Juju Watkins finished her high school basketball career as the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Watkins’s parents knew she would receive the award, but they kept her in the dark. “This is one of the most prestigious awards she can receive,” said Ella Watkins. the athletic. “To do it and finish it the right way is really special to me.”
Juju’s parents wanted her to play tennis, but she chose basketball.
Juju Watkins was born on July 15, 2005 to Sari and Robert Neal-Watkins. He grew up with three older brothers in Watts, California.
Robert, Juju and Sari Watkins | Photo by Amanda Scurlock/LA Sentinel
Watkins’ grandfather, Ted Watkins Sr., was a civil rights activist in Watts. He responded to the Watts riots of 1965 by founding the Watts Labor Community Action Committee to provide jobs and social services. He juju practiced basketball at a gym in Watts named after Ted.
Sari and Robert played basketball at their school, but they wanted Juju to play tennis, like the Williams sisters. Juju insisted that he wanted to play basketball. She said ESPN:
“I had to go to my mom and say, ‘I want to do this.’ For her to say, ‘Okay, now let me put something on you. They really forced me to want to take something seriously because their whole thing is, ‘Don’t do anything if you’re not going to be fully involved.'”
Watkins’ lack of fundamental skills almost ended his career before it really started; he just played his first year of travelball. Watkins didn’t give up: She begged her parents to coach her to be a better player, and they complied from her. Robert said ESPN that Watkins responded brilliantly to his instructions:
“When we started out in the backyard, it was always about base and repetition. The great thing about Juju was that whatever we worked on in the backyard, she would immediately implement it in the game. She wasn’t afraid to take risks.
Through persistence and dedication, Watkins unlocked his potential. “I realized that he was good when he was 12 years old,” Watkins said. ESPN. “It was also when I saw that my hard work was paying off and I saw a glimpse of how far basketball could take me.”
Sari and Robert are not worried about Watkins’ fame and celebrity status.
saree said ESPN that the key to Watkins’ rapid improvement was consistency. “Be constant in life,” said Sari. “It was because once she wanted to get serious, we just put a lot of energy into helping her build that. It was our priority.”
With every point scored, Watkins’ popularity went up a notch. In high school, fans of hers began to approach her after games. Watkins said she used recognition from her as motivation to keep improving her game.
“I took that as more fuel to grow even more and have that impact on people where they know my name and know what I do,” Watkins said. Sari and Robert weren’t worried about Watkins’ fame; They focused on improving his game and attitude. Watkins’ mother stated:
“When people started approaching her, we didn’t really want to focus on that because we were looking at it from the perspective of improving her game and making sure she was a good person. The other things were not on our minds.”
Robert and Sari moved the Watts family to North Los Angeles when Watkins transferred from Windward School to Sierra Canyon, the school of his dreams. Watkins’s parents said they worked hard to make the right decisions for her.
“We were looking at it from the perspective of, ‘What’s the best decision for her to be happy?’” Sari stated. “It was just about supporting our daughter and making sure she was happy. The other things didn’t matter.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn