Sydney Glover
Staff Writer
It is 2013 in the upstairs gym at the old high school. One little red headed girl stands in a sea of older boys. Her heart is racing and she hates her mother for making her go. She’s only ever played soccer. What the heck does she know about basketball? For goodness sakes, she can’t even dribble.
Now that little redhead is co-captain of the SHS varsity girls basketball team. Her name is Grace Lucky, a junior.
“My mom forced me to the open gym but I liked basketball from there,” Lucky said. She has been playing basketball since the third grade and has grown an extreme passion for the sport.
“Basketball takes a lot of time and commitment, because I am so passionate about it,” Lucky expresses.
So how did she go from not being able to dribble to making varsity since freshman year.
“I would play ball outside on the street,” Lucky said. Not only did she put a lot of time in off the court, she also put time in on the court when she played through Mountain Storm for four years.
“Then I played prep and school ball in middle school. So, for like three months long I was just doing basketball. I think I was in the best shape of my life,” Lucky laughed.
Even though Lucky excels in basketball that does not mean that it is stress free.
“I put so much pressure on myself, I am very hard on myself when it comes to competitive games,” Lucky said.
She also said that the people who most inspire her are her parents because she strives to make them proud of her. Lucky always pushes to be her best and works hard for it too.
When basketball gets to be a little too stressful Lucky has a few things she finds security in.
“Basketball has created a family for me, well a second family, my basketball family,” Lucky said. So when things get stressful she knows she always has a team backing her up.
She loves basketball so much because, “it gives me a good outlet for when life gets too much.” Lucky said. Basketball helps her to stay grounded in life and more at peace. However, basketball doesn’t always help Lucky when it comes to injuries.
“I have sprained my left ankle three times and my right ankle twice. I also had Achilles tendinitis my freshman year and had to sit out for two weeks,” Lucky said.
Injures are stressful things, because they can make an athlete worry about the practice they are missing out on and how long they will have to be out.
“The first time I sprained my right ankle was the worst. When I got to the doctors it was the size of a softball,” Lucky said.
In hopes to prevent future injuries, Lucky’s mother told her that she has to wear ankle braces for the rest of her basketball career. That may be a long time because Lucky hopes to play basketball in college.
Sure basketball is a great pastime but what are some of her other hobbies?
“I like to go riding (dirt bikes and quads). I also like hunting, fishing, hiking, and boating,” Lucky said. The pattern is clear, she loves the outdoors.
“I like being outdoors because it is an escape from reality,” Lucky said.
Lucky says that one of her main goals this year is to be “a leader” not just for the team that she is on but also for the other teams.
“I did make captain and I am so proud and happy to be in that position with Ashley[Allinger],” Lucky said.
She hopes that this season they will be able to dominate on the court and improve in all areas of the game.
Grace Lucky is a true example of if you put your mind to it you can do it. From a soccer player to a varsity basketball player, she has never regretted her decision.
The Pioneer Press 