My name is Jalen Scott. I’m a Senior basketball player at the University of Dubuque pursuing a degree in Business Finance. I was born and raised in Surprise, Arizona and grew up there my entire childhood up until college. Growing up in Surprise my parents provided for me and raised me to the best ability, and I am forever grateful for my upbringing. The life lessons and rules I was taught have created a path to success in basketball as well as life. My physical health throughout the years has been improving tremendously because I can take care of my body. I used to have very weak ankles from rolling them and spraining them all my life, I’ve stress fractured my tibia/fibia, broken my nose, but every time I have bounced back better and stronger. The most important thing to remember when dealing with pain and aches is to treat it immediately and at a high level. The stronger the body the better. When I first started playing basketball, I never thought about the reality of being a good player. Going to a D1 stage after taking your high school team to a championship game, all the hours of practice and games on the weekend, I feel like I never grasped the idea of playing at the next level. Going to Colorado state at 18 was an experience I will never forget because of the mental experiences I learned there. The toughness you need to have when playing at this level was more intense on the body, and just worse in the mind. Thinking you’re not the best player or fastest, being the youngest takes a toll on your brain and confidence, that is something I struggled heavily with until my coach and I had therapy sessions. Talking to him about basketball and life really helped me develop a mindset to continue to be a good player but a better person during my times of distress. Those moments with him were some of the hardest moments to face, but the lesson of coming to reality and facing your fears was a moment I hope I can teach others. Fear is never real; the mind is just a strong influence on the human body
