She says, “It’s worth it”.
It’s Monday, August 18, 2003. Parents are
preparing for another week at work. Kids are preparing to return to
school. However, if you’re Lauren Wenski, you’re packing your car
for a 24-hour drive to Pepperdine University in beautiful Malibu,
California.
Even if you’ve already seen her statistics and
heard the game stories because of her stellar high school basketball
efforts at St. Thomas Aquinas High in Overland Park, you might want
to take a closer look at Lauren Wenski. If you’re a parent with
young kids playing sports—or perhaps a young athlete yourself—you
might want to take a moment and listen to how Lauren got to this
point in her life.
Wenski is awesome! She’s a shooting guard that
stands five feet, nine inches. She’s a three-time All-State
performer and earned Nike All-American honors after averaging 18.0
points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 3.0 assists as a senior. She
is the St. Thomas Aquinas High and Eastern Kansas League
career-scoring leader and holds the state record for consecutive
games played (100) at the varsity level. We could write many
paragraphs about her accomplishments. You should also know that she
is in the National Honor Society, the German club, Fellowship of
Christian Athletes, and she helps with the Special Olympics.
Sure—she’s a gifted athlete. Yes, basketball
is very much a major part of her life. But, you need to take a step
closer to understand Lauren and appreciate the lesson she’s
providing.
First, I will first tell you that Lauren is one
of the nicest young athletes you could ever meet. She’s very polite
and willing to go out of her way to accommodate others. Spend a few
minutes with her and it will be obvious that she likes people. It’s
not just “Hi, how are you?”—It’s deeper than that. She wants to
know about your injury. She knows when your next competition is
scheduled. Her schedule might not allow for her to attend your game
or meet, but she wants you to know that she wishes you the best of
luck. Very sincere. Very encouraging. If you see Lauren in the
gym or walking down the hall—you’re drawn to her personality and
energy. She’s very modest—even when the whole world of Division 1
NCAA basketball is waiting for her 1,700 miles away.
Second, Lauren is focused. You have to be,
right? Although at first Lauren tried a number of sports. It was
clear early in her life that sports was her thing. After
participating in girl scouts, she dropped out after a week. She
concluded at a young age that her “heart was in sports,” Lauren
explained. She played soccer during kindergarten, and as she was
growing up, Lauren played tennis, softball, and basketball during
grade school. She stepped into organized basketball in the second
grade. In the fourth grade, Lauren was invited to play for an AAU
team.
Once she began playing AAU basketball, it was
time to select her “major” in terms of sports. At the time, she was
playing tennis and basketball at a high level—traveling and
training. She knew she had to select one to take her game to the
next level: with training and traveling, she only had time for one
sport. “I chose basketball because it was a team sport—it’s more
rewarding to be a part of a team,” Lauren says. She played on the
AAU Kansas Belles, and then later joined the AAU Hoop Service team.
She traveled with her teams to compete in locations that included
Salt Lake City, Virginia Beach, Amarillo, Oklahoma City and
Orlando. This road experience will help her make a transition to
Division 1 ball. Lauren says, “I chose Pepperdine because I’ll get
a great education, and they play big-time schools such as Stanford,
Connecticut, and Texas Tech.”
Third, Lauren is committed. In her playing
career, she’s gone beyond the standard effort. Sure, there are
plenty of team practices and session with coaches. What helps set
Lauren apart is the extra effort she’s given to her sport. “My high
school team did a strength training class one summer, but most of
the training was on me. Most was on my own. I had to spend a lot
of time training on my own. I worked on shooting skills, developed
cardio by running, and I worked on ball handling,” Lauren
explained. “Now with Pepperdine, I’m doing all these things plus
jumping rope. I do plyometrics to improve my lateral movement and
my vertical to help with basketball.”
Her commitment and focus has opened many doors
for Lauren. “Beyond my AAU teams, I did a lot of camps including
college camps at Baylor, Kansas State, Pepperdine and Missouri. The
camps are very beneficial—I get the opportunity to talk one-on-one
with coaches, and to be on the campus.” Last year Lauren was
invited to the Nike camp, which includes the top 50 girls in the
nation. “College scouts were there from 7am to 9pm. It was a great
chance to get acquainted and work out with the top girls that I’ll
be competing with and against in Division 1 ball.”
Lauren grew up in Kansas City, but wanted to
attend college either in the east or west. “My brother Kyle is a
senior back east at Princeton, so I thought I would try the other
coast.” Perhaps Lauren’s work ethic will be noticed by her new
teammates in California. Asked if she felt an increasing pressure
to perform from those around her, Lauren remarked, “It’s been more
intense as I’ve progressed, but I put the pressure on myself. I put
more pressure on me than anyone else. I’m a perfectionist. I’m
always focusing on improving, whether it’s ball handling, rebounding
or speed.” She continues, “I put the pressure on myself to be the
best I can be—to put the best effort forward”. Her parents inspired
Lauren as she was growing up: “if you’re going to do something, do
it 100%. Don’t do it half way”. Her family was also very
committed. It was common for Bob and Marcia Wenski to travel with
Lauren during the summer to attend tournaments and participate in
camps. Her father, a former player at Ward High School and a former
coach at Rockhurst, coached Lauren’s basketball team from second to
eighth grade. “My family has always been supportive—always looking
for something positive. Dad is very knowledgeable. He gives me
constructive criticism and makes me better for next game.”
Being focused on basketball while attending
high school is quite a challenge. Remember, we’re only talking
about an 18-year-old student. But Lauren reemphasizes an impressive
point: what she’s learning now is not just about basketball—it’s
about life. “Definitely sacrifices have to be made. I make social
sacrifices. I can’t attend all of the school social events, and I
can’t go out as much as others not in sports. But, it’s taught me
how to organize my time—how to balance extracurricular activities,
sports and school. This will help me at Pepperdine, and also in the
future with job, family and everything else.”
Lauren is attending Pepperdine on scholarship
and will be majoring in communication/advertising with a minor in
business. “I’d like to be working for Nike or another
company—promoting products”. “Basketball has opened a lot of
doors. After I graduate and basketball is over for those four
years—I want to capitalize on that experience. Establish a career
in advertising. Start working”.
As a successful prep star, making a transition
to her college playing days, what advice would Lauren give to young
athletes and their parents? “I would tell young players that it’s
worth it! It’s all worth it—the time commitment and the hard
work—if you stay with it.” She continues “You’ll feel tired, and
have to put sports ahead of your social life—but knowing that you’re
leading in athletics and in school—knowing that you’re
succeeding—it’s worth it.” “I’d advise kids to have fun with it as
long as you can. It will be serious soon enough.”
As for the parents, Lauren suggests, “don’t
push your kids unless they want to participate in sports. And then,
just remember it’s really for their enjoyment. Parents and kids
need to both have fun with it. But, make sure the player knows they
have to work at it. Make it fun”
The long drive to Malibu continues in front of
her. Through the front windshield she can envision her upcoming
Division 1 experience and a demanding college schedule, followed by
a successful career in advertising. Behind her, in the rearview
mirror, she recalls lots of hard work and making many great
friends. The road traveled behind her has allowed her to travel
forward on the road in front of her. It was worth the trip. And I
bet she’ll make it just fine.
View selected portfolio shots
of
Lauren Wenski:
click
here.
