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Date: 17 August 2021 Author: Energise Me
Growing up Patricya was aware of being different. She was a tall tomboy and felt she stood out playing netball. After seeing how inclusive basketball teams are, she realised it was the sport for her.
Growing up I was always sporty. Sitting and doing arts and crafts didn’t interest me at all. I was the tallest girl in my class and quite literally the biggest target when it came to jokes and torment. I played netball and rounders at school, and I was always running around.
Playing netball, I felt like I stood out. Yes, they like tall players but it’s not a necessity for the game. I didn’t feel very accepted playing. I would be put against a short girl, and they’d say it wasn’t fair and ask why I was so tall.
On the team, I was always put as goal shooter or goal keeper as they wanted me to use my height to protect the net even though I played better as goal attack. I wanted to strive to be able to go to a team that respected me and put me in a positive light.
In basketball, everyone comes together like pieces of a puzzle. They all look different and have different strengths but they work together as a team.
I always watched basketball when I was younger. I’d watch street basketball being played in my area as well as programmes about the sport on TV. Watching the sport, I realised being different wasn’t something to apologise for.
In basketball, everyone comes together like pieces of a puzzle. They all look different and have different strengths but they work together as a team. They showcased tall people rather than hiding them at the back.
When I was about 12/13 I watched the boys’ team at my school play a match and I knew I wanted to play for the school. I asked my PE teacher if there was a team I could join, but unfortunately there wasn’t. Not enough girls had been interested so they never set one up.
Luckily, we were allowed to start training with the boys. My sister and I and some of her friends all started training. It was hard as boys play differently from girls. They were bigger and they’d been training for longer. We didn’t have enough players to play matches but at least we could train and have fun.
I trained at my secondary school for two years. Eventually, the school made it an all-inclusive training but we still didn’t get to play matches. In year 11, I had to give it up to focus on my GCSE’s.
The school introduced period 7, an extra hour of lessons for year 11 to revise in so I could no longer train. It was really hard. At the time I was playing both badminton and basketball and they were my escape. Playing both helped me destress.
Even my family noticed the difference when I stopped playing. I was on edge all the time as the pressure built. I didn’t have a concrete way to release it. No way to relax and get a bit of serotonin in my veins.
Basketball brings me the happiness that no other sport ever has. It’s a challenge and you are always learning and trying to better yourself.
Then summer came and we got our GCSE results and I saw an opportunity to get back to basketball. I would go to the outside courts in Mayflower Park near my house. I worked on just trying to learn the basics again.
Once I started college I did the trials and got on the team. I have been playing for my college for two years.
In September I will hopefully be going to university and I plan to keep playing there. Basketball is something I couldn’t do without now. It’s my pride and joy. I really enjoy playing and meeting new people. Basketball brings me the happiness that no other sport ever has. It’s a challenge and you are always learning and trying to better yourself.
It’s not about the competition for me, I am not a superfan. I like the sport, I play for connections. It’s about being yourself in a safe environment and just playing. Basketball is a sport for everyone. I find when you’re a person of colour you are expected to play the sport. I think the media portray it as a sport for people of colour.
But that’s not the reason I play. I was attracted to basketball because I saw so many different people playing. There were only two people of colour on my team. I had time to learn how to be good, I wasn’t expected to be the best right away.
In basketball, you can be short and fast and be good or you can be average height and not have good stamina but still be an amazing shooter. It’s about seeing different people and working out their strengths and fitting them together like pieces of a puzzle
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