Mikale Thomas’s (10) busy life includes the balance of basketball, flag football, karate, bowling, academic studies and family life. He is also a member of ArtFlow, a club that is designed to help neurodivergent students express themselves through art. Thomas is one of the most successful White Station High School (WSHS) bowlers and he plays competitive, high-level basketball.
Thomas and his WSHS basketball teammates have a good relationship, and they push each other to improve in every aspect of their game. Thomas is happy that he chose to attend WSHS and he cannot imagine playing anywhere else — the Spartan logo itself brings him joy.
“[My teammates] committed me to go to White Station High School, and they worked me hard [through] education [and] through study,” Thomas said.
Thomas also plays on the Special Olympics Unified Sports basketball team — a program dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences. He has enjoyed his experience there and looks forward to continuing with that team. Thomas describes the environment as positive and he believes that he has improved greatly since starting with the program. According to the Special Olympics, basketball is one of their top sports and they design their teams based on age and skill level.
“We just have fun,” Thomas said. “[We] don’t get hurt, don’t get angry and don’t get in fight[s]. [We] just have fun and play basketball.”
Family is also a major part of Thomas’s life, and his mom was the one who originally got him started playing sports. He emphasizes the importance of family life, and love for his family motivates him in all his endeavors.
“When you play sports … love your parents, your brother, your sister, your uncle, your grandma, your grandpa [and] your aunt, and share love,” Thomas said. “Make some new friends, and love your teachers.”
Mental toughness is essential in basketball because it allows players to maintain a positive attitude through struggles, and it creates opportunities out of every situation. Along with that, having a consistent, calm and confident mindset is important for stability. Thomas has been improving in all of these factors as he works on his mental game.
“Coach [just] want[s] me to play basketball,” Thomas said. “He think[s], I [am a] good student-athlete. He want[s] me to calm down, take deep breath[s], focus, do the plays, [and] do education.”