"LEAN INTO THOSE DOUBTS" by Mackenzie Smith

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Mackenzie Smith

Sports: Basketball

District: Fort Bend ISD

High School: Travis HS

Honors/Awards: National Honor Society, Travis Tiger Award, Varsity Team Captain

College: Oklahoma Wesleyan University (OKWU) Honors/Awards: 4 Year Deans List, Outstanding Business Senior of the Year 2022

Who is your role model? Who do you look up to?

My role models are my parents. Both of my parents are very hard working and have taught me to persevere in life. -Mackenzie Smith

What would people be surprised to know about you?

People would be surprised that I love to cook. -Mackenzie Smith

When you were playing High School or College basketball did you ever have any doubts about yourself or your game? How did you overcome those doubts?

I had a lot of doubts throughout my career of basketball. I doubted myself as a leader for my team. I also doubted my skills. However I tried my best to lean into those doubts and use them as motivation. I knew I was slightly uncomfortable being a team captain, so I wanted to grow and learn how to improve. I also doubted if I could play in college so I used that doubt as fuel to improve my skills. I trained harder because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get to the next level if I didn’t work for it. -Mackenzie Smith

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If you can give one piece of advice to a High School athlete planning to compete at the collegiate level; what would it be?

"Be comfortable, be uncomfortable. You are not going to get better if you’re not okay with being uncomfortable. You have to be okay with messing up. You have to be okay with doubting yourself because those insecurities are what is going to motivate you to work harder" (Big Basketball Academy Coach Scott Bigott). This is something Coach Bigott always told me. -Mackenzie Smith

Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?

I see myself working as a high school teacher and coaching basketball. I want to pass my knowledge of basketball onto the youth and pour into young girls with encouragement.

-Mackenzie Smith

embrace-doubt.com 7/21/2023