In 2018-19, the Mountain East Conference began its "Dear Sport" initiative where student-athletes in the conference were encouraged to write a letter to their sport. The initiative provides the opportunity for student-athletes to express in their own words the impact that sports has played in shaping them throughout their lives.
Click here to view all letters posted throughout the year.
Below is a letter from Maya Horne, a basketball player at Glenville State.
Dear Basketball,
You have been a part of my life as long as I can remember. Had it not been for my father’s love of all sports I probably wouldn’t even be able to write this letter. I remember watching my dad play pick-up with his cousins and others on the basketball courts around Baltimore City. I first started playing basketball at four. I would go upstairs in my parents’ bedroom and try to bounce my dad’s medicine ball like it was a basketball. I got serious with basketball when I was about nine and found my first AAU team: the Lady Lions. Since I started playing, I probably have played in close to a 1,000 games and, surprisingly enough, I remember almost all of them. All the games we blew out our opponent, lost, games we’ve come back from, the games we were the underdog and prevailed to the games that we blew. The worst was in my senior year of high school. We got the semifinasl, the game we had been working for all season, and played Milford Mill Academy, one of the top schools in our region. I remember the last couple minutes of that game and the constant will to keep fighting and not just lay down and lose. We lost by six, I believe, and after the game we had a press conference. As I fought back tears after the game, not one reporter showed up to talk to us after the game. All of the reporters that spoke to us before the game had gone to talk to the winning team, and not us, which was frustrating. After this game I learned a lot about myself: that I could lead a team, that putting so much pressure on myself didn’t help me and to always look for the light even in the darkest of situations.
When I look back over the many years of playing basketball what makes me smile most is that I was blessed enough to actually play basketball at many levels from AAU to being a collegiate athlete. Thinking about the teams I’ve been on, especially the ones here at Glenville State, I always remember the laughs we had off the court just hanging out and having fun. I remember the moments we came together and get things done on the court as a team. I remember the long days we spent on the track running miles in the heat and on the court doing what seemed to be endless amounts of sprints and having to encourage my sisters through with you. The many friends I have made on my teams all hold a special place in my heart as they’ve helped me to grow as a player and as a human being. If I had to describe them in one word, it would be sisters. Many times I pulled from them to keep pushing and working hard even when I didn’t want to.
If I had to choose one of the most challenging things about being a student–athlete it is managing time. Making sure everything that I have to do for the week is done and still finding time to be a regular student is the most challenging thing. However, the most rewarding thing is finding out just how tough I am. It has been great to see just how far I can push myself to break boundaries and overcome obstacles that are put on me by myself and others.
There are so many things that I have learned over my four years of being a student-athlete at Glenville State College that have helped me to become a better woman, daughter, sister and friend that I probably couldn’t do it any justice in this letter.
The main thing I am going to miss the most about not playing basketball is competing on the court. The competitive nature it brings out of me is indescribable. The feeling that I get from stepping on that hardwood ready to go to work with my sisters, ready to outwork the other team, beat them in every aspect of the game is what I will miss most when my four year’s comes to an end.
Thank you basketball for always being that friend that was there to listen, never judging or complaining even when I would. Thank you for all your memories you have given to me and so many others. I deeply appreciate the friends and opportunities you have brought into my life. I fell in love with a sport that gave me more than I was able to give to it.
THANK YOU!
Love,
Maya Horne #1
Glenville State College