By Khalida Sarwari
Work hard, embrace challenges and maintain a positive attitude: Those are the keys to success, former WNBA All-Star Ruthie Bolton told a captive audience of more than 100 youth basketball players gathered on the court at West Valley College earlier this month.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist—wearing a blue bandana, yellow jersey tied at the waist and black shorts—made a surprise appearance on July 14 at a youth basketball camp held by the Golden State Warriors.
“Don’t let fear stand in the way of your dreams,” she told the crowd of 7- to 15-year-olds. “Whatever it is you want to be, you’ve got to write it down and you’ve got to speak to your dream.”
That dream could be anything, the 48-year-old Bolton said, from becoming the next big basketball star to being a lawyer or a nurse. In between quotable advice, Bolton sprinkled in stories about her childhood, her family and her career.
There was a story about mustering the courage to jump over a high fence and another about convincing her coach at Auburn University that she was worthy of playing on the women’s basketball team. Many of her stories conveyed that her 25-year journey to the WNBA and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame was not without a few bumps along the way.
“To be able to experience what I’ve experienced in basketball, it means a lot,” she said, holding out her Olympic medal for the kids to see. “But that’s not the most important thing; it’s about the process, it’s about the journey.”
As one of 20 children in her family, Bolton said she had to compete for everything. Fortunately for her, because she was competitive in nature and worked hard, she was usually picked first to be on her siblings’ teams, because no one wanted to compete against her, she said.
Growing up, she said she was discouraged from making excuses and worked hard not only to meet but exceed expectations. At Auburn University, she played alongside her older sister, Mae Ola Bolton, who she said was taller and had longer arms. But she didn’t let that stop her; she just had to work twice as hard, she said.
“Don’t be afraid to work hard,” she reminded her audience again and again. “Don’t be afraid to do extra push-ups. Don’t be afraid to do more rebounds.”
She then directed the campers to recite a mantra: “It’s what’s inside that counts,” and suggested that they repeat the phrase every day after they finish brushing their teeth in the morning.
After the pep talk, Bolton answered questions from the campers before participating in a push-up contest with six others. After spending a few minutes practicing free throws with four campers, she took photos with and signed autographs for each camper.
Bolton lives in Sacramento, but spends much of her time traveling to give motivational speeches at churches and schools. Her incentive is to try to inspire others through her life story, she said.
“I’m a living witness that hard works pays off,” said Bolton.
Her message about living one’s dream and working hard resonated with 10-year-old Allison Kemp, who attends St. Joseph of Cupertino School.
“If I keep trying, then I could be a better player,” the fifth-grader said.
The take-away message of the afternoon for Brendon Baranov, 11, was, “Always show hustle and never give up on yourself.”
“I thought that was an interesting story to hear—to never stop and keep going,” said Brendon, a seventh-grader at Cupertino Middle School.
What struck Theo Collins was Bolton’s story about pushing through one’s fears. Theo is from Ontario, Canada, but was in town to visit his grandparents. This was his second time attending the camp.
“It’s really fun and I learn a lot,” he said.
The weeklong camp at West Valley was one of 25 sessions held by the Warriors this summer. Nearly 150 kids were enrolled in the camp, according to Jeff Addiego, senior director of youth basketball. The Warriors have been hosting the camp since 2001, he said. Among the 30,000 that have completed the camp are two current professional basketball players: Tyler Johnson, who plays for the Miami Heat, and Will Cherry, who last played in the Lithuanian Basketball League.
Warrior Youth Camps
The Golden State Warriors are holding youth basketball camps throughout the Bay Area through October. Many are sold out with waiting lists already closed, but there are still openings in camps beginning Aug. 17.
Link: Former WNBA All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medalist Bolton visits Golden State
