ZOIE HAYWARD

My name is Zoie Hayward. I am a native of Leavenworth, Kansas. I played at Leavenworth High School before earning a scholarship to play at Northwest Missouri State University (NCAA II). I earned my undergraduate degree and then decided to finish my playing career and earn my Masters degree at Mid-America Nazarene (NAIA). I was first introduced to LTD my freshman year of college by playing in the DREAM LEAGUE Summer Pro-Am. Since graduating, I have become part of the LTD Women’s team and now an LTD Youth Coach. There have been endless lessons that God has taught me through basketball. The two most valuable take aways for me are gratitude and humility. You will win in life, but you will also have your fair share of losses. It is so important to do both of those things with humility and learn from them regardless of the outcome. Athletic talent is a blessing and we do not reach our full potential alone. Having gratitude for everyone on this journey has been a huge focus of mine because I know I would not be the athlete or person I am today without the people who encouraged or inspired me along the way. When my time college career came to an end, I was so worried about what I was going to do to find a new identity for myself. I had poured everything into basketball ever since I was little. When I left the court for the last time, I was still me, just without practice, games, bus rides, and my team. I quickly fell into the arms of LTD and I soon realized that I had everything that I needed and more. God placed me in the most uplifting environment and I learned that all of my years of sacrifice into basketball were preparing me to guide the next generation of athletes. He continues to show me everyday that my value and worth are way bigger than performing well on the court. LTD has taught me that my faith in Christ plays a role in every area of my life. As a teacher, I show up every day to teach a diverse group of kids. The Lord always leads with love and I make sure I practice that everyday when kids walk into my classroom. Some days are good, some days are bad, but every day is a new opportunity to love the kids for who they are.