DEVONTAE
How long have you been playing basketball for?
I’ve been playing basketball for like five years now. But playing at Turnpike Lane… I would say when I moved houses from East Dulwich, around four years ago now.
Why did you start playing basketball?
I started because I had a coach in year seven who inspired me to play. He told me to come to the clubs. I used to play football before but he told me to come and I really enjoyed it. I like the feeling of playing basketball. There's a lot to learn from it on the court like defence / offence, but there's also a lot to learn off the court. It’s changed me into a better person.
I had to make a lot of sacrifices and put a lot of effort into this. But I feel like it was all worth it because I'm seeing results.
What kind of sacrifices?
Stuff like waking up early. Waking up early wasn't my thing, especially on holidays. If you asked me two years ago, I'd never expect to be waking up at six o'clock to go train. Now I do it regularly. I train every day. I try to have one rest day Sunday but sometimes I go overboard.
With practice, I feel motivated to do it. Like it's not a struggle… I feel like I have to get it done. It can be something to not enjoy at times but at the end of the day, I love it after every workout. I'm happy because I feel like I got this done and I feel like I'm moving up in the world. I wanted to be a pro athlete when I was young, but now… I want it so bad. I've been training… I feel like all this work is leading up to something. I'm just gonna keep going and try my best.
What do you think playing basketball adds to your life?
I feel like I'm physically stronger and my well-being is way better. Off the court it’s taught me a lot, like discipline. I learned a lot about respect playing basketball and things not to do in situations. Like when it comes to fights and stuff… people kind of push you to your limits, see if you react, put you off your game. Basketball is a mental game at the end of the day. So real life situations like fights happen when people talk to each other and stuff like that. I feel like I've overcome that stage where people can get in my face… I'm staying grounded, I'm staying me. That's one way it shifted my behaviour. I know I shouldn't be fighting. And also, I could stop this other person from getting into trouble too. And like, maybe we can resolve the situation in another way.
What type of person do you want to be?
I feel like I need to shape myself into someone that’s respectful and learn to help others. I've seen a lot of people struggle in my life and I would look to help them if I was a pro athlete in the future. 100%.
I feel like there is a kind of a pressure to help people, but there isn't, at the same time. At the end of the day, I’m doing this for myself. But I feel like I should help people because there's a lot of people who put time and effort into me. And even if I don't make it, I can still give back to them. I can give them thanks and stay in touch with them. But yeah, I think it's good to give back to the community.
What are you proud of yourself
for?
I would say I'm proud of the way my mindset has changed. I used to be very lazy and kind of part time with things. But now, whatever I'm doing, I'm disciplined with it. Not even just sports but school studies too. I know I have to get work done and I make sure I get it done. I'm able to get myself better grades. I make sure, if I'm falling back, I keep a schedule. I know I have to do certain things at certain times. For example, revision. I hate it, but I know I have to do it. So, I keep the schedule. So even on my worst day, I know the schedules there and I have to get it done.
What would you like to
improve on?
I would say letting things get to my head. I ignore it a lot but it's still in my mind. And to just stay focused. I think pressure hits me a lot at the start of things. But as I get into it, it gets way better. I think the way I start things needs to be better. Some basketball games… intense ones like playoff games. I know I would do good if I was locked in but I just wasn't locked in. Now before games, I listen to music that I like, like Rod Wave. I listen to music and calm down. I also talk to my mum before games and she’s like ‘it’s gonna be alright’. I feel like that really helps.
What would you say is your biggest struggle is right now?
I feel like my biggest struggle is ice baths. I go in for ten minutes to help me recover. It’s a thing that I hate but I gotta do it, so I just do it. It really helps, especially my legs, by reducing lactic acid. I make sure I stretch too.
I feel like a good thing about me is that I get things done no matter how I feel about it before. That mentality has changed my life a lot. Like, let me tell you example, I went to Alton Towers and rode the ‘Smiley’ roller coaster the other day. I never would have done that two years ago. It was my first-time going on a roller coaster and I feel like
What do you like about living in Haringey?
I think it is the support. There's a lot of support in Haringey, for example, we’ve got Benoit… he supports me a lot. For example, last year, I was training outside and he brought me inside to Selby. I was able to get a lot of training time and better my game. It means a lot because Benoit doesn't have to help me, it’s his choice, and that means a lot. Someone giving their own time and I know the court is not cheap, but he's able to open it for us to play for free. That's the benefits because I know other people who are looking for courts to play but they're unable to find any. I feel like there's a lot of people in Haringey that support you but there's a lot of work that needs to be done.
What would you want to change in Haringey?
A revamp of the courts. When courts get broken Haringey can sometimes take a long time to fix things. I don't know if it’s because they’ve got other stuff to do. But yeah, I’d be happier if they were a bit quicker.
What would you say your favourite memory of playing
basketball is?
Hitting a halfcourt buzzer beater against a team called London Lions. Man, it felt really good going into the second half of that game.
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