Tamika Catchings remembers writing her career goal on a sheet of paper, tearing the page out of her journal and running to show her parents and two siblings.
Catchings’ goal — to play in the National Basketball Association — demonstrated that the then-seventh-grader who had been born with hearing loss wasn’t afraid to aim high. Six years later, the formation of a new league inspired Catchings to rethink her goal.
Now retired from a 16-year career in which she became the WNBA’s second-leading all-time scorer, Catchings addressed Franklin College graduates inside a packed Spurlock Center gymnasium on Saturday.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
Her message was the importance of having goals and the persistence and preparation to make them become reality.
“People always asked me before a basketball game, ‘Do you ever get nervous?’” said Catchings, who served as keynote speaker at the commencement ceremony. “Preparing for the game, I get nervous. Warming up, I’m nervous. Doing the handshakes at half-court, I’m nervous.”
“But as soon as the ball goes up, all of that goes away. It’s all about preparation.”
Catchings, a 6-foot-1 forward, was drafted third overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2001 WNBA Draft out of the University of Tennessee. She would become rookie of the year, a 10-time All-Star and a name recognized as much for generosity as for jump shots.
Early in her time with the Fever, Catchings’ desire to give back inspired her to start the Catch the Stars Foundation. As a child, she had to wear bulky hearing aids and her hearing continues to impact her speech. Catchings wanted to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged children by helping them succeed academically and athletically.
“As I look at you guys, I can only imagine when you set your goals,” Catchings said. “But you’ve dedicated and committed your life to excellence, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Catchings, who is Director of Player Programs and Franchise Development for Pacers Sports & Entertainment, compares life’s journey to bodies of water. As newborns, toddlers, elementary and high school students, we are part of a pond and our parents or other loved ones determine our surroundings.
“But guess what? We can’t stay in a pond,” Catchings said. “So what happens, you go to college, and you go to a lake. They want you to succeed, and they give you all the tools, just like your dad and mom.”
“And guess what now? You’re going to the ocean. And we can only imagine what we find in the ocean. There are probably things in the ocean that we have no idea what to call them, what they look like and where have they been. It’s truly up to you to figure it out and to keep marching forward.”
Catchings reminded graduates to remain persistent in the pursuit of those goals. She used her many experiences being injured as a college and professional athlete an example.
“As an athlete, I’ve torn my ACL, I’ve torn my Achilles, I’ve broken my nose, I’ve broken a couple fingers. I’ve done a lot of different things. But I can say this. I came back. I pushed through because I wanted to be the best Tamika Catchings that I could be,” she said.
“It’s about the preparation of going to class. The preparation your teachers have taught you. But now that you go out into the ocean, it’s up to you. It’s up to you be prepared, but to stay prepared in every single aspect of your life. Dreams do come true, but do not stop here. Push on, push through.”
Also speaking Saturday was Franklin College senior Megan Helterbrand, a Cloverdale High School graduate who majored in sports administration.
Helterbrand’s speech focused on making each day what you want it to be.
“It isn’t always easy. But I’ve dedicated myself to create the mindset that I would never, ever have a bad day,” Helterbrand said. “My advice to you is to think outside the box and challenge yourself to think positive more often until it becomes a habit.”
“Be sure to look at the beauty of the little things and be grateful for the life that you’ve been given.”
