ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Thursday, March 31, 2005

Larry Larson

When Jessica Davenport was a senior at Independence High School, she was a member of my "Stand and Deliver" team, which travels to middle schools around the central Ohio area and speaks to young people about various aspects of growing up.

Jessi was, as she is today, quietly effective in providing her message to the students and she always grabbed their attention because of her height. "You're so tall," students would say to Jessi and she would respond with, "you might be just as tall as I am some day and you might be just as good a basketball player."

Well, maybe they might grow to 6-foot-4, but to equal her basketball talents, they will have to be knockout good.

Davenport, a first-team All-American at Ohio State, scored 677 points this year (19.3 per game), blocked 116 shots and averaged 9.3 rebounds per game. She is second in career blocked shots and 22nd in career scoring at Ohio State. And she still has two more years to play.

Before Jessi and her OSU teammates left to play in the NCAA Regional in Philadelphia, I talked with her about basketball and what advice she can give young players.

"First of all, I am the perfect person for kids to talk to if they think they have waited too long to begin a sport," Davenport said. "It really is never too late. I didn't play basketball competitively until I was in the eighth grade. I wasn't into sports when I was growing up. I spent a lot of time on my schoolwork and doing things with my friends. It wasn't until my teachers and some girls who played basketball encouraged me to try playing, that I got interested and began to enjoy the game.

"I would urge younger students to always try things. You might not know much about a sport, or any activity, but unless you take a chance and try it, you will never know if you can be successful. For me personally, it wasn't until the summer between my ninth- and 10th-grade year that I discovered I had some potential.

"I learned (the game) through playing against some great players and being competitive. I knew I had a lot of work to do to improve my skills, but I developed a good work ethic and that is another thing you have to have to succeed. You have to know that improvement only comes through hard work, but at the same time you are putting forth a great effort, it is vital that you have fun with it.

"Playing any sport, or doing an activity like music or drama, takes a lot of time. You have to enjoy what you are doing. Sometimes a younger player is only playing because their parents want them to or because all of their friends are involved with the activity. What is critical is that you enjoy practicing and you enjoy working at your game. Everyone on a team has a role. You can't all be stars, so you have to accept and learn your role."

The Buckeyes went on to lose to Rutgers 64-58 last Sunday to finish the season 30-5, but Davenport has learned to take the defeats in stride with the victories.

"The other side of learning to succeed in basketball is the mental side of the game. A lot of times in a game, you make mistakes and you absolutely can't let that get you down. You have to keep your confidence and be ready on the next possession. You have to stay mentally tough and ready because your teammates are relying on you. Also, you have to pay close attention to what your coaches are telling you. They have spent time learning basketball and are teachers of the game. Even though you might not always agree with them, you have to understand that they are doing what they think is best for you."

A consumer affairs major at Ohio State and a high-school honor student, Davenport stresses to younger students the importance of taking care of academics.

"When you are in school, you are a student-athlete. The student part always comes first. Athletics can help you develop the proper work ethic that you can use in the classroom, but you have to take responsibility for schoolwork and then carry it over to your sport. That is what makes you a more mature person. I learned when I made the transition from high school to college that you are all by yourself in terms of responsibility. You do your own laundry, you try to eat properly and you try to balance all the different phases of college life. All of those things are helping you grow as a person.

"For me, basketball has really helped me grow. It has given me so many opportunities. I have traveled to other countries and seen different parts of the world and I have developed a relationship with 13 other girls who are my teammates that I will remember for life."

Ohio State coach Jim Foster calls Jessi a "child of the ages, because she is so humble, so mature and can take constructive criticism better than most athletes can."

Jessi is wise and someone all young people, girls or boys, can learn from.

I'll see you at a game.

Larry Larson is a former athletic director at Grandview High School. He can be heard as "Mr. High School Sports" on WTVN 610 AM.