A heartfelt letter written to the sport of basketball by Penn State women's basketball guard Nia Staples ahead of her Senior Night game, presented by the Penn State Alumni Association, against Ohio State on Feb. 24, 2021. Staples will graduate this year with her master's degree in Counselor Education.
Dear Basketball,
My love for the game started in the third grade playing Upward basketball, winning my first Championship for my CYO team in fifth grade, and playing on my first competitive AAU team the Renegades. When I stepped onto the basketball court for the first time, there was a connection that I cannot explain, a love, a fire that kept growing within me as I got older. I found myself wanting to be in the gym all the time, even if it meant tracking through the cold rain, snow, or smoldering heat because basketball brought me joy. You can call it the beginning of a friendship between me and the game. It was there on the hardwood that I felt like all my problems just disappeared. Why? Because it was just me and basketball.
When entering high school, my body was still developing. I felt awkward, my body was lanky, I was clumsy, timid, and extremely shy. Basketball inspired me and pushed me to work hard because I learned that nothing would ever be handed to me. Basketball helped me find my voice. It helped me form relationships with people I never would have had. It taught me how to not only how to connect with different people respectfully, but also earn their respect.
What I appreciated about basketball was that it was the first teacher of humbleness. There is a quote by Andy Ruiz Jr. that says, "I need to remain humble, stay disciplined and keep training. That's how I will continue to be a champion." And what I have learned about myself through basketball is resilience. Henry Ford once said, "When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it."
There have been a million ups and downs - tendonitis in high school, two ACL injuries in the same knee in my collegiate career. My relief has always been basketball, and the great teacher it has been in never giving up. I am reminded that despite all the challenges, my journey isn't over. My tank is still half full, meaning, I still have much to offer the game that I so love.
What I will take away from the game of basketball and the opportunity that it has afforded me is that there are no guarantees to play the sport I so dearly love. As I look over my career on the collegiate level, I'm appreciative of every game and even practice, realizing that you only have a short window. As I matured in my life, I've been reminded that everything happens for a reason and that God has a plan for my life. You, basketball, have helped me understand myself and others through misfortunes, difficulties, sufferings, and tribulations. Basketball has had such an impact on my life for so many reasons.
I thank God for basketball and how God has used basketball in my life. I pray that God will continue to work within me to be the best young woman I can be beyond basketball. One of the things I will take from basketball is that it has brought me closer to my family and God, which I can say for sure is one of the greatest things that has happened to me.
Basketball, the memories - I will forever cherish.
Love,
Nia Staples
