The echo of a basketball dribbling across the court followed by the swish of another made shot brings a rush of excitement to junior Amani Meeks when she is playing the game she loves most in the world.
On a typical in-season day, Meeks is awoken by her alarm at 6:20 a.m. with a full day ahead of her.
She gets up groggy, brushes her teeth, washes her face, grabs something to eat and gets dressed before leaving the house at 7:00 a.m. She makes time to drop off her basketball bag in a classroom and still arrive punctually to her first period.
After the long school day is over and Meeks has made sure she is caught up on her work by studying and finishing homework during her free periods, she shifts her focus to basketball. In a short period of time, the team is expected to change and prepare for practice or a game.
On game days, Meeks prepares by tuning out the world to listen to her favorite artists. She credits Brent Faiyaz and Daniel Caesar with helping her succeed both in school and on the court.
Small factors, including music, her artistic abilities and family bonds, all contribute to Meeks’ love for the game of basketball.
Meeks was introduced to basketball at a young age. Surrounded by her brothers and father, who played the sport growing up, she was easily influenced and quickly devoted herself to the game.
Meeks’ biggest supporters are her parents, as well as her grandfather. At least one of them is always there to support her.
However, it was not until her early middle school years that Meeks began to take the game seriously.
“I first noticed her when she was in eighth grade,” girls varsity head coach Brian Claesson said. “She came to our summer camp and it was the first game she had in the summer league where she was playing with the lower-level team. I saw their game and right when I saw her play, right there I knew she was a varsity player. She has been up on varsity ever since.”
In Claesson’s eyes, Meeks is one of the most talented and hard-working players he has ever coached. From showing up in practice physically and mentally prepared to communicating loudly on the court, she proves his belief that she is an accomplished athlete.
A common debate in sports is whether they are more physically or mentally challenging. Meeks shares her perspective based on personal experience.
“I think [basketball] is more mentally challenging because if you’re mentally locked in the game I feel like you automatically do good,” Meeks said. “But when you slip up, it can cause a turnover. Also, if you miss a play you can lose just because you were not mentally ready.”
Beyond the visible athleticism that is displayed in her in-game performance, Meeks faces her toughest battles off the court. Her confidence has sometimes been elevated while at other times it has dropped off during her years as an athlete.
Through guidance from her club coach, Meeks has rebuilt her confidence and become an even stronger player. However, she has not forgotten the struggles of being yelled at or pulled aside mid-practice or during games, moments that ultimately helped rebuild her confidence.
Meeks believes a big part of the game is a player’s willingness to work. From experience, she recognizes the traits of a driven athlete.
“Hustle is just a mindset,” Meeks said. “If you are already in that mindset, you are going to hustle.”
Because of her own battles with confidence in games, Meeks has become aware of her teammates’ struggles and in no way blames them for ever having a bad performance and instead offers support.
“As a teammate, I feel like she lifts up other people because she sees things from other people’s point of view, so she understands when people get down on themselves because she’s done the same thing and we all do too,” senior Kyra Lilly said. “As a friend, she’s just the type of person where if I’m having a bad day she just immediately brightens up my day. She makes me laugh all the time, and she’s just so sweet.”
Outside of basketball, Meeks is known for her sense of humor and kindness.
Lilly recalls a moment during her sophomore season after practice when Meeks performed an entire dance to “Let It Go” from Frozen. Meeks kept this tradition alive by performing “Golden” from K-Pop Demon Hunters this year.
Almost everyone who knows Meeks is entertained by her personality, and it is hard to argue otherwise.
“Amani has this special trait that literally everyone that is around Amani and knows Amani absolutely loves Amani,” Claesson said. “She just has this bubbly personality that she’s always smiling. She’s the one dancing at practice, and that’s just who she is. Everybody enjoys being around her.”
Meeks takes pride in being a good friend and teammate, but she has also earned respect on the court. She spends countless hours training, working on ball handling, shooting and overall gameplay.
Although she may not realize it, her teammates view her as a key part of the team’s success.
“I think Amani is the glue to our team,” Lilly said. “She’s great on offense and defense, she’s always talking, she doesn’t force too many shots, but she knows when she’s open and when she can take those shots.”
The growth from her role as captain and experience leading her team on and off court ensures Meeks is well-prepared for track season.
