Basketball star McKay embraces new outlook in career progression

Hounslow basketball star Tejonah-Sharon McKay's outlook has been transformed after taking a huge leap forward in her burgeoning career. McKay, 17, has proven herself to be a dab hand on court, excelling during periods at junior clubs London Pulse and Hounslow Hawks in her early playing days. Ad The teenager now finds herself training with Reading Rockets in partnership with the John Madejski Academy, and has taken valuable lessons in how to manage life as a young athlete.

NBA'It means so much to me' — LeBron James breaks NBA all-time scoring record08/02/2023 AT 08:35 «My main focus was to get into an academy,» said McKay, who is supported by a partnership between SportsAid and Get Living. «The National League training I had at my local club, I feel like it needed to be up in terms of intensity. I just needed to go somewhere in a team where the training would be harder, »My goal was to improve my basketball IQ as well, because I had the skill to be a good basketball player but the IQ was not there.

Coming to an academy would help me with that. «Ultimately I decided to come to Reading, and since I've come here, this has shaped me into the young adult I am today. It hasn't just taught me about basketball, it's taught me about balancing basketball with other factors that matter like work, school and looking after myself.

All of that has helped me mature mentally, more than time with my national team has helped. »The experiences here have taught me not only how to work, but how to have down time as well. My first year taught me that if you don't have down time you're going to burn out and not be able to push yourself mentally, emotionally and physically.