- Junior Year Highlights
Personal Statement
Playing Basketball at a College in the United States as a Student-Athlete is a dream to me. At the same time, though, it’s a challenge I’m willing to take on without a single doubt.
Athletics has been a part of me since a very young age. I started with Netball, Soccer and Athletics. I am a well-rounded athlete but basketball is my passion. At about the age of 7 I picked up a basketball and never wanted to put it down; I fell in love with the sport and want nothing more than to play it at the highest possible level. The aspect of the game I love the most is how diverse the skills required for it are. For instance, a good player must have skills in all areas including: dribbling, passing, and shooting. I also love that there are so many ways that help a basketball team succeed; it is a team sport yet individual skills are so important. I work tirelessly on my game and to over-come
I first started to play basketball against the boys and it is this reason for my fast development in the sport. My first real basketball achievement was being the only female member of an U10 Boys basketball team whilst I was living in Shanghai. We competed against other teams of the same age.
My Father, who has been caring for my sister and I single handedly since I was a little over three years of age, is a major reason source of inspiration. Not only is he my Father, he is the person who gets me trainings and games, and most times is my Coach. He is also my Statistician and now videos most of my games – he has begun to place my highlights here on YouTube:
In 2011, I moved to Bangkok and continued to play basketball with Topflight Basketball Academy lead by a former NBA player; Ike Nwankwo (UCLA Bruin 1993-95). In the Summer of 2012 I visited Los Angeles with my coach and a few other students at the academy. In LA we attended the Lakers camp, the UCLA girls camp and Kobe camp in Santa Barbara. I learnt a lot about how competitive and physical it is in the States but this didn’t fluster because I was quite successful. At the Lakers camp (that consisted of both boys and girls) I was the first person drafted to a team. At the UCLA camp I received the hustle award. At Kobe camp my team won the mini tournament. Overall, I had a fun and incredible time in the US. It was this trip that help sow the seed of my dream to attend college and play basketball in the US.
Along with the enjoyment I gain from playing basketball, I also gain knowledge. Over the past 7 years of playing I’ve learnt so much. One piece of knowledge I learned about me is that I’m stronger than I think I am. By this I mean that I’ve learnt to overcome the negative thoughts that form in my mind when I’m tired or angry. This is done thanks to a quote “Instead of giving myself reasons why I can’t, I give myself reasons why I can”. This particular quote simply means not to make excuses and is something I try to live by every day. So far this has worked out very well for me and is what sets me a part from other people.
Another quality that I have discovered about myself through basketball is my ability to be a leader. I proved this by being the Captain of my school’s varsity team as a Freshman but I’ve been a part of the Varsity team ever since Grade 6. As Captain, I am the one to lead and demonstrate drills in practice, despite being the 2nd youngest player (the youngest being my 12-year-old sister). Another way I express my leadership quality is by coaching. Recently, I’ve been coaching 5 to 9-year-olds at Topflight Basketball Academy. In the past I have also coached my school’s girls U13 and U11 teams.
Apart from basketball, I possess other skills too. I play violin and a bit of guitar. Culturally I am well-rounded as I speak fluent English and Mandarin Chinese. A few months ago I took an IGCSE test (two years early) in Mandarin Chinese and received an A+ and was the highest score in my class. In addition to this I can speak enough Thai to get me by and am currently learning Spanish. Other sports I play include Soccer, Track and Field, Cross Country and Badminton. Currently, I am the highest scoring player on my U15 and Varsity Soccer teams.
Aside from athletics, I also excel in the classroom. My current GPA is 3.89. For the past 2 years I’ve received the award for being the top academic student. My favorite subject is Mathematics and I’m currently taking math classes ahead of all my 9th Grade classmates. Next year I plan to take Pre-Calculus.
I am well-rounded in sports and academics and can manage my time effectively. I believe that being a Student-Athlete in college would suit me very well and is something I am extremely passionate about.
I think I’ve said enough about myself for now. Thank you so much for taking time out of your presumably busy schedule to learn about me.
