Oreoluwapo Odutayo (Basketball, Iona University) grew up in Albany. HelloNation asks student athletes one question about the place that raised them and records the answer on camera. This is Oreoluwapo Odutayo’s, in full.
The question
Tell us about a teacher or mentor from high school who challenged you the most or inspired you in a way that still shapes who you are today. Who are they, and what lesson from them do you carry into your life now?
The answer, as recorded
Transcript. What follows is a transcript of the video above, in Oreoluwapo Odutayo’s own words. It has not been rewritten, and no part of it was drafted for them.
One mentor who has had a big impact on me is my AAU basketball coach. He taught me a lot about basketball, but more importantly, he taught me how to approach the game and life with discipline and confidence. He challenged me to not just focus on my talent, but to pay attention to the little things and to always work on my weaknesses and always be willing to learn. One lesson that he taught me that I still carry with me to this day is that you can always get better. No matter how good you think you are, there is always something that you can improve on. That mindset has stuck with me throughout my basketball career and continues to push me to work harder, stay consistent, and never get comfortable.
Recorded by HelloNation as part of its athlete voices program and published by Hello Newswire, HelloNation’s good news newswire. The words are the speaker’s own.
Reported by Hello Newswire.