This was my fourteen year old daughter’s 9th year at her beloved basketball camp. Jillian fell in love with this wicked, and aggressive game years ago and it quickly became one of her passions. It seems odd to see my composed and sweet little fair haired, pale skinned girly out there digging and giving it all she has but it is through basketball that she gets to be that part of herself and she loves it.
The main coach of Camp Teckla is the talented Leighann Doan. Leighann’s basketball career spans many years, involving University play as well as an opportunity to play in the global spectrum. She is a strong leader and commands an amazing team of coaches that have taken my girly and others far into the world of basketball.
The people who created this opportunity and continue to host it are an extremely loving, yet non-assuming couple, actually grandparents to many, named Dorothy and Stan Anderson and as I type their names a lump finds its way immediately towards my throat. Dorothy’s and Stan’s granddaughter Teckla, lost her life on this earth at age sixteen. She was a vibrant young girly with a desire to “play hard or go home”. That is how she lived her short life and because of this, Dorothy and Stan started the memorial basketball camp that just wrapped up its 15th year. Teckla’s colourful spirit lives on and the cool thing is, is that Teckla’s basketball coach, Kim Poapst, who is very involved in school and teen sport, continues to manage this camp too.
Today is always a difficult day. It is the day that Jillian has to say goodbye to everyone, again. As we walked out of the gym on this final day she said, “If I grow up to be like anyone, I hope I grow up to be like Leighann.” I smiled warmly and was grateful that once again my girly has an amazing mentor that has touched and continues to touch her life.
Thank you Leighann, thank you Dorothy & Stan, thank you Kim and thank you Teckla for gifting us with your spirit…
...Ellyn
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| Leighann & Jillian |
