Passion and work ethic keys to success says former La Salle girls hoop star Lynch

I am living proof that developing a passion for something and going after it as hard as you can, will bring you success.

I knew at a very young age that basketball would become an integral part of my life. However, I did not know that it would teach me lessons about my character that I might never have learned otherwise. I did not realize that it would form me into the young woman that I am today. All of this, just because of a child's game; all of this because I can put a ball through a suspended circle in the air. I am so thankful for the journey that I have had thus far and know that it is only beginning.

I grew up in East Providence with two older brothers who were intensely into sports. Needless to say, I was most likely the biggest tomboy around. I followed my big brothers around and HAD to do everything that they did; especially when both of them chose to attend La Salle Academy. I went to every single game that my brothers played in; basketball, baseball, and volleyball. I dreamed of going to La Salle to play basketball. I loved the atmosphere of that tiny little gym. Now, of course, that gym isn't so tiny. I often brought my basketball with me to the games so that I could shoot-around at halftime. Most of the teachers and faculty at La Salle got used to seeing the little sister dash across the court at halftime to get some shots up. I don't think I was supposed to even be on the floor, but I am thankful that they let it slide.

When I finally arrived at La Salle, my dream was beginning to unfold. However, as with most things in life, my dream was not without its road blocks. My strength of character and work ethic were put to the test my sophomore year more than half way through our season. The team was enjoying success and we were on the path to a terrific playoff run. I was fifteen years old at the time, which is hard for me to imagine right now. Looking back, THIS is where my basketball career blossomed. This is what began my transformation as a person and as a player.

We were playing at a tournament in Westwood, Mass. It was a close game as Westwood High School was ranked among the best in the nation. Towards the end of the first half, I outstretched my body to try to intercept a pass. I left my feet for a second and got tangled up in a Westwood player's legs. I was caught in mid air with my upper body flying forward, but my lower body was being pulled the opposite way; and so was my left knee. I was tangled and fell to the floor. I was down for about five long seconds. I thought nothing of it. I was not in excruciating pain or anything. I just thought I tweaked it; no big deal. I was told it was just a sprain of the left knee and that I should sit out for two weeks to let it heal. Reluctantly, I did just that. However, as the days dragged on, I grew antsy. I was nervous that my then starting spot was going to be taken. A week and a half passed by and it was too much for me. I felt as if I was being distanced from my team and my starting spot. Being a stubborn athlete, I decided to sub myself into a scrimmage. This scrimmage was meant to get us ready for the playoffs. Silly idea. One of the first few plays of the game, I leaped to grab a rebound and came down on my left leg. I was down again for several seconds. Again, I thought nothing of it. After a few days of struggling to walk correctly, I was told to get checked out and to get an MRI.

I went to the doctor's office to get evaluated. I was lying on the table as the physician's assistant performed all of the necessary knee tests. After the first test, I caught a look of surprise, or nervousness...just something that wasn't right in his face. He said nothing and continued with the tests. He left the room and came back with the orthopedic surgeon. He performed the same tests with the same facial expressions. They sent me to get an MRI and then brought me back to the office. The physician's assistant had the results of the MRI in his hand. He looked briefly at my mother who was at my side, then looked straight at me. He said the worst words that an athlete could ever hear, "You have a torn ACL." I admit, I do not cry often. I like to think of myself as a pretty tough kid, but that day I cried tears of sadness and frustration. I only cried for a few seconds. They gave me a tissue and I immediately looked at him and said, "OK, what can I do to play in the state championship game. I need to play in it." I mean, after all, it is every young Rhode Island athlete's dream to play on the big stage of the Dunk or the Ryan Center right? The doctors told me I could not do any further damage to my knee so they fitted me with a brace and I was able to finish out the season and ended it with an overtime victory to capture the 2002 RI state championship title.

At age fifteen, I would never have thought that I would have had a defining moment in my life. I always thought that happened when you were a lot older. Well for me, tearing my ACL was that eye opening experience. After having surgery April 10, 2002, the road to recovery held me out of my volleyball season as well as AAU season. I remember laying in the hospital bed after the successful surgery, my parents at my side. My mom looked distraught. I mean, who wouldn't when your daughter is lying in a bed, incapable of feeling or moving her left leg. I patted her on the knee and said, "Don't worry mom. I had to do this. Now that this is done, I can get back to playing." Basketball was my passion.

I wasted no time getting into rehab. It was tough. I went through plenty of ups and downs during the four months that I rehabbed. My dream of playing college basketball was being tested. How bad did I want it? How hard will I have to work? I had to endure a lot of negativity surfacing around me. I heard people say, "She will never be able to play again, or she won't be as good when she comes back." I did not let this get me down. In fact, that's all I needed to hear to push myself harder. I often stayed later at physical therapy sessions begging my physical therapist to give me more exercises to do. I am sure he got sick of me, but I didn't care. I wanted to play again as soon as possible. This all happened during the summer. I had to forego most fun activities that fifteen and sixteen year olds like to do. My friends often called me to hangout, but I would only hangout if I had done all of the at home exercises that were prescribed to me by my doctor. I spent the whole summer without going to the beach for fear that the uneven surface would be unstable for my knee and set my recovery back. I think not going to the beach for a Rhode Islander is a difficult task in itself. I kept on. I worked and I worked and I worked. Basketball was my passion.

On August 1, 2002, my doctor cleared me to play. When he uttered the words, "You are all set. You are cleared to play." I do not think I have smiled a bigger smile since that day. I even hugged him on the spot. He said it was the quickest recovery he had ever seen. He credited it to my hard work and my persistence. I shrugged my shoulders and just thought it was my job not to let my dream slip away from me.

Dreams are important- they give you something to strive for. They give you purpose in life. Hold on to your dreams and work hard to make them a reality. My dream kept me going through that long summer of rehab.

After that long summer, my team was fortunate enough to win two consecutive Division I RI Basketball state championships in my junior and senior years. I was fortunate enough to win two state titles in volleyball as well. I was named first team all state both years, so much for those critics and non-believers.

The summer following my junior year at La Salle, the dilemma of choosing a college began. As most of you know, it is one of the most confusing times for an athlete. Now, listen up, I am going to through another cliché out to you. I promise to you, I am telling the truth. The most important aspect of choosing your school should not be based on athletics. It should never be based on athletics. Not many athletes are fortunate enough to continue their careers as professionals so the very first thing you should look at is academics. Do they have your major? Or if you are undecided, do they at least have something that you will potentially be interested in when you eventually have to decide?

Do not limit yourself. The college you chose has to be a perfect fit both academically and athletically. I will be the first person to tell you I was overlooked by most schools. Again, negativity arose around me. "She's not good enough to play Division I." "She's not quick enough" or my personal favorite "she's too small." I also overheard another comment, "Do you really think she's a scholarship athlete?" I ignored all of this and focused on myself. What school had the coach who was most interested in me? What was the school with my potential major? Where would I blossom both as a student as well as an athlete?

I was fortunate enough to have a few options. There were five or six schools that had a high interest in me. One of those schools was particularly interested in me. I really liked the coach. She was genuine in her interest and respect for me. I would have gone there, but the closest thing that they had as a major for me was nursing. I realized I couldn't just go there to play basketball. I didn't really want to be a nurse nor did I want to force myself to get another degree after I had finished playing. I wanted to go to a college that had the right choice of major for me. I chose to attend Southern Connecticut State University. Southern is located in New Haven, CT. It is a school with roughly 8,000 undergraduates. It had most of the majors I would be interested in; athletic training, physical education, and exercise science. It was perfect for me. I had a terrific relationship with my coach. He took a chance on me. He took a chance on a slow-footed, 5 foot 10 red head from Rumford. He saw something in me, something that almost every school passed on; he saw my heart, my passion, and my desire. I was fortunate enough to be given a free education for four years at a good academic institution. That does not happen for most people. I knew I had to take advantage of this opportunity both academically and athletically.

I entered my freshman year with high hopes of making an impact on an up and coming Northeast 10 Conference powerhouse. Coach thought I would step right into a starting role or at least the 6th man role. How wrong he was. I struggled and I struggled badly. I played in all of the games, but sometimes it was for three minutes, other times, it was for thirty seconds. Nothing more, nothing less. Every time I made a mistake, I was pulled out of the game. I struggled mentally. I began doubting myself. I found myself in Coach's office at least three times a week. Most of the meetings were me apologizing to him. I felt I was letting him down and even though he told me even the freshman at UConn were going through the same thing, I still felt that I was wasting his money.

In the 2004-2005 season, we were the regular season Northeast 10 champions as well as the Northeast 10 tournament champions. That gave us an automatic bid to the Division II NCAA tournament.

At this point, I turned to my oldest brother for advice. I want to say that I had an impact on this team, but I was letting my team down and I knew it. He came to our opening round NCAA game at Merrimack College that year. He grabbed me before the game and said, "Look, coach brought you here for reason. If he takes you out of the game because you missed a shot, big deal. At least you took that shot. Go out and play like you know how. Forget everything around you. Play like Kate Lynch."

I took his advice and when I was put in at the end of the game, I seized the opportunity. I finished with seven points in the last ten minutes of the game. I took some outside shots and I drove to the hoop. Sure, I missed shots, but everyone misses shots. I did everything I knew how to do. From that point on, my confidence began to return.

I went home that summer determined to get better. You only get four years in college and who knows if you ever will have the opportunity to play professionally. I was tired of wasting time. I wanted to make an impact. Basketball was my passion.

I returned to East Providence with a goal in mind. I was going to start and I would stop at nothing until I did. Pierce Field became my home for that summer and the summers succeeding it. I spent my mornings at Pierce. I woke up each day at 6am and went to the track, rain or shine. I would do the track workout that Coach had given to me and I added more to it. My basketball was attached to my hip the entire summer. After I finished my track workout at Pierce, I walked the 100 feet from the track to the basketball courts and worked on my shot for the next three hours. After I had worked up a sweat and was sufficiently exhausted, I went to work at local basketball camps from 9am-3pm. When 3:30 rolled around, I changed gears again. I went to the local gym down the street to lift and run. I did this everyday in the summer except on Sundays. I dropped some weight and worked on my foot speed. I got a little quicker and a little more agile. Yes, it stunk sometimes having to wake up early and workout. It stunk to have had to do all of this. Hard work isn't fun. It's just worth it.

The last week in August came around and I knew I was ready. I knew I had done the absolute best I could do all summer. I was determined. Coach saw an immediate difference in my body shape, my conditioning, and my game. To this day, he tells me he was not sure who was going to be the starting four for that season. I asked him the other day and he still laughs. It was between me and my other teammate who was a lean, 6 foot 1 Division I transfer. You would think it would be a no-brainer right? During practice in early October, our team was scrimmaging one another. I was doing ok. I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, or so I thought. I asked Coach earlier this week and he told me he remembered the day he decided to start me. He said, "There was a loose ball on the ground and you and Rochelle were both running for it. You dove and threw your entire body across the floor and grabbed the loose ball. I knew right then, she's my starting four this year. End of discussion."

In 2005-2006, I started every single game for Southern and every game thereafter. I became the leading scorer and averaged thirteen points a game that season. Again, we were Northeast 10 Conference and Tournament champions earning us an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. We made it to the Sweet 16 before we lost to American International College on our home floor. They cut down the nets on OUR home floor. My teammates and I kept our heads up but we vowed, "Never again."

I went home that summer again, determined more than ever. I wanted to win a National Championship. I wanted to be on ESPN.

I made my home at Pierce Field again that summer. I was more or less a staple and could have been a poster child for them at that point. I went through the same routine as I did the previous summer, but I did it harder. I added more to the track workout. I got up an extra two hundred shots a day.

By the end of the previous season, most teams knew what my go-to move was in the post. So, Coach told me to go home and work on a three point shot. I took over hundred fifty three's a day. I went to the gym after work and lifted more. I ran more. I sweated more. I even picked out the perfect music for my workouts, music that kept me focused even when I wanted to stop.

I returned to Southern to embark on what became a life changing experience for me. Our season was magical to say the least. We started off 20-0. With each passing game, the stakes got higher for us. There was media everywhere around us. It seemed everyone had hopped on the Southern bandwagon. We paid no attention.

We lost to The College of St. Rose in a hard fought game for our first loss of the season. Then, we lost a second consecutive game to Pace University. We were 20-2. We knew that we could not lose any more games. If we wanted to host the NCAA tournament, we had to win the regular season championship and conference championships outright. We did. We entered the NCAA regional tournament as a number 1 seed and advanced to the Elite 8 in Kearney, Nebraska in 2007.

The UConn women lost that year in the NCAA's, so all eyes were on us. We were the main focus back home in Connecticut. We arrived in Kearney a week after the regionals.

There was a banquet that night for the eight teams still in the tournament. I was named First Team All-American at that dinner. That was a thrill for me; a tribute to my hard work, but I knew it wouldn't be enough for me. We were there to win and there to win it all.

There were several charity events that we had to attend before we even stepped out on the floor. We visited a local elementary school and were greeted with screaming, cheering students. They held signs in the air and welcomed us with open arms. We held a meet and greet with the students and signed basketballs, t-shirts, and posters. I had never experienced anything like this. It was an amazing feeling to realize that these kids looked up to us.

We also made an appearance at a girls' basketball camp that was held on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Kearney. We walked into a gym full of 300 little girls chanting "SCSU." As I walked around to speak to some of the younger girls, I felt a tug at my shorts. I looked down and saw a six year old girl standing in front of me. I don't think she even came up to my knee. She motioned for me to come closer so I could hear her. I bent down and greeted her. She whispered to me in this tiny little voice, "You are my favorite. I want you guys to win, but don't tell anybody I am just rooting for you!!" I smiled and at that moment, I realized how truly special it was to be one of the remaining eight teams in the country.

Our first opponent was in the opening round of the Elite Eight was Drury University from Missouri. We rolled to a 74-54 victory and faced UC-San Diego in the Final Four which was televised on ESPNU. We advanced to the NCAA Division II championship with a 67-53 win. We now faced number one and undefeated Florida Gulf Coast University in the championship game. Being ranked number four in the nation, we were not the heavy favorite. All odds were actually against us. The eagles were 34-0, but we were 33-2 playing in arguably one of the best DII conferences in the country. This was the pinnacle of my athletic career and more or less my dream.

The night before the game, I sat in my hotel room by myself in silence. I reflected for a few minutes on what we had accomplished as a team and what I had set out to do both individually as well as a team. I thought about all of my family, friends, coaches (some of whom are here tonight), and everyone else who had helped me along the way. They were the people who had believed in me from the very beginning. They had never doubted me. They only encouraged me and pushed me to do my best. Who would have ever thought? A little kid from Rumford, Rhode Island; a 5 foot 10 slow-footed red head would ever have the opportunity to vie for a national championship on ESPN2 in front of millions of people? How many athletes get to say that? How many athletes even get to experience post-season play? This was my dream and I was blessed enough to make it a reality.

On March 23, 2007, as the clock ticked down to its final seconds in the National Championship game, I took a look up into the stands. I don't know how or why, but I immediately spotted my proud parents among the 5,000 plus fans at the arena in Kearney, Nebraska. Only a select few knew how hard I had worked to get to this point. They were among them. They saw me struggle my freshman year. They saw me through my tears and my frustration. Now they were seeing me through my tears of joy. As the buzzer sounded and the reality of the 61-45 victory over the previously unbeaten Florida Gulf Coast Eagles sank in, I ran onto the floor in utter disbelief, in excitement, in shock, in tears, and with pride. We were the best that year. We had accomplished something that is beyond the reach of most collegiate athletes. We did the impossible.

We were adored by everyone back in Connecticut. As soon as we arrived back from Nebraska, our flight was met with a police escort back to our gymnasium at Southern. The Governor, chancellor, and mayor were all on hand to greet us along with several hundred proud Southern students, alumni, and parents. They held a parade for us in New Haven the following week. To say the least, we were court queens.

Passion and hard work; the keys to life. I am proof that it can happen for you too. I am proof that dreams can come true and that dreams do come true for athletes from Rhode Island. I was overlooked by many schools. I was told I wasn't good enough, and maybe out of high school I wasn't, but I would never change my decision to pursue my dream for a second. I learned a great deal about myself over the last few years.

My thought for all of you here tonight is that I have sat where you are sitting right now. It was not that long ago for me, five years actually. I listened to all of the speakers and I have taken what I thought was important from each of their speeches too. I want you all to understand the importance of passion. It does not matter what your passion is. It could be basketball, soccer, acting, painting, or writing, anything that makes you happy. Just do it with passion. Do it with all you have. Nothing is worth doing unless you do your best. Trust me, there will be people along the way that tell you that you can't do it or that you aren't good enough. Take it from me, you are. I firmly believe that those people are in your life for a reason. You have already worked hard, keep it up. I always thought that your critics were there so you could prove them wrong. That's the best part of success. You are all sitting here at this banquet for a reason. Never let anyone tell you that you cannot accomplish what you want to do.

And for all of those people who DO believe in you and who encourage you everyday, make sure you thank them. Those are the people that will get you through your ups and downs. I hope that you do not experience a lot of ups and downs, but that is what life is about. Have confidence and be proud that you are sitting here tonight. Be proud that you are from Rhode Island. I know that I am. I still say that one of the best part of the entire NCAA tournament was when the words, "Rumford, Rhode Island" were shown below my name on ESPN as I shot a free throw. That may have been my proudest moment.

I wish you all the best of luck. Continue to work hard at all you do and don't forget to do it with passion.