#8 Sarah Gates

Get to know sarah gates

I started basketball in Canada at the age of 7. My family includes my mom, dad and an older brother. We are really close. My mom flew from Canada with me which was really nice, she helped me to settle. And my dad actually is here now because he did some traveling and he wants to see the beginning of the new season. 

Outside of basketball I am a daughter and a sister to my older brother. My brother made me play basketball, because I wanted to be better than him. I try to be a kind person, pretty outgoing and trying new things. That’s why it’s pretty cool playing overseas because everything is always new. It’s nice to experience new cultures, different teams and stuff like that. 

My settling in has been so good! The club and the team and my teammates and coaches are amazing and they helped a lot. It’s been really easy overall. Which I think says a lot of the culture of the club. 

As an athlete you have to prioritize your body because that’s how you are an athlete. If your body is functioning well then you are playing good. So that’s sleep, eating well, resting, also just being in tune with making yourself feel good so you can perform on the court. So I think it’s a lot of learning on how to balance everything day to day.

I always wanted to play basketball professionally and I love this sport so much. I would do anything to become the best player and teammate I can be, so it doesn’t necessarily feel like a sacrifice. But there are definitely times where you have to say no to some things that maybe your friends are doing. But it doesn’t feel bad to me because my main goal is to be the best player I can be. 

I love having fun with everything I do and to bring joy. I want to enjoy my life and have fun with things. And connect with people, I am very extroverted so just doing things and meeting people and always being kind. Learning from mistakes and I just want to experience life. Making the most out of every situation.  

To me it’s also tough being overseas so relaxing is more difficult because my friends, family and boyfriend are away, but because of face time I can connect with them. And also just sometimes detaching myself from the sport. Last year I started a small business to develop female leaders through sport in Canada. We run events and workshops. And also just exploring the city wherever I am. It’s nice to live in different places and sometimes it just feels like I am traveling.

I admire hard working people. People who are kind and positive thinking first. Because everyone is going through some hard times and struggles, but when you have the mindset of what can I grow from this, what can I make this situation better. When you think that, it is really inspiring to me because that’s how I want to be and think. And the hard working side is probably from the athletic perspective. I admire people who are like dogs and just hassle and stuff like that because that’s really important if you want to succeed. 

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