UMass Magazine Online

Spring 2005

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Prerequisite

Hoop Dreams
She had the passion and determination to play basketball. But was that enough?

MeiMei Thai ’05




	MeiMei Thai and sophomore Tamara Tatham, who stands at 6'1" and plays for the UMass Minutewomen. (photo by Ben Barnhart)

WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT colleges, Marcus Camby ’96 was one of the best players in the country. He inspired me. I wanted to come to UMass and play for the women’s team, then play in the WNBA. I truly believed that it could happen, even though I knew it would be a challenge. I’m an Asian-American female two inches shy of five feet.

But ever since I first played in seventh grade, basketball was my identity. I grew up in Lawrence, Mass., a town that’s always had a bad reputation. My friends were loud, tough, and stubborn. I feared no one. With that type of personality, and by executing my skills on the court, my teammates accepted me. But my parents did not.

“You need to study harder, you need to get straight As for college and scholarships. Stop playing so much basketball.” Every day my parents lectured me about my future.

My parents are old-fashioned. They left Vietnam to earn a better life in the States. When they first immigrated, to Minnesota, they had nothing. But they were determined to survive. They took English classes during the day, then worked simple jobs at night. My mom worked in a factory packaging eggs; dad picked corn on a farm. They did what they had to do until they were able to find careers and earn decent salaries. My parents wanted me to do well academically so I’d have an easier life.

As a high school student, however, all I wanted to do was play basketball. Height was never a concern. For my first three years of playing, I was always the starting point guard. I lived for my dream of playing professional basketball. But I worried if I’d be able to play in college. Guards on the UMass women’s basketball team were all at least 5’6”. I knew that most college teams recruit outstanding players from high schools and I had never met a single recruiter. Yet I still had hope.

At UMass Amherst, I played intramurals. One day during my junior year, I saw a flyer for walk-on tryouts for the women’s team. I had to give it a shot.

I walked through the foggy morning mist towards Curry Hicks gym. My heart beat fast. My stomach churned. I had doubts: They’ll laugh at me as soon as I walk in there because of my height. I didn’t want them to laugh at me.

I called one of my best friends, who reassured me. “You can break those stereotypes… you, an Asian-American female, can play basketball,” she said.

I walked through the door, laced up my Jordans, and warmed up. We dribbled, passed, did three-man-weave, offense-defense, and shooting. I made great passes and played aggressively. I communicated with my teammates as we competed. The coaches said they’d contact us via e-mail.

The next morning, I checked my inbox and saw the subject line: UMass Basketball. With a deep breath, I clicked on it.

The assistant coach thanked me for trying out, but they didn’t need me. My heart sank. I replied to her e-mail and asked what I needed to work on, just to see what she would say. I got her e-mail later that evening.

To: MeiMei Thai
Re: UMass Basketball

Well to be honest MeiMei, we didn’t feel that at your size you could compete at this level. As you know... we are a major D-1 program... so our typical guards are 5’9” about 150 lbs. That is just the average. Obviously, your size is something that you cannot control. We do appreciate you taking the time to come out.

Best of luck this school year!

Coach Culbertson

I blinked back tears. I was angry that I wasn’t tall enough. I reminded myself of the feelings I get when I play: excitement, determination, and competitiveness. I finally had to accept that my height mattered, that I wouldn’t make the team even if I was the best player. My dream of playing professional basketball finally began to fade.

Junior year I studied abroad in Australia. I played basketball, cricket, and touch footie. I traveled around the country and met interesting people. I discovered new things about myself. And I found my new passion. I wanted to explore the world, write about my adventures, and get paid for it.

I finally learned that basketball was no longer my identity. There will be many opportunities after graduation. I know I’ll succeed, but I may fail a few times first. Now I know that’s just part of learning. Such lessons will only make me stronger in the never-ending process of who I’ll become.

Related links:
http://umassathletics.collegesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/umas-w-baskbl-body.html

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