What it takes to be great is you have to make sacrifices.

Basketball is it’s a commitment.

I love this game of basketball.

And I think it could really change my my life, my parents life.

The game of basketball can really change a lot of things.

So I think that’s also my why and why I play basketball.

Alright, hey y’all.

Oh, I just woke up.

So my games are at 4:40 and seven I think.

So I have a few things I got to do.

You know, I got time.

It’s only 9:00, but I do gotta take a shower.

I gotta do some skincare, do my hair, do them edges.

I love basketball because it’s fun.

It’s something that I enjoy doing and it really just let me be myself.

And it lets me express myself on the court.

When playing basketball, I feel free.

Now I’m done with my edges.

So now I’m just going to chill for real.

And yeah I think that’s it.

Jaylah is one of the fiercest competitors I’ve ever coached.

So I agree.

And me and Coach Paul agreed that we had a great start, but the number one thing that we want to do is consistency.

That’s how we’re going to see improvement.

So it was a good first start.

But now we want to continue to build on that, okay.

So everybody go out there have fun.

Let’s get better today.

Alright here we go.

Let’s go.

Take us out, King.

Rise on three, 1, 2, 3 Rise.

She impacts the game in so many ways as far as being able to score being able to make other people better.

That’s probably my favorite skill about her is being able to make other people better.

When there’s college coaches sitting on the baseline, she’s going to make the right read.

That’s my that’s my girl.

That’s my girl.

How did I do?

Three.

Two.

One.

Okay.

Ready?

Yeah.

Three.

Two.

One.

Oh.

We won!

We won!

That’s it!

It’s over.

Screen screen screen.

You know what a screen is?

Go like this.

On dad.

Like this way.

Yep.

On the outside.

Yeah like that.

And make sure he can’t get past you.

Okay.

Nice and wide.

Widen your feet up.

Good screen boy.

My boy.

There’s been a few moments where I just.

I just seen something special in her.

But one of those moments that stuck out to me was early on.

And I want to say it was middle school basketball.

And, um, you know, it was a, it was a game where it was like, came down to the last shot.

Right.

And I knew that she wasn’t afraid to take the last shot.

I want to say that story.

So middle school basketball, I think we’re down three with seven seconds left.

This is a game going back and forth.

And I don’t know, I just I had to take the shot.

So I shot it, made it.

And yeah, I guess that was the buzzer beater.

He was pumped.

I mean, I think I ran onto the court.

He did.

I was like in the middle of the court celebrating too.

So, you know, I seen more than just the shot.

You know what I’m saying?

I seen, you know, I just seen the will to win.

And it was just, you know, she gets that look in her eye, you know.

Yeah.

That was it for me.

Scared ’em.

Alright we not losing.

Come on.

We not losing.

Mir Mir.

Let me talk to you.

Let me talk to you.

Stop getting cooked.

It has become my life.

You know what I mean?

Basketball and Jaylah’s stuff has just kind of took over my life.

You know, we’re, like, all in.

I don’t even watch men’s basketball anymore.

I’m just all in the girls basketball myself.

Just the culture of it has changed.

Obviously the financial side is getting better.

And it’s going to continue to grow.

And I think by the time she’s off into college and I think they’ll be making some good money.

So I also look at it as an investment.

So I don’t mind going through what we’re going through.

It’s it’s a lot.

The training, the tournaments.

It’s just a lot.

It’s draining sometimes.

It’s very draining.

But.

It is.

None of them have the regular teenage girl lives.

I know girls who have missed prom, who have missed homecoming to sacrifice playing basketball.

So it’s it’s it’s tough.

But I think the end reward they know is to be able to have a full athletic scholarship.

That’s what they’re doing.

They’re sacrificing their time and their energy, and for their parents money, to be able to, in hopes to earn a full scholarship.

To see some girls that did not have the luxury of growing up with a lot of money, but being able to save their parents money by earning a scholarship.

It’s a wonderful and beautiful thing to see.

They’re literally changing their parents lives and their family’s lives, but I’m sure there’s a lot of pressure that comes with that.

And you have a little extra something on your shoulder just thinking about, because you know that you could be the person that is going to be relied upon to change your family’s lives.

When I got with her, I became like her trainer, one of her trainers, and then also like a big brother mentor to her.

So I’ve been able to be a part of this circle of trust in their village.

First conversation was with her dad, really, and it was, I want my daughter to be a power five kid power for a kid, which is like the top level of college.

And how can I do that?

And I was like, well, you have to now make her name look attractive, but how could we do that?

Start the podcast.

Yer.

What’s up y’all.

Welcome to the 4 Underdog Jaylah podcast.

Yer.

What’s up y’all.

Welcome to the 4 Underdog Jaylah podcast.

Welcome to the 4 Underdog Jaylah podcast.

What’s up y’all.

Welcome to the 4 Underdog Jaylah podcast.

I’m here with the guys, my dad, Coach Tez, and our special guest, Triqz.

I told her, I said, you have to take this as a business, right?

This is your income in the next 2 to 3 years.

And what’s your why?

And we talk about that all the time.

If your why is to make sure your parents are good, this is how you set the foundation.

I don’t like to talk I think as y’all can tell.

Or whatever.

I don’t like to talk in public.

Like I’m kind of, you know.

So I think starting the podcast really is helping me try to get out of my comfort zone because I stay on the podcast.

It’s okay to be uncomfortable.

That’s what I say.

So it’s like, this is getting me out of my comfort zone.

And, you know, because I got to talk to a lot of people.

I got to talk to college coaches, like after a game interview.

So I got to get used to it.

So that type of stuff, it kind of just, you know, brings me out of my comfort zone.

So that’s kind of and not only me, other girls that kind of look up to me like younger girls, um, it really just shows them like it’s okay to be uncomfortable.

So that’s why I started the podcast.

Well, well, we started the podcast, I’d say.

I’m very particular with my praises, right?

Because I try to keep her humble and I know she she values my opinion a lot.

I let her know from time to time I’ll just sporadically text her, hey, I’m proud of you.

Sometimes I do fear of letting people down because they believe in me and you know, so I don’t want to let them down.

And I know the expectations they have for me.

So if I don’t meet the expectations, you know, it’s kind of like, dang, you know, I’m letting you down and I’m letting myself down.

So sometimes I do fear, you know that.

So talk about your college recruitment process right now.

What was it like getting your first offer?

Like knowing that a school wants me, and they’re giving me a free college tuition?

I was just very proud of myself.

It was, it was just different.

Like, I don’t know, it was a lot emotions at once because it was like, I just got my first D1 offer.

Yeah, I was just proud of myself.

And then it was on Father’s Day also.

So.

What was it like for you, man?

I mean, hey, look, that was something that, you know, I mean, you’ve been out here grinding with her.

So what was that like?

It was all surreal, right?

Because things happened so fast.

So she hasn’t even started school.

And to get a college offer was crazy.

She’s what you call a one in a lifetime, or one in a generation type talent that you know you just gravitate to.

She has a smile.

She has a personality.

But what people don’t understand is she’s a dog.

And I think that’s what women’s sports kind of get a bad rap is.

Oh, it’s just lollipops and rainbows.

But I’ve seen this kid in dog fights and come out smiling, still with a ponytail, and her edges lead, but she’s still just a dog.

So I think that’s the comparison I could see about the sport’s just evolving to a whole nother level as a person.

What these coaches see as potential or if she’s right now, at this point, as an eighth grader, ninth grader, 10th grader, I’m excited to see what she becomes.

12th grade.

Right.

And then a lot of them are trying to get their bid in early because they know she’s still working.

She’s getting even better.

She’s getting even taller.

Her understanding is going to get better.

And I think that right there jumps out.

But also they look at her her family.

Right.

Okay.

You come from good stock is what they would call it.

You have good people around you.

You have a good village that’s supporting you.

So I think they’re not only offering her the person an athlete, but they’re offering a family, like, okay, you know, you’re going to have a lot of good things to contribute.

Did you just see that?

That was phony.

What?

You didn’t see the cross jab?

I went like this.

Nobody’s falling for that.

What?

That was tough.

One.

Two.

Three.

My biggest worry is her not coming to me and saying, hey dad.

Saying what I want no more, right?

Because it can happen and kids can get burnt out.

And and so I always try to keep that open line of communication with her, just to understand and make sure this is still what she wants.

Right?

Because I can want it.

But if she doesn’t want it, it does us no good.

It’s hard making the sacrifices.

Like, do I really need to go to the sleepover or do I need to be in the gym?

I know what’s best for me, and I know that I still need to work hard to get to where I want to be.