Grace Strickland: “I need to work hard to be the best I can be"
One of Britain's best young basketball prodigies, Grace Strickland, wants to see England take to the court without fear at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
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Grace, 16, from Hertfordshire, pairs full-time education with playing for the London Lions, taking up the sport aged 12 after watching her brother play. She's since gone on to represent England at age-group level, and with the Commonwealth Games less than a year away, the budding guard hopes her country can play without fear on home turf.
"I'm excited to see the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and I definitely think that in four years, that could be a goal that I aim for," said Grace. "The team going out there, doing the best that they can and not going out scared is the main thing. For a team to go out confident so that they know that they couldn't have done any more."
“If they lose or if they win, they know that they have done their best and there is nothing more they could do. With it being 3v3, it's a way quicker game, it's really quick actually, and it's very high intensity, so I think they just need to be smart. It's more smartness and tactical than anything else."
Grace has high hopes for the future having already represented her country - and the support she’s received from SportsAid is greatly benefiting her as she prepares for the next stages of her journey.
"I'm really hopeful for next year, and next summer, I'm hoping to go to the Euros with my age group for GB and hopefully just each year making the squad,” said Grace. “This year, I have been to camps, and hopefully, I'll make the squad to go to the Euros this summer.
"It just makes me think that I need to work hard, and it motivates me to keep pushing. That's because, at this level, you can't just pick and choose when you want to do stuff. You have to do the stuff that you don't like doing, so it just motivates me when it's hard at times to do stuff that I don't really want to do.
"Being supported by SportsAid has really shown me that people really believe in me, and it's really motivated me and helped me. Their programmes and their Zoom calls around the mental side and the side off the court, like eating, hydration and food, educated me. It taught me and helped me deal with time management and other things that have helped me improve as a player.”
Having only started playing four years ago, much of Grace’s progression as a player has come during the COVID-19 pandemic, but she's conquered every challenge it's thrown at her.
"It kept me motivated and focused by reminding myself that the season is going to come back,” said Grace. “It’s like whoever works the hardest now is going to see it when we start playing in the league. There was a time where people could work out every day, and people are going to improve, so it's just about knowing that when I come back, I need to be the best that I can be."
Basketball is the youngster's biggest passion, but Grace emphasised the importance she places on staying on top of her schoolwork and how she is thankful for the support of her mentor.
"I definitely like other sports….I love athletics,” she said. "But to be honest, if I'm not playing basketball, then I'm watching it. There's not really much other than basketball. My role model is actually my Dad's business partner, he's actually like a mentor, but he plays basketball as well. I think having that mentor is really helpful, and I think it's something that all young people - and young athletes especially - should have."
Commonwealth Games England has appointed SportsAid to lead on the development, management and operational delivery of Team England Futures at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The programme, supported by Sport England, will reinforce the importance of the Commonwealth Games, particularly one hosted on home soil, as a developmental opportunity within the talent and performance pathway!
