TOWAMENCIN- From 1st to 12th grade, Alayna Faison has shown her love and passion for the sport of basketball. Faison is not only our homecoming queen, but also a star player for the North Penn girls’ basketball team. In her twelve years of her basketball career, she has created bonds and memories that will last a lifetime.

When Faison was young, her father took her to the YMCA all the time. He had Faison try all different types of sports, such as soccer, swimming, and basketball. She immediately fell in love with basketball, which sparked her athletic career.

“It just stuck with me,” Faison stated. “It’s always been something that I enjoyed because of the team atmosphere.”

On her journey, basketball has taught Faison lessons of discipline and physical health. It has also helped her build relationships with other people. The sport helped bring both her family and friends together. She met many different people along the way, which she is extremely grateful for.

The North Penn team has helped Faison form friendships and build team chemistry immensely. Her team has become her second family. They are all extremely supportive of each other on and off the court. The team has stuck through almost everything together, and these bonds have made her forever thankful.

“We have our times where we’re at each other’s throats, but I know that my teammates, or better yet, sisters, always have my back,” Faison expressed. “It’s a lot of tough love to push your teammates, but nonetheless, it’s still love.”

Faison’s motivation to become her best self is her family, who reside both in Lansdale and Kentucky. From the beginning of her athletic career, they have helped her to advance in her future and become stronger by practicing with her on their own time and giving her positive reinforcement. Even with some bumps in the road, she has always kept an optimistic mindset through it all.

“In 3rd grade, my father suffered from a medical condition that caused him not to be able to take me to the YMCA to practice, so that definitely hindered my growth,” Faison said as she explained challenges in her career. “I also strained my calves in preseason of senior year, so I was unable to play in my summer league games and caused me to miss a lot of training with the team, but with hard work, I was able to come back.”

Faison uses her positive outlook to help motivate others who lack confidence. She believes that with if you have the right motivation, you will be able to achieve your goal. She emphasizes the importance of internal drive and hustle.

“You can teach someone to shoot, dribble, and pass, but you can’t teach heart. You either have it, or you don’t,” Faison stated. “As long as you have motivation, you will get better over time.”