Fatima “TNT” Lister is among the few women who’ve played for The Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, and she visited students at Westmount Park School Tuesday to share her love of the game.
Students in grades were very excited to meet a professional basketball player. Lister got the students to do some fun basketball drills in the gym and the kids were running and laughing.
“I think being a part of the team in general, for kids and anybody, people want to feel like they belong to somewhere, right?” said Lister.
“They want that sense of community and that sense of camaraderie. I think we all want to find that thing that feels like home to us that we are comfortable in and we’re confident in.”
She talked about her struggles to break into basketball - and how her tenacity and talent made the difference.
Ayana Dawkins-Felix is a grade five student and basketball player herself.
“She plays basketball and I love basketball. I feel like it’s inspiring because basketball is my favorite sport, so it’s just my dream!” she told CTV News.
Kimora Gabriel also plays basketball and said having Lister at school was “so exciting and a good opportunity for all of us in the club, and I was really happy.”
The club in question is a weekly lunchtime basketball program open to any students who want to play. Two teachers volunteer to run the club every Friday.
Liam Bourassa is one of those teachers. “We started this club three years ago and I would say each year we’re now probably about 50 per cent girls in the club,” he said.
“The first year we only had a few and then their friends started joining and their friends started joining. I think it was great for them to have a positive female role model today.”
His partner Kimond Cruikshank says having Lister visit the school means the kids learn more than a sport.
“It’s about resilience, learning about the obstacles you have to face being a woman trying out for a male-dominated team. And knowing that they could persevere and keep going and just not stop — don’t give up," said Cruikshank.
Denburk Reid of the Red Rush Basketball program helped organize the event. He said trying different things can lead to discovering your passion.
“I really believe that sports is so important for the development of our youth, and it all starts with a spark. They have to be exposed to it for them to determine if it’s something that they like, what they don’t like. But, if they’re not exposed to it, they would never know,” said Reid.
Judging by the cheers and the smiles, the kids felt that spark thanks to Lister.
Student Pooya Khosravi excitedly told CTV News “I met a pro basketball player and she signed my headband!”
Ayana added that she felt empowered to hear that “whether you’re a boy or a girl you can play.”
The Harlem Globetrotters will play at Place Bell April 17 and Centre Bell on April 18.
