Vivian Marker is a junior at Struthers High School who has been playing basketball for 9 years.
Basketball is one of her favorite sports to play and wants to continue playing it.
Playing this stressful sport comes with a lot of challenges and criticism from the team and coaches, but it gives her motivation to overcome whatever comes her way. It does make her upset though, but she uses it and turns it into work she can do.
“I get upset sometimes, or I kind of try to brush it off,” says Marker.
Despite this aspect, she loves bonding with her team and the strong friendships it builds. Also enjoying the game itself keeps her going.
She has kept her motivation throughout these 9 years of playing, but there is someone special she looks up to.
“I try to breathe and tell myself I’m going to get through it. My biggest motivation is making myself and making sure I’m there for my teammates. I like Jason Tatum; I look up to him because he makes basketball worth watching and playing,” says Marker.
Basketball has taught her a lot and helped apply things to the real world. She thinks the main thing it has taught her was teamwork. She knows it takes coming together to make something strong and good.
Sometimes the game brings a lot of pressure, but one time specifically she can remember was the worst.
“When I’m getting trapped by two girls, and I have picked up my dribble. I handled it by making sure I kept the ball in my hands and looking for my teammate,” says Marker.
In her whole career, she knows teamwork really does make a difference and brings something special that no other sport can replace.
