By Derrick Smith

There are a few different reasons why kids decide to play a sport. It could be that they have the athletic ability to compete, they really enjoy the sport, or they want to play alongside their friends. Maliyah Woosypitti says that her motivation to play tennis is for more of a personal reason.

“I am motivated to be a good representation of who I am and where I come from,” she said. “I am a Native American tennis player born in Show Low, Arizona. My tribe lives on the Fort Apache reservation. I want to set an example of resiliency as a Native American student-athlete. I also hope to introduce tennis to other people as my friend and former teammate did with me. If it was not for her introducing me to tennis, I would have not found the sport that I enjoy playing the most.”

Woosypitti is a junior at Anadarko High School. As a young lady, she has had a number of people to look up to as role models. But for her, there is one person that has had the biggest impact on her life.

“My biggest role model is my mom who is also an athlete. I was a freshman when I started to run with her after school and I made it my goal to keep up with her and run as frequently as she did. She has always supported me and pushed me to be the best I can be in whatever I do. Her career also allowed us to travel and move around every few years. I have been able to live in different states across the country because of her, but every summer she flew me out to the reservation so I could see my family and remember where my home is.”

Throughout her tennis career, Maliyah has enjoyed a lot of good moments, but she says that there is one that is her favorite. 

“The highlight moment of my career was the last tournament before regionals where my partner and I placed third,” she said.  “My mom, coaches, and my teammates were there to see us receive our medals for third place and certificates for being named Honorable Mention All-Southwest Conference. We had a strong finish to the end of the season.”