Ava Richie (9) was practically born with a basketball in her hand. Since then, Richie has learned life skills from the sport and has made memories from the sport. 

Basketball has been a part of Richie’s family for as long as she can remember and has two younger siblings who also play. She started playing in second grade where she met people she plays with even today.

“My family has always been a basketball family and I just always saw a ball and would always pick it up, I just enjoyed it,” Richie said. “I have always enjoyed being able to play. I also love my teammates and I’ve been with some of them since second grade.”

Since second grade, Richie has made multiple achievements such as winning two back to back conference championships as well as making it onto the high school varsity team as a freshman.

“I had to work hard, shoot extra in the gym, and hold my teammate and myself accountable,” Richie said.

Making these achievements did not come without its challenges. As a younger member of the team, Richie has had to overcome the challenge of facing opponents who were bigger and older than her.

“My teammates helped a lot with it, and I just learned not to stress about it because mistakes can happen,” Richie said. “I just have to continue pushing and getting better.”

Her team has been a key part of her basketball journey and she has learned the importance of teamwork and how it helps the team perform better.

“Having a team connection is important because if we connect, we play better and learn more. It’s just more fun,” Richie said. “My favorite memory was probably the bus rides with my teammates.”

Outside of basketball, Richie is also in Chick Fil-A club and the athletic council. In her future, Richie hopes to play college basketball as well as getting into the business field which she has always had an interest in.