Olivia Bailey has played basketball all of her life; she committed to Kirkwood Community College to further her athletic career after recently graduating high school from Theodore Roosevelt High School in Des Moines. Bailey officially committed to Kirkwood in January of this year.
What motivates you to want to excel in basketball?
I love playing the sport, so what motivates me is just that feeling. Just like doing something that you love motivates you. It just makes you feel good. That’s also a part of my personality, too. I’m just very competitive.
How do you correctly make sure you balance your academic, sport and social life?
Yeah, pretty tough. I mean I try to have a good schedule and do my homework. I’m pretty busy, so I have to have a good routine.
What are your athletic goals for the future?
I’m playing at Kirkwood, so just developing my skills and experience at Kirkwood. And hopefully getting to play at the next level definitely is the goal.
How would your teammates and coaches describe you as a player?
Very quiet. Passionate. Very easy going. Athletic.
What led you to playing basketball?
I’ve played for years, like literally years, since I was like a baby. I guess it’s just what I’ve always known. But for a while I did fall off. I didn’t really like it and what made me want to play again was probably just, I don’t know, I knew I was good at it and deep down I did love it.
What is one song that gets you ready for a game?
“Flex Up.” (by Lil Yachty, Future, and Playboi Carti).
Who is an athlete that has influenced you?
Kobe Bryant. His mentality is inspiring. He was known for his “Mamba Mentality.” It pretty much means the relentless drive to work harder than anyone else, stay focused when things get tough and to push past your limits every single day.
It’s about chasing improvement, not perfection, and turning setbacks into motivation. It’s confidence, resilience and passion all rolled into one.
What is a specific moment in your athletic career that you are proud of?
Actually, committing here. Senior year is when I committed, but the moment I actually did commit it felt really good. It felt like everything that I’ve worked for. I felt very proud of myself. It felt good.
What was something that challenged you and how did you overcome it?
So around middle school, I got injured. It wasn’t like a bad injury either. I wasn’t playing a lot. I started to lose my spark because a couple months later after I healed, I broke my finger, so I was just getting injured a little bit and I was like, do I really want to keep playing?
I don’t know, I just decided to give it another try. I just listened to my parents, my brothers. My family encouraging me to keep doing it.
What is something you’ve learned while playing basketball here at Kirkwood?
Gotta work hard. It’s not just basketball, too. Like in life, you’ve got to be on top of everything.
I slacked so hard in high school and as soon as I got here, the coaching that we get is so intense, it kind of reflects into real life. It’s more intense.
Categories: Basketball, Sports
