjoy playing this game so much is the relationships I form with my teammates, as well as being able to play as part of a team where all of our goals are aligned for the benefit of the team. The bonds that I have formed with teammates by playing basketball are irreplaceable. This game has taught me some important lessons that I can apply throughout my life. I've learned responsibility, dedication, compassion and grit in the following ways: showing up on time and being prepared for practices/games, adhering to game rules and listening to my coach, being dedicated to my myself/teammates/school/family, compassion for teammates or players when injured or hurting, understanding that even though I'm very competitive - winning isn't everything and sometimes more importantly it's about how you respect and treat others, having mental and physical toughness when playing a competitive sport (some would say needing to have a thick skin sometimes). 

Learning from mistakes is very important in both the game of basketball and life. I know there will be times that I'll fall down or fail and playing basketball helps me realize that continuing to get back up and work on improving my skills makes me a better player and person. These are lessons  that help mold me into the person I want to be as I go through life. Basketball is undoubtedly a part of me and I'm a part of this game; I hold the lessons I learn by playing close to my heart as I always try to remember to appreciate the time when I'm on the court. 

I've always enjoyed helping my teammates as we try to improve in different aspects of our game and recently I've started training my 8 and 9 year old cousins, which is fun a way for me to give back. My family and I volunteer in different ways in our community, which I enjoy doing as well. I feel that I'm a very good student and my grades reflect that. I'm thinking I want to pursue a career in either forensic science or possibly law when I get to college.