OWINGS MILLS, Md — Sports serve as a powerful metaphor for life, and nowhere is this more evident than with Team Thrill, a middle school AAU girls basketball team in Baltimore, where young athletes are developing both their skills and character.
WATCH: Baltimore middle school basketball team teaches life lessons on and off the court
When head coach Qiana Cheatham took over the team six years ago, I wanted to create an environment that would prepare these middle school girls for the next level of competition.
Many of these athletes have dreams of playing professionally, so getting them accustomed to playing in front of big crowds and dealing with loud noise became a priority.
"You're seeing those coaches on the sideline during live periods. So when that time comes for them, they know what to do. They're ready to play, and it's not like that situation is going to make things give them some type of apprehension when they're out there," Cheatham said.
Being part of Team Thrill means giving young girls opportunities to travel and experience places they might not have otherwise had the chance to visit.
"I look at all of these girls that I have basically 19 daughters. I have one, actually, but it looks like I have 19 daughters. That's how I look at all of them so that I make sure I pour into all of them and be able to help and provide them the same opportunities that I would provide for my own child," Cheatham said.
The team emphasizes camaraderie, community, and growth. Leondra Bright's two daughters are on the team, and they make the drive from Annapolis to Owings Mills for every practice and game.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. She's created a safe space for the girls to grow, love the sport, be confident in their skill set. And I really love that that's why we keep coming back," Bright said.
For Cheatham, basketball serves as a vehicle for teaching broader life lessons.
"Yes, we're playing games, but at the same time I like to take any mistake that they make or any of the things that we're talking about and kind of translate that over into what life is gonna be like them moving forward just so they kind of see the bigger picture that is, yeah, we're playing basketball, yeah we're it's X's and O's and it's wins and losses, but that same thing happens in life," Cheatham said.
Team Thrill's next tournament is in Manheim, Pennsylvania, February 28 through March 1.
If you're interested in learning more about Team Thrill, they have a web series, "We Are Thrill," you can watch here.
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