Claflin, Kan. native and former Women’s National Basketball Association player Jackie Stiles brought her message of hard work and perseverance to students from Beloit and St. John’s this morning.
Stiles talked about her introduction to basketball as a young girl when she accompanied her dad to the gym and watched his teams succeed through the years. She mentioned “The Jackie Stiles Story” documentary that came out in 2022, but then went on to discuss the various hard times in her life, including the pressure she felt as an athlete, the difficulty in deciding what college to play for and what college coaching positions to accept, injuries, and her cancer diagnosis. She emphasized that she’s thankful for the difficulties because they brought her to where she is today.
Stiles left students with an acronym so they would remember certain values every day:
S-Selfless T-Tough I-Inspiration L-Love E-Enthusiasm S-Service
