Dejah Wilson
Lake City High School
Seventeen-year-old Dejah Wilson is passionate about basketball. But to her, it is not just a physical game but a game of emotions as well.
“I enjoy everything about basketball. Just being out there running around. There’s just something about it that I just can’t let go of; it takes every emotion a person has,” said Dejah. “First you’re anxious, then you’re either in the flow or you’re getting upset, or you just won the game and you’re so excited with your teammates!”
And it is those teammates who have become like family to Dejah. “The best part is your team. They are like a second family. We all fight like sisters but in the end will always have each other’s backs.”
Dejah said she has struggled with shooting and has become discouraged because of it.
“I focused a lot on becoming a defensive player when I was young and always thought that shooting would come to me, but that required practice and I never really thought about it until later on down the road,” said Dejah, who rose to the challenge and spent a great deal of time in the summer putting up shots and improving on a shooting form that she was comfortable with.
Undecided as to where she will attend college, Dejah said she would like to play college basketball and is interested in either neonatal nursing or the social work field.
“I love kids, and babies in particular,” she said. “But kids in general are just cute and funny, and I love to help people.”
Dejah shares that she has had many coaches tell her things over the years, but there is one life lesson that stands out in her mind the most.
“You can’t control everything. You can only control what you do. That being said, you can only control the moment you are in or how you act. You cannot control a teammate or the ref or even the score of the game. It’s all about how you control your mental state.”
Jon Dohm
Coeur d’Alene High School
Coeur d’Alene High School senior Jon Dohm has already received five varsity letters over the course of his high school career as a member of both the football and wrestling teams, two sports he thoroughly enjoys.
Jon was named to the first team all-conference defensive team for football and said he enjoys the competition that football brings because it involves the entire team. “When your team does well and plays really physical, it makes the game a hundred times more exciting,” said Jon.
And when it comes to wrestling, Jon shares that he enjoys the aspect that it is a one-on-one sport. “You don’t have to rely on the rest of the team, only yourself. Wrestling isn’t for everyone, only the tough,” he said. “That’s what makes it such a good sport because you won’t find very tough people often.”
Jon said the biggest challenge he has faced when it comes to athletics is his size. When he came in as a freshman, he weighed only 160 pounds and was a lineman. “I worked to overcome that problem by eating and lifting a lot,” he said.
Although still undecided about what school he will attend, Jon said he is hoping to receive an offer to play college football. “I really don’t want to stop playing football,” said Jon, whose career interests include zoology and veterinary. “I’ve always been interested in working with animals.”
Participating in sports, Jon said an important lesson he has learned from coaches in both football and wrestling is that if you really want to be at the top, you have to be committed and work hard. “If you don’t, then being at the top isn’t a reality, and that’s how it is for many people in sports. They don’t want to take the time to succeed like everyone else.”
