Kennison Camp is a junior at Broken Bow High School and plays for the Lady Savages basketball team. Camp first started playing basketball at a young age through a local program called Upward Sports.

“That’s when I first fell in love with the sport,” Camp said. “In third and fourth grade, I played for my K-8 school, HollyCreek Elementary, and continued playing there through eighth grade and even qualifying for the ORES State Playoffs.”

Camp wasn’t always sure she wanted to play basketball at a competitive level, however, she received some encouragement from friends and hasn’t looked back..

“When I went to high school, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue playing, but someone told me I should try it out and I did. It was the best decision I could have made,” Camp said. “I realized that I truly love being a part of the team. I enjoy getting to be a part of a group that works well together and is constantly working hard to be better and represent our school well across the state of Oklahoma.”

Over the years Camp has learned many wonderful lessons from the game and appreciates all that her coaches and teammates have taught her through the sport.

“Some of the best advice I ever received is simple, but it is something I think is important, that is to never give up,” Camp said. “If I would have quit playing basketball after middle school, I never would have had the chance to play on the amazing team that I am a part of, have the opportunity to be mentored and trained by upperclassmen, or get to develop into a better player and continue a sport I love to play.”

When Camp first started playing basketball at the high school level she often turned to the upperclassmen on her team for advice which, today as a junior, she looks back on fondly and has continued to carry with her.

“The most memorable moment of my career was getting to be mentored by the older girls on the team. As a freshman, being able to work with upperclassmen who knew the value of hard work and supporting each other as a team was one of the most important lessons I learned,” Camp said. “I was just starting to truly develop my love for the sport and through their influence, I learned so much in my first season. I still use the lessons and values they taught me to hopefully impact the younger players in a positive way like those girls did for me and guide myself as a player and teammate as well.”

Now that Camp is an upperclassmen herself, she is looking forward to providing some leadership of her own and helping the younger players as others helped her in the past.

“As a junior, I would tell an underclassman to just keep working and always be willing to learn. There are going to be some tough practices and some long weeks with multiple games while you are still prioritizing your work as a student. However, it is one of the best feelings in the world when you can look back and realize how much better you have become as a player and as a teammate, when you can celebrate the wins and improve through the losses. It is not going to be easy, but in the end it will be worth it to see the growth in yourself and in your team,” Camp said.

Outside of basketball Camp also competes for Broken Bow cheer and plays fast-pitch softball. In addition to classes at Broken Bow High School, Camp is a cosmetology student at the Kiamichi Technology Center. After high school Camp plans to continue her education in college and wants to work toward earning a master’s degree in Athletic Training.