LANDRY WILLIAMS had the blueprint to become an exceptional basketball player. However, having a blueprint doesn’t guarantee success. Her determination and grit earned her a scholarship to the University of Missouri – Kansas City. The journey to earn that scholarship wasn’t an easy one.
Her mother, Megan Williams hooped at Oklahoma State University. As soon as Landry was able to pick up a basketball she was learning the game.
For years, Landry’s parents were tough on her. They both played collegiate basketball and had a competitive spirit. “She was our first kid. We had just got done playing so it was hard to turn off our competitive mode,” said Megan. But Megan soon realized that it wasn’t her journey, she had already done it. The ball was in Landry’s court.
Megan asked Landry, “Is this what you want?”
The answer was yes.
Says Landry, “My biggest goal was to get a scholarship. My mom prepared me for this moment, she was like a study guide for a test I had to take.”
Landry admits to being stubborn in the beginning. But eventually, she bought into it.
She got a wake-up call when her dad kicked her off of his AAU team. She didn’t get a pass because she was the coach’s daughter. “They can’t want it for me,” said Landry.
That was all the motivation Landry needed to get into shape and play the best basketball she had ever played. Then, she tore the ACL in her left knee. She couldn’t walk for six weeks. Life as she knew it had changed drastically overnight.
But Landry is a fighter. What could have broken her spirit, made her stronger mentally and spiritually.
Says Landry, “Everything happens for a reason. I had been praying and seeking a closer relationship with God. When I tore my ACL I had more time to focus on God. Now, I get a chance to help people by sharing my story.”
Basketball can make your outlook on life change. Tearing her ACL was the most devastating thing that happened to her. Similar to Landry, Megan had her most devastating experience when she was around the same age. In her senior year of high school, she lost her father.
“I was 18 when my dad died and I questioned why I played the game. God spoke to my heart and I realized that I played for the Lord,” said Megan.
Although they faced different challenges, they both were confronted with defining moments in their lives: take their ball and go home or press on.
Basketball pushes us to be the best person we can be in the face of adversity.
Landry and her mother have chosen a path that allows them to be a blessing to other’s. Underneath all the accolades, they remain humble and faithful.
Says Megan, “I would love Landry if she didn’t play basketball. Basketball is not who you are, it’s a platform that God gives you to display your gift.”