'T PLAYED THE SPORT IN HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE AN OKLAHOMA HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TEAM ALMOST DIDN'T PLAY THIS SEASON, BUT THE GIRLS AT OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY WEREN'T GOING TO LET THAT HAPPEN. EVEN THOUGH MOST OF THEM STILL HAD TO LEARN HOW TO SHOOT. WHAT POSITION ARE, YOU KNOW, THE POSITION? DO YOU THINK YOU'RE A GUARD IN SPORTS? YOU GOT TO HAVE A LOT OF HEART.. SHE COMES UP TO ME AND SHE BASICALLY BEGS ME AND IS LIKE, TULA, IF YOU COME PLAY, I'LL BUY YOU STARBUCKS. AND IT MIGHT HAVE TAKEN A LITTLE MORE THAN HEART TO GET TULA JOURNEY TO SIGN UP FOR THE VARSITY GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM, BUT HERE SHE IS, NUMBER 12, OUT ON THE FLOOR AFTER HER TEAMMATE GRACIE GRAHAM TALKED HER INTO IT.
WE JUST HAD IT, LIKE, TALK TO PEOPLE. I GUESS WE JUST LIKE WE'RE LIKE, PLEASE, IF YOU CAN PLAY LIKE TWO GAMES, THAT WOULD BE JUST GREAT. AT THE START OF BASKETBALL SEASON, OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY ONLY HAD TWO TOTAL PLAYERS ON THE ROSTER, SO THOUGH A HANDFUL OF GIRLS FROM FRESHMEN TO SENIORS STEPPED UP AND TRIED SOMETHING, THEY HAD NEVER PLAYED IN HIGH SCHOOL, GRACIE TOLD ME VOLLEYBALL IS HER MAIN SPORT, BUT TO THE COACHES, THAT DIDN'T MATTER. THEY REALIZED THAT ALL OF THESE GIRLS HAVE NEVER PLAYED LIKE I DIDN'T PLAY SINCE EIGHTH GRADE, AND NOW I'M A SENIOR AND I'M IT'S A LOT TO ASK OF ANYONE, MUCH LESS SOMEONE LIKE TULA, WHO ONLY COMPETED IN TRACK AND CROSS COUNTRY UNTIL THIS YEAR. EVEN THOUGH SHE'S A MENACE ON DEFENSE. WELL, I WANT A SENIOR NIGHT. IT SOUNDS LIKE FUN. IT'S GOING TO BE ME AND A BUNCH OF NEW GIRLS JOINING HALFWAY THROUGH THE SEASON.
OH, AND I SHOULD PROBABLY ADD, THE TEAM ALMOST HAHAD TO CALL OF THEIR SEASON HALFWAY THROUGH. AFTER A SEASON ENDING INJURY TO ONE OF THE STARTERS. SO TULA AND SEVERAL OTHER GIRLS JOINED THE TEAM MID-SEASON. AND THROUGH ALL THAT, SHE SAYS SHE DID THIS FOR THE GIRLS THAT LOVE BASKETBALL. THEY'RE REALLY THE ONES FEELING THE PRESSURE. BLESS HER HEART. SHE'S PRETTY ANXIOUS BEFORE EVERY GAME AND I THINK IT'S BEEN VERY STRESSFUL FOR HER BECAUSE SHE KNOWS SHE'S. GOING TO BE ONE OF THE ONLY ONES OUT THERE WHO CAN ACTUALLY SCORE. BUT WITH THE SEASON ENDING SOON, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE WINS AND LOSSES OR STATS THEY SAY IT'S ABOUT THE FUTURE OF GIRLS SPORTS AT OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY. I HOPE THAT SOME SOME OF THE EIGHTH GRADE GIRLS THAT WE DID THIS FOR, LIKE, WELL, SINCE THEY HELPED US, WE'RE GOING..