Hitting the hoops for hours on end, and bouncing back after fractures
and torn cartilage. Who is this committed athlete?
Introducing The Potters School's very own Jordan Spalding, a
15-year-old 10th grader from South Korea who is passionate about
basketball. Now a high school player in her 12th year of the sport,
Jordan spends around 20 hours a week in the game. After joining per
request of her dad, she stuck with the sport because of her size--she now
stands at 6 feet tall--and shows promise as a talented player. By
7th grade Jordan had made varsity, winning the 3 point contest with 8 threes
in 45 seconds, and by 9th grade averaged 15 points a game as the top
shooter of the year, playing on the Allstar team as one of the top 5
MVPs. How has she made it this far?
Jordan cites hours of training and preparation as an important factor,
and she plans her days around the sport. Beginning with
school--including TPS classes Hermeneutics, English 2, and Theology
Matters--Jordan studies until 1, shooting hoops for breaks in between
classes. She then practices independently until three, and drives 20
minutes to high school practice which lasts until 6, sometimes having
a late night game afterward with friends. Additionally, Jordan
frequently cross-trains, especially in the pre-season, by biking, jump
roping, and weight training to keep in top condition.
With such a large commitment comes many setbacks however, and despite
her enthusiasm for the sport, Jordan has had plenty of
discouragements. Her physical list of injuries run high, with torn
cartilage in the knee and elbow, fractures and torn ligaments in both
ankles, and a major thumb fracture. Mental discouragement is also a
reality, especially when Jordan is played because of her height and
not her talent--a tactic that bothers her.
Despite these obstacles however, Jordan shows remarkable resilience,
saying she lives by the quote, "My body could stand crutches but my
mind couldn't stand the sidelines." Instead of allowing discouragement
to creep in, she talks to her best friend for encouragement on tough
days and focuses on the positives of basketball, such as teamwork and
the physical challenge. She also concentrates on turning points in her
career which show her that she's meant for the sport, such as the
08-09 season when she learned how to be a true team member and play a
good, clean game.
Going even deeper, Jordan says that the character qualities
and lessons learned on the court translate into life, helping her grow
as a person. Qualities such as endurance, teamwork, and trust have
grown especially stronger throughout her years in basketball, and the
Bible has served as an inner motivator, especially Colossians 3:23
which reads: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as
working for the Lord, not for men.”
Eventually, Jordan anticipates playing for college and hopes to make it to
the WNBA. She constantly sets goals for herself in order to evaluate
her progress, and works hard in training to reach them. She also works
with her fellow teammates by leading them, and making them press on when
they don't think they can, something that she encourages every athlete
to do. Her ultimate advice for fellow athletes?
"Be a team player. You'll never get anywhere without your team...
And never let failure get in the way, no matter what you're told."
----
Did You Know?
Three point contest: Contest to see how many shots can be made from
19'9" away from the hoop in a certain amount of time.
Top Shooter: Scorer of the most points for the team
MVP: Most Valuable Player
WNBA: Women's National Basketball Association (professional basketball league)
Cross-training: Training in another physical activity beside the
specific sport in order to condition the entire body and give certain
muscles a rest. (For example, a marathon runner might cross-train by
swimming to keep fit while resting his or her leg muscles.)
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