&
LOVE BASKET WHITNEY BIBBINS ‘10 FOUGHT THROUGH ADVERSITY AND NEVER GAVE UP ON HERSELF AND HER DREAMS written by Ava Perego
W
hitney Bibbins first picked up a basketball when she was just six-years-old in BREC and YMCA leagues in Baton Rouge. “I’ve been playing basketball for what feels like a lifetime,” Bibbins said. Her interest in the sport was sparked by the movie Love and Basketball. After falling in love with the storyline of the main character, Bibbins decided she did not want that story to end, so she brought it to life in her own way. She played on the varsity basketball team at Bethany Christian School when she was in only 5th grade. She transferred to University Laboratory School in 7th grade and immediately played under Coach Bonita Johnson on the varsity team as the small forward or shooting guard. “CJ [Coach Johnson] is the best. She pushed me to perform my absolute best. She always had my back and the entire team’s back. She is the dream high school coach,” Bibbins said. Throughout her time playing for ULS, Bibbins fought through many trials. When she was in 8th grade, she tore her ACL; when she was a sophomore she tore the other one. Both of these accidents left her out of play for six months each – a year without playing in total. Most high school student athletes in this position would give up on their dreams, but Bibbins was determined. “I knew that I wasn’t going to allow that to hold me back. It was a challenge, but I am always up for a challenge. I was ready to push forward and get through it,” Bibbins said. “I worked out hard and went to rehab consistently. I knew my overall mission and goal was to knock out the six months and come back stronger than I was before. For me it was like, ‘now I have a brand new fresh knee.’ To me, it gave me an advantage.” Coach Johnson urged Bibbins to excel despite her setbacks. Though they did not always see eye-to-eye
28
cub roar | fall/winter 2019
