February 1st marks National Girls and Women in Sports Day. We asked Jasmine Thomas to share how being a woman in sports has impacted her life.
“Playing basketball since I was a young kid taught me responsibility and several values that continue to help me be successful in life as an adult. Most importantly, I learned how to prioritize and be disciplined. I always had to maintain good grades and behavior in school in order for my parents to allow me to continue playing. I also learned to be a positive role model. As early as high school, young girls were following my career. Because of those girls, I made sure to carry myself in a manner, both on and off the court, which they could look up to.
Basketball has positively attributed to the person I am today because it allowed me to have experiences that might not have been possible without sports. I was able to attend the prestigious Duke University and get an outstanding education that my family couldn’t afford had I not been on an athletic scholarship. Now, I’ve been fortunate to travel around the world experiencing different cultures as a professional basketball player. I’m proud of the person I’ve become and along with my faith and family basketball has played a huge part in that.”
– Jasmine Thomas
