Homegrown and MIC has helped me a lot with my basketball journey as it has opened new pathways for me to truly express my love and commitment to the game. The community fostered by Homegrown not only helped me improve my skills on the court but also created lasting friendships off the court.
The collaborative spirit within the Homegrown community has been a driving force in my basketball journey, pushing me to strive for improvement and giving me a sense of belonging. Whilst MIC has allowed me to focus on my weaknesses and adding skills to my game in order to better me as a player
overall.

I started playing basketball when I was 6 years old because my brothers were also playing at the time so I’d always be at a basketball stadium anyways so I thought why not try it out? But I think the second I first picked up a basketball, I knew straight away that I’d love it. Ever since I’d be watching my siblings play and constantly be surrounded by it, I’ve always been drawn to it but I think when I actually started playing was when I instantly fell in love with the sport. Over the years, basketball has not only become a form of exercise for me but also a source of joy and a way to connect with others who share the same passion for the game as I do. As I’ve always loved being able to work as a team, knowing the friendships I’ve created throughout the years are irreplaceable, make basketball even more enjoyable for me, especially when we win together, and continues to grow my love for the game.

There are many parts of my game I’m working on to improve but I think the most important one for me at the moment is the mental side. As I’ve always struggled with confidence and believing in myself, I’ve started to realise how basketball really is more than just physical abilities. Especially during times of hard pressure, I’m working on trying to stay calm and not overthinking situations instead of thinking about the mistake I made and putting my head down over it. Although it takes time to build a strong mental mindset, I think just being able to build trust with myself and getting rid of negative self judgement will help benefit my game a lot, rather than having self doubts and second guessing myself.