Provided by Card & Associates and Mojo Up Sports Complex
Fishers High School senior Nevaeh Dickman is committed to playing Division I basketball at the University at Buffalo, where she hopes to continue to work hard and play for those closest to her.
Dickman’s dedication to the game of basketball has allowed her to accomplish her dreams.
“My proudest accomplishment through playing basketball would have to be achieving my childhood dream of DI college basketball,” she says. “When I was younger I would look up to these people in college playing and I wanted that to be me, so I worked hard and was dedicated, and I went through ups and downs to get to where I am today, committed to playing basketball at the University at Buffalo.”
Dickman says her grandfather is the biggest reason why she started playing, and she does her best to show her appreciation towards him for introducing her to what she loves most.
“My papaw specifically is what got me into basketball, and he didn’t get the chance to play in college, so I want to kind of play for him in a way because I know him watching me play brings him so much joy,” she says. “He used to play and loved it so much, so I got into it and then fell in love with it. He says he remembers back when I couldn’t even get the ball to the rim back when we shot together, and those memories I’ll cherish forever.”
“I am motivated to play by my goals too,” she adds. “I’ve got big dreams and I won’t let go of those for anything. One thing I like most about playing the sport is probably the people you meet along the journey. For example, I met my best friend through basketball. It’s just a happy place and basketball has really helped me through a lot.”
Her motivation and natural love for the game has allowed her to improve, through each challenge faced.
“When I came into high school, I came onto a stacked Fishers team with multiple DI athletes, so at that time the varsity roster was packed and I didn’t get to play as much my freshman and sophomore year, so I was, in a way, behind everyone else in my grade,” she says.
Dickman initially believed this could be a setback, but with a change of perspective she used that challenge to grow her abilities on the court.
“I looked at this challenge as a blessing in disguise because it made me work harder, because I had to compete with those girls every day in practice,” she says. “It made me realize how much I wanted that playing time, and so that really helped my growth and development. I am always looking to improve every aspect of my game, so just being in the gym, getting reps at shooting, ball handling, finishing, etcetera, is what I’ll be doing to try to ensure I achieve my goals.”
