Taylor Gibbs '22 Recruiting Profile

Imagine a loud noise sounding like nails on a chalkboard or a hug feeling like being struck by a bolt of lightning.  As a child I often experienced such extreme reactivity to most normal stimuli and it was not long after I was born that I was diagnosed with sensory processing disorder. Sensory processing disorder occurs when your brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes from your five senses. One of the most common symptom of this condition is that normal stressors can trigger sensory overload, causing one's nervous system to regress and impact such things as movement, balance, coordination, and elicit anxiety.  You basically have no idea how to make sense of the world around you. Therefore, as a child I was a shy uncertain kid, a perfectionist and my own worst critic. I was afraid of change and taking risks, so I relied on what felt safe. That was my family, faith, and excelling academically.  Fortunately, my parents learned about the benefits of occupational therapy for my condition. Session after session, physical activity became necessary, healing, and setting goals became commonplace. 

As I made progress and the time I spent in the therapeutic gym lessened, my parents introduced me to multiple physical activities.  These activities would eventually evolve into becoming a highly competitive athlete in both soccer and basketball.  By the end of middle school, I knew I wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps and play collegiate basketball.  I have also committed myself academically to prepare for a future career as an OT.

Because relapse of my condition was very common during growth spurts, I would need to revisit occupational therapy throughout middle school. There would be times all of a sudden when my body and mind would be fighting me back, and things that once were easy felt impossible both on the court and in the classroom. But with maturity came a self-realization that in moments of sensory overload, the compensatory skills I was learning through therapy were not only helping me have a lot of success as a student-athlete but it was also shaping my mindset. I knew I was on a different path then most of my peers.  Without sports, I believe I would have felt disconnected.  But as a member of a team, athletics allowed me to escape out of my head and into my body.  Not to mention, I loved the self-discipline and leadership skills that came with participation.  

Traveling most weekends when my classmates were hanging out, enduring difficult practices and fitting in extra training helped me develop a mentality that I though was different than most kids my age.  I needed to become resilient, figure out how to get past setbacks and learn how to trust in the process.  Upon graduating from middle school, the principal told me that I possessed the 5 characteristics of a grit mindset: courage, conscientiousness, perseverance, resilience, and passion.  

On the court I am a hybrid forward with a high basketball IQ.  I am able to get back up after setbacks. I love to push the pace and play transition basketball.  I have balance in my game as I have played wherever my coaches have needed me to. Team first was always most important to me.  This has forced me out of my comfort zone and into different roles, but it has also helped me learn how important trust is. As I work each day to trust the process, I am growing as a person and developing into the college player I want to be.