One Foot in Front of the Other

By: Avery Howell

 

I come from a family of sharpshooters. My mom came to the States from Canada and played college basketball at Lewis-Clark State College where she still holds the records for career points and three-point percentage in a single season. My brother followed in my mom’s footsteps and also played collegiately at LC State. From an early age, I fell in love with basketball and knew that’s what I wanted to spend as much of my time as possible doing.

Growing up, and even into high school, I also played soccer, but whenever I was at soccer practice, I was thinking about basketball and wishing I was getting shots up. Although I loved soccer, I knew basketball was what I wanted to pursue for my future.

It can be hard to take your game to the next level out of a state like Idaho because of the relative lack of visibility. Even late into my high school years, I had to continue working my three-point game in order to get some recruiting attention. But as I came into my own I realized that putting in that work isn't optional. You have to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

I learned from a young age the importance of consistently working hard to achieve my goals. And I’m glad I did, because it’s now a mentality I embrace everyday and that I see reflected by my teammates on a daily basis.

Kennedy [Smith], Kayleigh [Heckel] and I all shared a once-in-a-lifetime experience together as McDonald’s All-Americans. Kennedy and I were both Gatorade Players of the Year in our respective states. We all have the same mentality about basketball, how important it is to us and the extent to which we’re willing to go for the sport we love. Everything for our team is about competing, working hard and making ourselves better every time we step on the court. I love the competition everyday at practice. It’s why our team is where we are right now. But it doesn’t end here. It’s maintaining that consistency and that love for putting in the work each and every day. You have to compete against the best to be the best.

Last summer, I was selected to participate with the 18U Canadian National Team. I was ready to play with that team and compete in the FIBA AmeriCup. 

But during 18U camp, I got called up to the senior team camp to determine Team Canada’s Olympic roster. Which was an adjustment. I basically went from playing high school basketball in Idaho to playing alongside and against professional hoopers in Canada and Europe. I went with the team to Belgium and Spain, practicing and playing in exhibition games against international competition. Eventually I was named an alternate for the Olympic roster and came straight to USC once the final team went on to Paris.

But that basketball whirlwind over the summer was the best thing I could have done because of how it prepared me for college. Although the jump from high school to college ball is a big one, participating, competing and traveling with the Canadian National Team helped me prepare for what college basketball would be like.

It was a great basketball experience, but it also left me wanting more. My ultimate goal is to play for Team Canada in the 2028 Olympics and to play professionally in the WNBA for as long as I can. 

And now I’ve gotten a taste of it. 

I've always loved to compete and playing basketball at such a high level makes me want more of it.

My favorite moments (so far) from my first season at SC have included the road games against UCONN and Maryland. I LOVE road games. Those hostile environments where no one is cheering for you. It takes me back to the moments where I fell in love with the game, and all the work I’ve put in so far to get to where I am today.

We still have many more important games this season, and as we continue growing as a team, we'll be even more prepared to meet the moment. As we continue to put one foot in front of the other, our best moments of the season are still to come.