April 30, 2019
For my entire life, I wanted to play basketball. I used to SLEEP with my ball every night because my dad said if I wanted to be the best, I had to take it everywhere with me. If I could do it all over again, I’d put that thing through the wash a few more times!!
When I was 12 years old I tried out for a travel AAU team called the Lady Gators. They were supposed to be one of the best travel ball teams in my area. I lasted about 30 minutes of the try out. I didn’t understand the drills… no one had ever taught them to me. I was throwing up air balls because I was nervous. I dribbled the ball off my feet a few times. It was just NOT my day. SO instead of finishing out the try out I did what all 12-year-old embarrassed girls going through puberty did. I QUIT.
I literally didn’t go back into the gym. I cried my eyes out and waited in another basketball gym for my dad to pick me up. I told him I sucked, I never wanted to play again, I hated the game, and those stupid drills, and the passing, and shooting, and everything about basketball.
He laughed and told me to get on the foul line. He told me to breathe. And focus. And he said he favorite line ever. “There’s nothing in the world that’s free, except a foul shot.” I’m still kind of confused about what that means, but I love and trust my dad with my life, so if he tells me a foul shot is free, then gosh darn-it a foul shot is FREE!
I shot 10 foul shots and made them all. He gave me a hug and said I didn’t suck. And then he taught me how to actually do those drills that the other girls were doing. I didn’t go out for that team ever again. What I did instead, is become a student of the game, and a work horse. I made a promise to myself that no one was going to work harder than me on the court.
That happened when I was 12-years-old.
Three years later at the age of 15, Boston College offered me a scholarship to play Division 1 Basketball in the ACC.
In high school I was the state of Massachusetts’ leading scorer. I made varsity as an 8th grader, and ended my career with 2,380 points, becoming the 11th highest scorer in MA history, male or female. I was proud. And every time I think about that scholarship I remember the time that I quit and left a basketball tryout at 12-years-old. Since then, I never quit anything again.
When I was a senior in high school, I tried out for and became a finalist on the #1 television show in the world called American Idol. I was 17, and singing in front of people for the first time. I will get into my Idol stories later, but I bring that up because singing is NOW what I do for a living, and it’s the reason that you’ve found my website (thank you by the way!)
On April 6th I will be “marrying” the two things I love the most in life. Basketball + Singing as I represent the NCAA at the Women’s Final Four in Tampa, FL. This will be an amazing time for women’s basketball, and for lil ole me, because I’ve been asked to perform a 30-minute set before GAVIN DEGRAW!
I’m totally freaking out! If you’re in Tampa, please come say hi!
