Richard finds love in the sport she did not really want to play as a kid
Sometimes the one thing you do not want as a part of your life can become one of your greatest assets.
Such is the case for Mamou High’s senior guard Ka’zhanna Richard, the 2018 Girl’s All-Parish Most Valuable Player.
As a young girl, Richard really did not want to play the game that she has come to love and excel at. And, the reason that she steered away from the sport was not because she did not like being out on the hard court, but rather because she did not believe in her skills.
“I started playing basketball when I was a about six years old, but I did not want to play,” stated Richard. “I felt like I was not good for the sport; that it was not for me. My grandmother, Laura Wilson, forced me to play. She told me that I was really good at playing the game. She did not want me to waste the talent she saw inside of me. Today, I am really glad that she believed in me enough to push me as hard as she did.”
That talent manifested itself on the court for the past six years at Mamou High. Richard began her high school career in the seventh grade and has never looked back.
“When I first started playing with the high school team, the older players taught me not to be scared,” said Richard. “So, I just kept working hard, and they began to slowly accept me. Eventually, I was able to work my way into the starting line-up. I was shy and a little intimidated, but I came to learn at lot, and it made me a better player.”
Richard and her teammates were able to accomplish a ton during her six-year run on the varsity team, making the post-season in five of those years. As a sophomore, Richard and the Lady Demons were quarter-finalists, and in her junior year, the team went all the way to the semi-finals before bowing out to Rayville.
This past season, Richard had to learn how to be the leader on and off of the court. As the veteran on the floor and playing with a number of new players, Richard found herself trying to emulate those that had guided her as a nubile hardwood athlete.
“Learning how to be a leader took some time for me,” commented Richard. “I never was the vocal type. Coach (Danisha) Allison had to really drill it in me. She kept telling me that I have to be an example. This year we had a brand new team on the court, so it was up to me to take control of the team. Looking back, I feel I may have not been the best leader, but I really tried to do the best I could.”
The combination of those leadership skills and her immense talent on the floor had led to a plethora of awards throughout Richard’s high school career. Just the past season, Richard was named as a first team selection in District 5-3A, after averaging 16.3 points and 4.2 assists per game.
Richard will graduate in the spring and plans to start her quest to become a registered pharmacist. As far as playing basketball on the next level, Richard knows that school will have to take priority.
“If I am going to accomplish my goal of becoming a pharmacist, I know school must come first. So, for right now, I do not plan on trying to play beyond high school.”
Thomas overcomes self inflicted adversity to redeem himself fully
To redeem yourself, no matter what the situation, is the goal of anyone who has ever fallen in the face of adversity.
That is exactly what the 2018 Boys’ All-Parish Most Valuable Player, Tammrick Thomas had in mind when he took the court last spring for the first time in a year and a half.
The Mamou High senior forward admits that school was not a priority for him when he entered high school his freshman year at Ville Platte High. And, because of that, Thomas’ grades fell behind what was needed for him to compete on the varsity level.
Only able to play junior varsity for part of his freshman season, Thomas followed his good friend Tralan Arvie’s advice and transferred to Mamou his junior year. That move helped Thomas churn up the desire to get himself back on the court and prove to everyone what type of talent he truly had. On top of that, Thomas was also really anxious to show to himself and anyone who was watching that he could commit himself to his grades.
“Coming to Mamou was the best decision I have ever made,” stated Thomas. “It wasn’t that being at Ville Platte High was bad, but I needed a change to be able to focus on my grades. Tralan was after me to transfer all the time, and I finally made the commitment my junior year. When I got there, the other students were really helpful, especially Chandler Vidrine. Chandler helped me anytime I needed and was a big reason why I was able to become eligible in the spring. I really owe him a lot.”
In the meantime, Thomas kept his basketball skills on point by participating in AAU. Thomas had been a part of the Opelousas and Louisiana Rockets organization from the time he was 12-years-old up until last year. That experience in AAU helped Thomas stay on top of his game.
“Playing AAU was a great experience,” said Thomas. “It is like playing travel ball in baseball. You get to travel all over the United States and play against some the best competition in the country. A lot of the players I played against had committed to play college ball. Getting to be on the same floor as those guys just made me better.”
Getting better on and off the court allowed Thomas to finally get his chance to participate in a game on the high school level in the spring of last year. When Thomas first took the court in January of 2017, he counted his blessings.
“The day I became eligible, we had a game,” commented Thomas. “I was so nervous because I did not know any of the plays. But, I started to get more and more comfortable and was able to finally get back into the flow of the game.”
Good thing for Mamou. With Thomas on the court, the Demons made a quarter-final appearance in 2017.
This season, Mamou exited the playoffs after the first round, but Thomas had a stand out year. Thomas was selected to the District 5-3A first team, as he averaged 21.5 points and 10 rebounds per game.
After graduation, Thomas hopes to play on the next level.
“I just hope I get the chance to continue my career somewhere,” said Thomas.
How’s that for redemption!