Leah Lee’s Path Back to Basketball Fueled by Representation

3 Minute read

By: Andrea Aruino

Leah Lee’s passion for basketball is backed by a level of commitment few at her age are willing to match. Her typical week looks like practice after school for her middle school team at Highlands Christian, AAU practice for Team Kidd two days out of the week, workouts at UPBasketball, and on top that, strength and conditioning training when her schedule permits. Her commitment to growing as a player speaks for itself. After spending most of her time in individual sports, she fell in love with the camaraderie basketball offered alongside other young women.  

Lee was exposed to basketball for as long as she could remember as both her father, Torrent, and her older brother, Aiden, have been a part of the game. Lee attended her first UPBasketball sessions at the age of five. At the time, the facility was mostly made up of boys which made Lee feel as though she did not belong in this sport. Seeing Aidan play basketball was not what prompted her decision to switch sports, it was seeing other girls play basketball at her middle school. Basketball was always in her blood, but seeing representation of young girls like her playing was what ultimately pushed her to play for her team and come back to train at UPBasketball. 

“[UPB’s] promotion of women’s sports over at the gym has been huge for Leah. Now, she joins sessions and she feels more comfortable playing around other girls,” Torrent said. 

In addition to her already busy schedule, she makes time for cross country which puts her at a mental advantage on the court. Being involved in cross country has given her the ability to focus on how to control her controllables. This mindset manifests while she is on the court when she gets a turnover or makes an exceptional assist, she is always focused on the next play or the next stride. 

It's more mental than it is just physical. She’d get tired but you have to push through and that’s similar to basketball. Both sports require that mental toughness in addition to all of the physical skills to make it work,” Torrent said. 

Having the outlets to grow in different areas of basketball has been a critical element in her desire to keep playing. Being surrounded by other girls has made her more confident and the same can be said about the coaches she works with at UPBasketball. Lee attends private training and group training where she feels she is learning everything she needs to know at her age. It is apparent to Torrent that UPBasketball coaches ensure that their workout agenda is catered towards the age group of Lee. She is not doing anything fancy in training, she is doing what matters the most such as ball-handling, passing, and shooting.

“Leah has shown some of the most consistent improvement in the gym. She has an awesome attitude and is very coachable. She understands body control and works incredibly hard to make sure she is on balance. Her shooting and finishing at the rim are leading to her seeing the results on court in-game,” Coach Wes Preston said.

As a ten year old athlete, her goals this upcoming middle school and AAU season is to stay focused and put in as much work as she can in the gym while fulfilling her student duties. Having the support of coaches and her parents has been fundamental in her consistent growth and is something that will take her far.