Pryor’s Anna Raymond
By Ivy Knapp
For Anna Raymond, basketball has been a part of her for a long period of her life. She’s been playing for seven years now, and the sport has shaped her in more ways than she ever knew it would.
“Basketball has given me confidence, dedication, and discipline,” Anna said.
Those lessons go far beyond the court. They’ve helped her grow as a person, too. Her journey has had its challenges. Playing varsity as a freshman came with pressure, and injuries have tested her along the way. But Anna always keeps her head up.
“It is what it is,” she said. “It’s in the past and it makes me want to work harder.”
That looking forward mindset sums her up perfectly. She doesn’t make excuses; she keeps moving onto the next step. What really drives Anna is her faith.
“My faith in God motivates me above all else to do my best,” she said. “I want to be the best I can be for my teammates, for my coaches, for my parents, and hopefully reach a skill level that will let me play in college.”
She’s quiet by nature, but her determination speaks louder. Her teammates know they can count on her, and she says she gets along with everyone.
This season, Anna has set a few big goals: stay healthy, shoot 80 percent from the free throw line, lead her team in scoring and rebounding, make All-District again, and help her team make it to state. They are tremendous goals, but she’s not afraid of putting in the work.
“I just get my work done in class so I can spend more time in the gym,” she said.
Anna understands some people don’t always know how much work athletes put in behind the scenes. Between school, practice, and travel, it’s a full-time commitment. Fortunately, she’s got a strong support system. Her parents strongly support her basketball journey, and her dad even takes her to tournaments all over the country.
When she’s not in the gym, Anna enjoys playing guitar and writing songs. She hopes to score over 1,000 points in high school, play college basketball, and study something that lets her help others.
